Rethinking Porn Addiction - A Sexual Health Show

I promise I'll stop looking at porn...

I commit to my partner...

I commit to myself...

I commit to God...

And yet, a few days/weeks/months later, I'm typing words in the search bar.

Words I'm ashamed of.

Then I sit and look at things that go completely against my values.

Why can't I stop?

Why do I feel so out-of-control?

Why can't I just not look?

How is this not an addiction?

And if it's not... what is it?

Let's talk bout that in this week's episode.

"Why can't I stop looking at pornography? I hate this about myself."

"My wife just found out about my addiction, now she wants a divorce... what can I do?"

"I caught him looking up porn again. I'm devastated. What does this mean for our marriage?"

Unwanted pornography viewing is leaving countless couples and individuals feeling betrayed, alone, and deeply ashamed.

"Why can't I stop looking? I feel out-of-control. Am I evil?"

"Doesn't he love me? Am I not enough for him? Is he going to hurt our kids?"

There are lots of questions... And few clear answers. "How do we move forward? Can we ever recover?"

In our very first conversation, we're going to examine *why* unwanted, out-of-control pornography viewing causes us so much pain.

Porn hurts...

But we don't often stop to think why.

Where does the pain come from?

Why does it hurt so bad?

If we want answers about how to navigate the porn problem, we have to be willing to ask some hard questions.

Please invite people who you think would enjoy or benefit from this content.

You keep it a secret, hoping nobody will ever find out. "I can manage this on my own." "My secrets aren't hurting anyone." "It's nobody else's business..." But you know if the wrong person found out, it could cause immense pain and damage to your relationships and your reputation. So you start to consider having a discussion... Revealing your true self to those you love. At least then you can do it on your own terms. But admitting out loud that you're struggling with porn feels impossible. "How do I share this part of myself and not end up in the dog house, ruin my relationships, or worse... lose everything?" "Should I downplay it? Should I tell the whole truth? When is the right time? How do I do it in a way that is the least painful for everyone involved?" When it comes to disclosing your unwanted porn use, there are lots of questions to consider. Some people wait (or even want) to get caught. Others opt to disclose on their own terms. In today's conversation, we're going to talk about that...

How Do I Find My Pleasure & Keep My Faith?

This is a question that challenges many people...

I cherish my faith. It's important to me. I don't want to give it up...

But I also don't want to hold to my faith if it's doing me damage, or harming my relationship with myself or others...

So, how do we develop and explore sexual pleasure without reliquishing our relationship with the divine?

This is the conversation we'll be wrestling with today.

Make sure to check out http://rethinkingpornaddiction.com​ for more resources!

Most of us grew up feeling like our worthiness, our virtue, and our ability to be loved hinged on whether or not we were obeying certain rules or keeping commandments.

When you break a rule or disobey a commandment, it can leave an irremovable stain on your character.

Principles, on the other hand, are "a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning."

They should be at the root of the "rules" we live by.

Last week, we introduced the Six Principles of Sexual Health: • Honesty

• Shared Values

• Consent

• Pleasure

• Protection from STI's and Unwanted Pregnancy

• Non-Exploitation

This week we are going to talk about how these principles fit into our morals, and rules.

We'll explore how these principles can elevate the conversation beyond mere rule-following...

How they can become a roadmap for breaking the chains of shame...

Developing true connection with yourself and your partner... Talking to your children about sex and porn...

And ultimately, developing sexual health.