Addiction
A Simple Breathing Exercise for Becoming More Like Mary with Our Eyes Fixed on God
One of the tools that I learned as I went through the Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat spiritual practice to help navigate challenging situations was a beautiful breathing exercise. Even today, over three years clean of pornography, when feelings of frustration, anger, loneliness, and boredom turn my thoughts to fantasy and masturbation tempts…
Read MoreLust and Love: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Recently, I have been reflecting on how my addiction to pornography began in the first place. This took me back to a dark place in my life during college, when I had broken up with who I thought was the love of my life, which left me directionless and unstable. I had no passion for…
Read MoreTheology of the Body and Recovering from the Harm of Pornography
“Every man who enters a brothel is looking for God.” This quote, attributed to G.K. Chesterton, is one of the foundational concepts of Saint John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” which is a collection of talks the pope gave on human sexuality. Theology of the Body (TOB) teaches that in the Garden of Eden…
Read MoreMercy and Glorification in the Wounds of Christ
As I write this, the thought that comes to mind is: “How do you put something so vast, infinite, and truly marvelous as God’s mercy and love into words?” For those of you reading this who may not know me or my story, I am a revert to the Catholic faith. I attended Catholic school…
Read MoreThe Value of a Catholic Approach to Recovery
Michael Murphy, Ed.D., writes as a Catholic psychologist with more than three decades of experience combining clinical psychology and the Catholic faith. He writes regularly for CIR on topics related to addiction recovery, mental health, and Catholicism. As we witness the emergence of Catholic in Recovery, I find myself excited again at the thought of…
Read MoreA Step One Reflection: Relinquishing Our Self-Appointed Kingship
Step One: We admitted that we were powerless over [ ] – that our lives had become unmanageable. I like to say I walked into overeaters anonymous looking for help with my “diet” problems and walked away with something else entirely. Step One was a jarring experience for me. I found it much…
Read MoreAllowing God—Not Us!—To Order Our Steps Out of Addiction
As I started looking back on my grace-filled release from the bondage of porn, I tried to understand and explain to others my escape route. Many have asked me over the last two years what the “secret” is. After almost 40 years of being trapped, now being at the point of no longer fearing my…
Read MoreThe Rosary Killed My Porn Addiction
According to pious tradition, Our Lady gave 15 promises to those who would pray the rosary with real devotion. Three of those promises are signal graces, an armor against hell, and the destruction of vice. To overcome my addiction to pornography I needed the Mother of God to keep all three of those promises. In…
Read MoreYou’re More than Just an Addict
A few years ago, I was at a 12-step meeting when one of the members called for a “group conscious.” These are periodically called for in order for the group to talk about the vision, structure, and policies of the group. The “group conscious” must be agreed upon because it allows the group to function…
Read MoreA Cry to Freedom: Finding Healing from Abortion and Addiction
How many times have three simple words passed over my mind that I never spoke out loud? For many times over the years they have remained clenched in denial, shrouded in secrecy, hidden in the darkness of my addiction to drugs and alcohol. But the day finally came when my soul cried out, “I need…
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