What is addiction, and how do we know if we are addicted? Speaking sociologically, we are addicted because we live in addictive societies that turn us into consumers and materialists. Speaking biologically, we are addicted because that is how we are hardwired. Speaking spiritually, we are addicted because we seek spiritual satisfaction through things other than God. Humans can be addicted to most any object, ideology, and belief, but they cannot be addicted to the true God, for reasons disclosed in this text. As this book demonstrates, addiction is a pattern of learned behavior that utilizes ancient mental pathways designed to promote survival and reproduction. When neural connections intended to promote eating, reproduction, parenting, and social relationships are diverted into addiction, their blessings can become curses. While heredity, parenting, trauma, and additional psychological and sociological factors play significant roles in compulsive behavior, addiction is essentially a developmental disorder, a way to manage an environment that feels threatening and overwhelming. Change (getting unstuck) is possible, but it requires five ingredients: acknowledgment, resolution, substitution, human help, and divine help. Because addictions represent complex interactions between biological, psychological, social, and spiritual forces, the solution must be holistic as well. Designed as a study guide for groups or individual use, this book approaches the topic comprehensively, examining the nature of addiction; its cause, symptoms, consequences, and means of recovery.

A fresh, updated, and expanded edition of the book that changed the way we think about romance and intimacy. Many of us confuse longing and obsession with true love. Through two previous editions, Is It Love or Is It Addiction? has helped countless people find their way from the trials and confusion of addictive love to the fulfillment of whole and healthy relationships. As the author reveals, we can begin to work through relationship difficulties with compassion and lasting effect by increasing our awareness of the ways that we express love. In this expanded third edition, Brenda Schaeffer draws on years of feedback and new developments to foster an understanding of love addiction: what it is and what it is not, how to identify it, and, even more important, how to break free of it. Stories of real people struggling to develop sound relationships illustrate the characteristics of healthy love and help readers to free themselves to find real intimacy. Included is the most up-to-date information about the biological basis of addictive behaviors and the impact of technology on intimate relationships. The author also explores the influence of past abuse and trauma on the predisposition to love addiction.

Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction demonstrates why people’s lives are being destroyed by compulsive sexual behaviour and what we can do to help them. The book examines the latest research into these conditions and outlines the new integrative C.H.O.I.C.E. Recovery Model, a practical, sex-positive model which incorporates CBT, ACT and psychodynamic theories to help people enjoy lifetime recovery. This new edition has been updated throughout, with new material covering pornography addiction, ChemSex, internet offending and female sex and love addiction. Written in a clear and informative manner, this book contains support and advice for both the clinician and for those who suffer from sex addiction, and provides tools for securing confident and rewarding recovery. Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction is essential reading for anyone looking to make an enduring recovery from these conditions, as well as for clinicians new to the field and those wanting to update their skills and knowledge.

Everyone makes mistakes in relationships at one time or another. Sometimes they learn from those mistakes. Other times, they return to those behaviors and cycle through failed relationship after failed relationship. Sometimes those behaviors become an addiction to love that may leave a person feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, lonely, or worse. Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things go Wrong makes visible the elements of love addiction that many lesbians suffer from. Love addiction for lesbians comes in many forms. Some struggle by sexually acting out and others are serial relationship junkies, jumping from one relationship into the next. Some are addicted to the high of falling in love and once that wears off don’t know how to handle the day-to-day realities of a committed relationship. Some are even addicted to fantasy and intrigue, while others are love avoidants and sexual anorexics. Love avoidants may be able to get into a relationship but once they are fully committed, struggle with feeling smothered. Others may avoid intimate or sexual relationships all together, becoming sexually anorexic. Some may even vacillate between all of these. The underlying component and common denominator in all of these scenarios is the “Urge to Merge.” Lesbian Love Addiction is designed to help ameliorate at least part of this problem. Lauren D. Costine offers insight for lesbians, bisexual women in relationships with women, queer women, and more specifically, any woman who loves women, as well as their family and friends, and health care professionals, into the psychology of lesbian love addiction. It will give those who struggle with and suffer from love addiction ways to understand, cope, and heal from this debilitating addiction. It will give those who work with this population new tools to use to do this more effectively. Mostly, it will help lesbians understand their relationship failures and how to heal from problems associated with them, so they may grow and cultivate happier, more fulfilling connections in the future.

