Harmful abstinence

Harmful abstinence, however, resembles the ways of the foolish gentiles who not only refrain from what is unessential but also deny themselves what is essential and chastise themselves, (often) in strange ways, which the Eternal  totally rejects.  Mesilis Yisharim- Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato p. 98

A person can not eliminate all materialism from their lives.  It is the purpose of the Jew to elevate the physical and bring it to a spiritual plane.  For those of us who want to achieve this level, but are not really there yet, it helps to have a guide (our sponsor) who keeps us on the right path, and keeps us from trying to reach a harmful abstinence.  I think that without my sponsor, I might have become so carried away with my abstinence that I might have gone to the other extreme.  My sponsor keeps me on the right path.