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Healing from sex addiction will take time and courage, but it is possible. Boulder Recovery is here to help you find your way through addiction. We help men address addictions and the trauma that creates them and offer partner betrayal support for the spouses of those in our program. Reach out to us for information to start on the road to healing.<br>
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CanYouBeaSexAddictandChristian? It’s challengingformanypeople tosyncideasofsexuality andChristianity.It’sespecially difficult whenyouexperiencesexualbehaviorthatyoucan’tcontrolandthatcausesyoushame.But you can be a sex addict and Christian. God’s love isn’t conditional. No matter the issue, He forgivesand wants you to heal. Understanding SexAddiction Understanding sex addiction and how it happens can help you better understand how you can be a sex addict and Christian. The truth is that addiction, including sex addiction, can happen to anyone. What is SexAddiction? Sex addiction is uncontrollable sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors. It causes severe emotional distress and negatively affects a person’s life. As a result, they may try to stop the behavior independentlybut find they can’t. Causes of SexAddiction Unresolved trauma often is the root cause of sex addiction. When you experience a traumatic event, it can cause your brain to go into survival mode. The body’s primary goal after experiencinga traumatic event is toprevent it from happening again.
The brain tries to avoid situations that trigger trauma and works to cope with adverse emotions resultingfrom the trauma.To cope with thosenegative emotions, you lookfor something that makesyou feel good. When you use sexual behaviors to deal with negative emotions, your brain begins to link feeling betteror coping with sex. Before you realizeit, you’re addicted and can’t stop. Effects of SexAddiction When a person has a sex addiction, they can no longer control their sexual behaviors. They are preoccupied with sexual thoughts or fantasies. They spend a lot of time focusing on or planning their nextsexualencounter.Theymayevenputthemselvesindangeroussituationstoget sexualgratification. There are many adverse effects of sex addiction. These consequences are emotional, physical, and relational. Sex addiction can lead to problems in personal relationships, at work, and even legal troubles. It can cause people to experience shame and guilt about their actions. It can also leadto other mental health issues likedepression or anxiety. Sexaddiction alsomay causerisky sexual behaviorlike unprotectedsex withmultiple partners. Identifying SexAddiction Specific signs of sex addictioncan help you recognize it. The first and most obvious sign is an increase in the frequency of sexual activity, which may include frequent masturbation or pornographyuse.This activity often is hidden. A person with sex addiction begins to focus most of the time, thoughts, and energy on the addiction.That means theystop spending timeon other activities,like socializing oreven work. Another sign is a change in behavior that causes problems in relationships. For example, if someone who previously had no difficulty maintaining healthy relationships suddenly starts cheating on their partner or behavingsecretively, this could indicate thatthey are addicted to sex. Othersignsinclude frequentlyingabout sexualactivitiesor clearlyhidingsomething. SexAddictionasaChristian Sex addiction and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. You can be a sex addict and a Christian, according to T. C. Ryan, author of “Ashamed No More: A Pastor’s Journey Through SexAddiction”and pastoral consultant at BoulderRecovery.
“Being aspiritualpersondoesn’tremovetheissuesweallstrugglewith,”hesaid.“Andhaving an addiction doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of Christ’s love. It’sa moral failing, which everyone isguilty of.” • Toheal from sex addiction,the person with theaddiction must recognize andadmit the problem, then seek help. T.C. believes that help can come from within the Church. He said the Church needsto work to understand addiction betterand support those in need. • “We must learnto healtogether andhelp one another,”T.C. stated.“We haveto doit together. Nobodyshould be alone.” • T.C. said, “The Bible speaks to this. Galatians6:2 calls for people to 'Bear one another’s burdens,and so fulfill the law of Christ.'" • TheImportanceofSupport • When you have a sex addiction, you mayfind it difficult to grasp the idea ofrecovery. But recoveryis possible,and you canheal yourselfand strengthen yourfaith simultaneously. But, as • T.C.said,youcan’tdoitalone. • Supportisimportantforvariousreasons,including: • Identify and Heal. Support helps you identify what needs healing and then figure out how to heal it. Seeking professional mental health support will help you discover the root cause of your addiction and heal from that trauma. Then you can focus on changing behaviors. • Improve Daily Life. Support means having someone there when times get tough. Your supportnetwork will help you deal withthe challenges of recovery. • Repair Relationships. Addiction damages relationships. Seeking out support enables you to repair those relationships by showing others that you understand how your behaviorimpacted them and how you're working torecover. • HelpFromBoulderRecovery • You can be a sex addict and Christian.You also owe it to yourself to heal and live the authentic, Christ-centeredlifeyou'recapableofliving.BoulderRecovery's14-dayChristianMen's Intensivecan help you focus on your faith whilejumpstarting your recovery.Contact usto learn moreand start your healing journey. • Source:https://beginagaininstitute.com/christian/can-you-be-a-sex-addict-and-christian/