Does anyone else have a pit in your stomach? I have a routine of stopping at the newspaper display to scan the headlines on my way into my local coffee shop. For the past two months, every time—I mean every single time—I’ve done so, at least one of the front page stories has been about someone (or many someone’s) manipulating, coercing, or forcing someone (or many someone’s) into sex. The pit in...
Last week, we saw that allowing God and others into our emotions allows us the opportunities to live as wholly ourselves again. Expressing our emotions to others is a positive step towards reconnecting with ourselves and with God. Click here to read the first post in this series. Experiencing and expressing emotions in the presence of others opens us to the possibility of further wounding, but it...
For some men and women in recovery from sexual addiction, learning that they have to become better at identifying, experiencing, and expressing their feelings in order to overcome the addiction is enough of a reason to begin trying to become better. This is a good reason. Trust the many who have gone before you. As awkward or odd as it may seem to you, this is a part of the process. And it is...
One of the most difficult areas for husbands and wives in recovery is how to navigate the precarious landscape of talking about a struggle with sexual sin. Here are some helpful resources in navigating the healing process for couples. Couples Restoration After Infidelity (show notes)FAQ’s – Cultivating a Helpful Check-inRecommended Resources for Couples Listen to the Full Transcript Here. Josh...
Those struggling with habitual sexual sins most certainly walk in confusion about the meaning and role of emotions in their lives. Some let emotions rule their lives. Others try to stifle or cut off emotions as unimportant. Many do both without realizing either. The sexual addiction cycle is triggered by the presence of some type of pain or discomfort; the cycle culminates in the euphoria of...
Anyone who has seen someone go through withdrawal from drugs or alcohol knows that it is not pleasant. It can be downright awful, actually. But many are surprised to learn that going through withdrawal is a normal part of recovery from addictive sexual sin as well. Sexual addiction is slightly different from many addictions in that the “drug” is not a chemical that comes from outside the body...