How to overcome porn addiction, sex addiction and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder
One of the challenges of addiction recovery is that it sounds like it should be so easy - you just stop.
One of the challenges of addiction recovery is that it sounds like it should be so easy – you just stop. But when you’ve tried repeatedly and have failed, it’s easy to become disillusioned and lose hope. And the more times you try and fail, the harder it can be to pick yourself up and try again. The other challenge is that a lot of recovery programmes are expensive, or they rely on peer support without any professional intervention. Which may of course be fine for some, but not for all.
I’ve been a therapist specialising in this field for many years and the most important thing I’ve learned is that recovery is not the same as sobriety and the reason so many people struggle to stay stopped is because they haven’t fully understood the complexity of the problem they’re facing. They think that if they just ‘stop’ their unwanted behaviours then the rest of life will fall into place, but when it doesn’t, they slip back into their compulsive behaviours again. So what does recovery really mean? It means building a life where your addictive, compulsive behaviours have no place. A life that is fulfilling and meaningful. A life where acting out would feel very, very weird indeed because it’s just not what you do anymore and it no longer fits with who you are. What is radical about Pivotal Recovery is that the focus is not on what you’re giving up, but on what you will take up instead; your focus will be on what you ‘want’ to do, not on what you ‘don’t’ want to do.
When you follow the Pivotal course, you’ll be using the CHOICE Recovery Model. A model that has been tried and tested in therapeutic settings around the world. This model is more than just a structured treatment plan, it’s a philosophy; it’s not simply a strategy for stopping compulsive behaviours and enduring reluctant sobriety, but a roadmap to establish confident recovery and change your life. The acrostic CHOICE stands for the 6 steps of recovery:-
C – Challenge Core Beliefs
H – Have a Vision
O – Overcome Compulsive Behaviours
I – Identify Positive Sexuality
C – Connect with Others
E – Establish Confident Recovery
CHOICE represents both the spirit and the steps of recovery. You can choose a better life, it may be hard work, there may be twists and turns on the journey, but ultimately it is a choice. Everyone has the right to choose the life they want to lead, but my experience has taught me that compulsive thoughts and behaviours robs people of that choice. What I want is for you to be back in the driving seat of your recovery and turn your life around.