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...
Love and service go hand in hand, whether it be within our families, communities, Catholic in Recovery groups, 12-step fellowships, or parish ministries. We are called to pour the love and blessings we have received from God out onto others. In recovery, we learn to...
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...
As I started looking back on my grace-filled release from my porn addiction, 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...
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 porn addiction I needed the Mother of God to...
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...
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...
Jay Stringer, author of Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, suggests that before we will ever find our way clear of unwanted sexual behavior, we must first look at what our behaviors reveal about us. While I continue to struggle with the idea...
I had just received my 16-year medallion and black key tag from my NA (Narcotics Anonymous) family, when a brother priest shared that he was reading Sister Ignatia: Angel of Alcoholics Anonymous by Mary Darrah. The medallion and key tag are given to members to...
My initial burst into SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous) came rather dramatically, as I tend to think many people’s entrances into 12-step groups tends to be. Although I felt at home from the start, it was a bit of a culture shock. My issue is pornography, but in SAA groups...