“I hate myself! I just made a great confession and felt clean and blessed. So, why did I commit this sin yet again?” I often had the above thought when I fell to sexual sin and before I took my recovery from pornography and masturbation seriously. Perhaps it’s a...
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A Reflection on Attachment, Addiction, Psychology, and Spiritual Formation: Part Four
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Other Addictions, Psychology & Therapy, The Twelve Steps | 1 Comment
Attachment, as we have seen in previous articles (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three), is central to addiction, recovery, and spiritual growth. But what do St. Ignatius and St. John of the Cross mean by “attachments”? And how does that tie to our recovery from...
Saint Jude, Our Patron for the Pornography Pandemic
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Help from the Saints, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Spiritual Tools, The Twelve Steps | 1 Comment
Satan is a killer. Given the chance he will happily kill your marriage, your family, your relationships, your joy, and your faith: “He's the enemy...avoid him at all costs” (James 4:7). The world is experiencing a health pandemic. However, as Christians and Catholics,...
Clearing up the Stigma: My Experience at Inpatient Rehab
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Psychology & Therapy, The Twelve Steps | 0 Comments
Recently, I was having dinner with a friend who was describing a close friend’s sudden collapse of character, which included behaviors and activities that weren’t congruent with this person’s normal character. As a layman, I can’t diagnose the situation but it...
Embracing (and Detaching from) Suffering as a Loved One of an Addict
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Pornography & Sexual Addiction | 0 Comments
I am not an addict. I married an unrecovered sex and porn addict but didn't know it. That's the simple truth. Since separating from my Catholic husband of over 26 years, many things have become clear to me. One thing is how differently he and I perceive suffering....
Talking to Your Spouse About a Sexual Addiction
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, The Twelve Steps | 1 Comment
Having the “talk” with my significant other was the most terrifying conversation I’ve had: the “talk” where I revealed that I was a porn addict. The evil of my addiction was a contributing factor in the destruction of my first marriage. And though I had started my...
Maintaining Recovery Even When You Don’t Feel Like You Need to Anymore
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, The Twelve Steps | 1 Comment
When I first became sober, maintaining my recovery was the most important part of my life. But two years in something happened. My life changed. Suddenly I was engaged and moving away to start graduate school. Since my faith was important to me, I found a parish right...
How a Novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots Freed Me From Pornography and Masturbation
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Spiritual Tools | 3 Comments
Writing this article has been a challenge. Not the topic, rather how to share truth in a limited number of words! Early in my recovery, after I had committed to a 30-day challenge with a genuine intent to recover, I found myself struggling. As is typical with...
Reflecting on “Thy Will Be Done” in Our Recovery
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Help from the Saints, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Spiritual Tools, The Twelve Steps | 0 Comments
We in Catholic in Recovery are undeniably blessed to have at our fingertips so many avenues and ways to seek God and live according to His perfect will. Our gratitude and blessings of recovery are worth repeating as our hearts and minds have been brought into harmony...
My Life Since Becoming Free from Pornography and Masturbation
| Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Spiritual Tools | 0 Comments
As I think about how my life has changed for the better since becoming free from viewing pornography and masturbating multiple times per day, I am awed by Jesus’s promise: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will follow.” It’s...