We here at Integrity Restored are so deeply appreciative for the recent pastoral letter the United States Catholic Bishops released, Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography. The letter is unambiguous about the damage—both spiritual and otherwise—that pornography is wreaking upon our country. At the same time, it is profoundly merciful to those of […]
One of our long term goals for Integrity Restored is to provide a therapist listing where you can find a trustworthy mental health professional to provide counsel on the road to recovery. Many people have shared stories about their experiences of therapy. Some have had their marriages resurrected with the assistance of a skilled counselor, […]
To truly understand pornography addiction we must first define it. Note that pornography addiction is a type of sex addiction. Although there are many definitions for sex addiction, the one I like best was developed by Dr. Mark Laaser: Sexual addiction is “any persistent and escalating unhealthy pattern of sexual behavior. It is compulsive in nature, and used […]
When Chris came to me for help for his pornography addiction he sincerely wanted to uncover and resolve the root causes of his addiction. He had read stories about people addicted to pornography and sex who as children had been abused, neglected, or were raised by alcoholics. Because he had experienced none of these traumas in his life he […]
Chuck was doing well in his recovery. He had four months of healthy sobriety; however, he complained of being bored with life. Not much interested him. He went to school and work everyday but found little enjoyment in it. He believed he might be depressed but didn’t know why. He thought that giving up porn […]
Two primary factors that often keep people from seeking help for pornography addiction is guilt and shame. While they often act together, they are two very different emotions. Guilt focuses on the behavior while shame focuses on the person. Both need to be resolved for a healthy recovery. Guilt Guilt is an emotion that focuses on actions. It […]
For many wives, discovering that their husband has been looking at porn can be traumatizing. According to Barbara Steffens and Marsha Means, authors of the book Your Sexually Addicted Spouse, 70 percent of wives dealing with spousal betrayal fit the criteria for PTSD. That’s right, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Steffens explains, “Once disclosure happens, and […]
When Karen discovered her husband’s pornography addiction, her world seemed to fall apart. She felt deeply hurt and betrayed. Suddenly the man she had been married to for fifteen years was a total stranger to her. She felt she could never trust him again. She did not feel safe with him. She moved into another bedroom and wouldn’t allow […]
When Lou was confronted about his use of Internet pornography, his excuse was that he was tired of the “vanilla” sex he was having with his wife, Roberta. He claimed he needed more excitement in the bedroom. This left Roberta feeling both angry and sad. She felt as if Lou was blaming her for his pornography use. She […]
Bill and Christine called my office deeply distraught about their fifteen year- old daughter, Shannon. They had caught her sexting with her boyfriend. That is, She was taking nude photos of herself with her cell phone camera and emailing them to her boyfriend. When confronted about it, Shannon’s response was “What’s the big deal? Everyone does it. Besides, it’s […]
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