7 Surprising (and Negative) Effects of Porn
Published January 28, 2012 | 
ChurchLeaders.com recently posted a brief, yet eye-opening article about some of the negative effects of pornography. Here is a synopsis.
1. Porn Contributes to Social and Psychological Problems Within Men
2. Porn Rewires the Male Brain
3. Porn Turns Sex into Masturbation
4. Porn Demeans and Objectifies Women
5. Porn Squashes the Beauty of a Real Naked Woman
6. Porn Has a Numbing Effect Upon Reality
7. Porn Lies About What it Means to Be Male and Female
I encourage you to check out the article in its entirety to read the descriptions given for each of these negative effects. Thank you, ChurchLeaders.com, for adding a much-needed voice to the awareness of this issue!
Posted in Purity, Sexual Addiction | 
addiction, character, emotions, intimacy, love, lust, masturbation, porn, Purity, Recovery, sex, sin, Spouses, temptation | 
2 CommentsDr. Earl Henslin – Sex & the Brain
Published January 24, 2012 | In this episode of Pure Passion TV, Dr Earl Henslin, author of “This Is Your Brain on Joy“, talks about sex and its effects on the physiology of the brain. Starting at about minute 19 in the video he really kicks into the topic of sexual addiction and the brain in great detail. He talks about medication, therapy, brain trauma and even congenital brain issues affecting impulse control and addiction.
It is fascinating, and quite helpful for those who are greatly struggling with impulse control and addiction.
Posted in Sexual Addiction | addiction, behavior, brokenness, growth, healing, intimacy, lust, masturbation, porn, Purity, Recovery, sex, sin | Leave a commentFeeding our Appetites
Published August 14, 2011 | One thing that I have heard before that wasn’t encouraging to me at the time, but looking back I understand…
Once we act out, we find it easy to redouble our efforts. Like any appetite, once we feed it, it is quelled for a time. This is true of our sexual appetite. When we indulge ourselves, the sexual hunger is satiated and doesn’t bother us for a time. It could be a few days or even a few weeks or months. Our efforts to avoid temptations and maybe avert our attention from objects of temptation come easy for a time after acting out.
It isn’t easy when the siren’s call to dash ourselves on the rocks grows from a whisper to a shout. The hardest part of recovery is growing to the point where we are able to withstand temptation when the hunger hasn’t been fulfilled.
We have to remember that the thing we actually hunger isn’t sex, but intimacy, connection and pleasure. The false intimacy and connection of pornography, and the fleeting pleasure of masturbation always leave us flat. And like any appetite, it only grows as we indulge it.
Like I said, that is tough and may not sound encouraging right now, but I felt that it would be helpful to you in the long run. Stay strong and use the time when the temptation is low to build real intimacy, connection and healthy sources of pleasure into your life. That is the best way to combat the temptation to come.
If you don’t have face-to-face friendships with others who can encourage you, start out by joining our forums for strugglers at The Purity Report. It is a safe environment to begin talking about your temptations in a structured way and receive prayer and encouragement.
Posted in Purity, Recovery | addiction, behavior, character, emotions, growth, intimacy, lust, masturbation, porn, Purity, Recovery, relationships, sex, temptation | Leave a commentJohn’s Story – Part 2
Published August 9, 2011 | Here is the balance of John’s story. He shares his story of drug and pornography addiction, and God’s saving grace. He is also open and honest about continued struggles with pornography after coming to Christ. The journey of faith is not perfect, but it continues to blossom as we follow God’s lead and rest in His grace!
You can watch Part 1 of John’s Story here…
Posted in Grace, Recovery | accountability, brokenness, confession, Grace, growth, healing, love, masturbation, porn, Purity, Recovery, salvation, sex, shame | Leave a commentJohn’s Story – Part 1
Published July 22, 2011 | John Glisson, founder of Pure Community Ministries and The Purity Report, shares his story of drug and pornography addiction, and God’s saving grace.
He is also open and honest about continued struggles with pornography after coming to Christ. The journey of faith is not perfect, but it continues to blossom as we follow God’s lead and rest in His grace!
If you are struggling, you don’t have to languish in the dark. There is hope! Sign up on The Purity Report and start letting God into those dark places in your heart where He can forgive and heal you!
Pure and Angry
Published June 20, 2011 | 
It is normal to start feeling anger and irritation once you set your acting out behaviors aside. Now that you aren’t medicating your feelings, they will come to the surface. The first, and easiest emotion to identify with, especially for men, is anger. We easily recognize this one.
