{{otheruses4|the practice of abstinence in general|sexual abstinence|Sexual abstinence}}

'''Abstinence''' is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from [[sexual intercourse]], [[alcohol]] or [[food]]. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

Abstinence has diverse forms. Commonly it refers to a temporary or partial abstinence from food, as in [[fasting]]. Because the regimen is intended to be a conscious act, freely chosen to enhance life, abstinence is sometimes distinguished from the psychological mechanism of [[repression (psychological)|repression]]. The latter is an unconscious state, having unhealthy consequences. [[Freud]] termed the channeling of sexual energies into other more culturally or socially acceptable activities "[[Sublimation (psychology)|sublimation]]".

==Abstinence in religion==
Abstinence may arise from an ascetic element, present in most religions, or from a subjective need for spiritual discipline. In its religious context, abstinence is meant to elevate the believer beyond the normal life of desire, to a chosen ideal, by following a path of renunciation.

For Jews, the principal fast day is [[Yom Kippur]], the Day of Atonement. For Muslims, the period of fasting lasts during the whole month of [[Ramadan]], from dawn to dusk. Both Jews and Muslims abstain from pork in their regular diet. In Islam, pre-marital sex is prohibited. Many Christians (as well as other religions) aim to be completely abstinent from pre-marital sex. Also, Catholics abstain from food and drink prior to taking [[Holy Communion|Mass]], and abstain from meat on [[Ash Wednesday]] and on Fridays during [[Lent]]. Many [[Traditionalist Catholics]] abstain all Fridays in the year. Catholics distinguish between [[Fasting and abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church|fasting and abstinence]]; the former referring to the discipline of taking one full meal a day, and the latter signifying the discipline of eating no meat (fish is allowed). Many Protestants have preferred to abstain from imbibing alcohol and the use of tobacco. [[Mormon]]s abstain from certain foods and drinks by combining spiritual discipline with health concerns. Mormons also fast one day a month, for both spiritual and charitable reasons (the money saved by skipping meals is donated to the needy). The [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] encourages the consumption of only clean meats as specified in [[Leviticus]] and strongly discourages the consumption of [[alcohol]], [[Tobacco smoking|smoking]] and the use of [[narcotics]].<ref name="adventist">{{cite web
| title = Fundamental Beliefs
| url = http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html
| accessdate = 2006-03-07
| year = 2005
}}</ref>

In India, [[Buddhist]]s, [[Jain]]s, and Hindus abstain from eating meat on the grounds both of health and of reverence for all sentient forms of life. Total abstinence from feeding on the flesh of cows is a hallmark of [[Hinduism]].

==In medicine==
In medicine, abstinence is the [[discontinuation]] of a drug, often an [[drug addiction|addictive]] one. This might, in addition to craving after the drug, be expressed as [[withdrawal syndromes]].

== References ==
<references />

==See also==
{{wiktionary|abstinence}}
===Types of abstinence===
*[[Fasting]]
*[[Sexual abstinence]]
*[[Smoking cessation]]
*[[Sobriety]]
*[[Straight edge]]
*[[Teetotalism]]
*[[Veganism]]
*[[Vegetarianism]]

===Organizations===
*[[Alcoholics Anonymous]]
*[[Pagans In Recovery]]
*[[Narcotics Anonymous]]

===Other related topics===
*[[Asceticism]]
*[[Chastity]]
*[[Chastity ring]]
*[[Wedding of the Weddings]]

[[Category:Addiction]]
[[Category:Asceticism]]
[[Category:Human sexuality]]
[[Category:Virtues]]

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