By Chad Gilbert
Porn is a joy stealer. It removes joy from the inside out. It takes that which was meant for good, even good desires, and focuses them on sin, self, and destruction. It can, to the extreme ends destroy relationships and lives. It leaves the user feeling alone, ashamed, and worthless. Much like a user or drinker after a binder, not much is left of the person but to pick the pieces up and wait until the next fix. For the used it is a new form of slavery. The sinister part of porn is that it’s so ubiquitous. Everyone is cool with it in their own way.
This was my experience as someone who used porn regularly for most of his teenage and adult life. 18 years if we are keeping score. I was involved in churches, worship teams, even in seminary and I was blind to how bad it really was. That’s because we, like Lot (check Genesis 13) are much more eager to please our eyes and bellies than trust Lord in His goodness.
The lie of the serpent from the garden tells us it’s not that bad. When it happens, he whispers aha! He does not really love you! Why would he allow you, his precious child to do that!? I hated myself, wanted it to be done with and never to look back. But I always went back. Moreover, my view of women was degrading to say the least. Satisfaction was always just beyond reach. Even what felt like satisfaction was a pale comparison to the treasure I found. I had professed belief in Christ at an early age. However, like many young believers in the 90s had thrust upon me the dos and don’ts of youth group and the world…more often than not the world swayed me. God always remained faithful, even when I was not.
My name is Chad Gilbert and I am a pornography addict. My aim is to help you see that you struggle with it too, and that hope is closer than you think. You may not (and I pray don’t) struggle as deeply as some of us do, but even casual flirting with the mouse and screen is sure to pull you away from things that matter. This is not a holier than thou group (hey, I’m new here) but this group could point you to the one who makes you holier than you were.
I work with addicts of all kinds of stripes from drugs to alcohol, gambling and just straight up narcissists. And all of them, including you and us, need to hear the ultimate freeing grace of Christ. When you think you’re at bottom and have nowhere else to go, well…that’s exactly where God has placed you. Fed up with your false desires? Bored with your usual drinks? Come to the fountain brothers and drink from the streams of grace abounding!
Eddie Capparucci is a Christian therapist and licensed by the State of Georgia. He is certified in the treatment of sexual and pornography addiction, and he and his wife, Teri, have a private practice working with men struggling with sexual and pornography addictions, as well as their wives who are dealing with betrayal. Among his many clients, Eddie has worked with professional athletes, including NFL and MLB players and television personalities.
He is the creator of the Inner Child Recovery Process (ICRP) for the treatment of Sexual and Pornography addiction. This unique treatment method helps individuals get to the root issues of their addiction and provides them with the tools and insight to manage the disorder. It is endorsed by many leaders in the sex addiction field. The Inner Child Recovery Process is the subject of his new book, Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction. He also is the host of the webcast entitled Getting to the Other Side: Helping Couples Navigate the Road to Recovery.