Al Heystek, Principal Therapist for the Men’s Resource Center of West Michigan’s sex and pornography addiction treatment and recovery program describes sex and pornography addiction in a way that makes sense to the casual listener, “Addiction is a brain disease … the same dynamic that happens with cocaine, or alcohol, or opioids also happens with sex. ….” As to whether or not people make the choice to be addicted, he says, “[it’s] much like when someone makes a choice to go into Lake Michigan when the yellow flags or red flags are up. But [they] don’t make a choice to get pulled out by a rip current.”
In this Revealing Men podcast with Randy Flood, psychotherapist and Director of the Men’s Resource Center, Heystek discusses how men are raised to view sex and intimacy as interchangeable, the consequences of internet porn, the isolation shame causes, and the value in choosing to seek treatment. He states, ” …you alone can work on this, you alone can show up and be honest about your life, you alone can reveal everything you need to reveal, but you can’t do this work alone.”
There is no shame in seeking answers about whether or not you could have a sex or pornography addiction. Contact the Men’s Resource Center to get the information you need to regain control of your life.
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