In counseling, I learned that anger is always a secondary emotion. It is a surface-level emotional response to a deeper feeling. The same counselor gave me an acrostic that helps me dig underneath my anger. It is GIFT, which stands for Guilt, Inferiority, Fear or Trauma. These are big buckets that help me categorize what I am feeling and share it with my accountability team and when possible with my wife.
For me, the first three are the usual suspects (guilt, inferiority, fear). Once I began digging into those more deeply and regularly, I learned some of the nuances of my emotions (I have been so ignorant of this part of my soul for most of my life). For instance, inferiority is more accurately feeling invalidated as a man for some reason. That is an enormous trigger for me – it makes me angry and can quickly put me on the dreaded “autopilot” to acting out with masturbation or pornography.
Purity Bytes – Episode 7 – Overcoming Temptation
Published March 30, 2011 | 
The Purity Bytes Podcast (on iTunes)
Byte-sized chunks of wisdom about sexual purity…
Episode 7: Overcoming Temptation
So what do we do about temptation?
In this episode, we talk about temptation – where it really comes from and how to overcome it.
Posted in Purity Bytes | addiction, behavior, brokenness, character, God, heart, lust, masturbation, Podcast, Purity, sex, temptation | Leave a commentPurity Bytes Podcast – Episode 4 – God’s Vision for Sex
Published February 16, 2011 |
The Purity Bytes Podcast (on iTunes)
Byte-sized chunks of wisdom about sexual purity…
Episode 4: God’s Vision for Sex
and Why Purity is So Important
In this episode, we talk about what God’s ultimate vision is for sex and why purity is so important.
Posted in Purity Bytes | intimacy, love, marriage, masturbation, Podcast, porn, Purity, sex | 4 CommentsThe Desensitization of Porn and Masturbation – Revisited
Published December 29, 2010 | A few months ago we posted the story of a man who had difficulty being aroused by his wife because he had been so desensitized by porn and masturbation. He has graciously given us a continuation of his story.
Last Monday, we had planned to make love. For some reason, I was not responding to the caressing by my wife or anything else we tried during foreplay. It was just not happening. While lying there, I was not greatly angered or frustrated; just disappointed. Again, my wife was supportive and encouraging. Without thinking, I started to discuss with her the contents of what I wrote in the blog without mentioning I had posted it on the Internet, (she would have been OK with this). She fully understood how the affects of chronic porn and masturbation can rewire one’s thinking and desensitization to other forms of sexual stimuli other than porn and masturbation. I mentioned to her that I was trying to focus my attention on her as the only source of sexual stimuli and response and she was encouraged by this. I was just about to say to her that we will try next time, when I felt a sudden peace and urge to try again. I felt God’s presence in the room and I knew then it was His urging and everything would turn out fine! Without saying anything to my wife, I re-started foreplay and found myself getting aroused as I focused my thoughts on her which ended up in us making love. I was pleased, relieved and thankful for God for His peace, urging and enablement.
It just gave me confirmation that I was on the right track and that I have to continue to do eradicate/control/surrender all forms of temptation to Him and concentrate on my wife as my only source of sexual stimuli and satisfaction and therefore keep this in the confines of marital boundaries as God originally intended.
I am not saying it is going to be easy from this point on; it is not, but it has shown me there is hope for me and I don’t have to settle for a lie any more or second rate sexuality, that I can have the sexual and intimate expression of love and relationship God intended and has provided for my wife and I.
Posted in Purity | addiction, behavior, intimacy, marriage, masturbation, porn, sex, Spouses | 2 CommentsThe 5 Common Types of Sexual Addiction – Part 5
Published September 30, 2010 | Mood swings/Brain imbalancedThe last common area, which I can relate to, is Mood-affective sexual addiction. This type is characterized by a pattern of using sex to placate or control the highs and lows of mood swings. The two most common medical diagnoses related to this pattern are depression and bipolar disorders. The fact is that sex addicts deal with mood issues at a rate of nearly 4 times the general male population 26% for the former, 7 for the latter. Thoughts that often accompany the acting-out range from “This will make me feel better” to “Well, if I just get it over with I’ll be able to go to sleep.” I have dealt with depression and anxiety and have benefited greatly from using a drug called Welbutrin (especially during the winters) to combat Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Before recovery, I would use masturbation to comfort myself when feeling down, depressed or simply lethargic instead of finding someone to talk to, workout or experience adventure. Now, I am living the real and engaged life I always wanted: running, hiking, skiing, and pursuing new adventures regularly instead of using the escape of masturbation and fantasy as a counterfeit source of adventurous fun and exercise to help my brain get the needed endorphins naturally and in a non-habit-forming way.
You may learn more about Jayson Graves and his excellent counseling ministry, Healing for the Soul by visiting their website – www.healingforthesoul.org.
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