Becoming Pure Again
Sex Addiction Recovery Tips from Mark Chamberlain, Ph.D.
Becoming Pure Again
Abstaining from compulsive behavior becomes easirer and easier over time. I recently completed psychotherapy with a client named Rosco after nine months of working together, and it was interesting to hear him describe how temptation’s power over him had gradually decreased throughout that period. In some ways, the spiritual healing from sexual indulgences is akin to waiting for the body to metabolize a dangerous drug we have ingested. The chemical has a certain half-life, and it is only gradually, over an extended period of time that the toxic substance is purged from the system. When we first abstain from viewing and fantasizing about powerful sexual images, it may seem as though we will forever be bombarded by mental pictures and desires that threaten to pull us back into full-fledged indulgence. However, if we are patient and willing to delay gratification, we will eventually experience the increasing freedom that Rosco discovered as he persisted in his abstinence. (more…)