Heal from love addiction with exercises for finding real love and self-worth Love addiction is a pattern of obsessive behavior in your romantic relationships that can wreak havoc on your happiness and your connections with others—but you can find healthy relationships again. This workbook is full of compassionate advice and insight to help you understand how the cycle of love addiction works and begin to break the habits that are holding you back. With guidance from a psychologist, you'll assess your past relationships to identify the root of your struggles. Then, explore proven techniques to help you build the healthy, rewarding, and enduring relationships that you deserve. Dive deep—Make room for self-reflection with everything from writing prompts and quizzes to guidance for setting goals and building your support system. Stories from others—Discover hope and reassurance with anecdotes and case studies about other people who've overcome love addiction. Simple exercises—These brief activities can be done right on the page so you can begin your road to recovery right away. This encouraging guide goes beyond other love addiction recovery books and shows you the way to healing.

Christopher Dines has profound experience of recovery and personal growth; he struggled with drug addiction for most of his young adult life, and came into recovery in 2004, after a career as a music producer and well-known electronic house DJ. In this book, he shares insights, epiphanies and practical strategies for anyone struggling with their wellbeing, but most particularly those in recovery from addiction, those in toxic relationships or those with destructive lifestyles and behaviours. Covering such resonant themes as feelings of unworthiness, the need for gentle compassion and the power of authentic relationships, this book offers an abundance of exercises to unlock a deeper understanding, and nearly 200 questions to enable a true self-appraisal. This is self-care at its most profound, resonant and visceral level - as more than just a regular yoga habit, Super Self Care offers a chance to rewrite the script that ties us to co-dependency, addictive behaviours and shame.

The number of affordable, easy links to pleasurable sexual online content is on the rise. Activity increases with the accessibility of technology. So, too, has sex addiction. People struggling with sex, porn, and love addiction typically have little understanding of this incredibly complicated disease. Sex Addiction 101 covers everything from what sexual addiction is and how it can best be treated, to how it affects various subgroups of the population such as women, gays, and teenagers. The book also provides sex addicts with strategies to protect themselves from the online sexual onslaught. Sex Addiction 101 is intended to enlighten the clinical population as well as actual sex addicts and their loved ones. Along with his mentor Patrick Carnes, Weiss has become the face of and driving force behind understanding and treating sex addiction; this book should be a core title in every addiction collection.

Love addicts are so obsessed with romance & with meeting the expectations of their partners that they completely lose their sense of self and their own legitimate needs. This book is unique because it teaches the skills you need to identify and change the circular, illogical and obsessive thoughts that fuel your addiction.

Dr. Naumi Munyoki, a dedicated mental health specialist, presents a compassionate and insightful guide to navigating the complexities of mental health challenges stemming from childhood traumas. From extensive experience, Munyoki offers readers a comprehensive roadmap toward identifying, understanding, and healing from past wounds. Through the pages of this book, Munyoki sheds light on the often-overlooked correlation between early traumatic experiences and present-day mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. By acknowledging the profound impact of childhood traumas, Munyoki empowers readers to confront their own experiences with confidence and compassion. “Healing from Within” doesn't stop at mere identification; it equips readers with practical strategies and empathetic guidance to embark on their healing journey. Munyoki emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and self-compassion, providing tools for readers to take ownership of their mental well-being and initiate the process of healing. Throughout the book, Munyoki offers insights into the diverse causes of mental health difficulties, ranging from childhood traumas to adult challenges. By addressing these root causes with sensitivity and understanding, Munyoki instills hope and resilience in readers, encouraging them to reclaim agency over their mental health. With “Healing from Within,” Dr. Naumi Munyoki extends hope to those grappling with mental health issues, offering knowledge, direction, and a profound sense of empathy and solidarity. This book serves as a beacon for individuals seeking to navigate their emotional landscapes independently, guiding them toward healing, self-discovery, and empowerment.

I decide to write this book because writing is my passion and I've been writing poems throughout the years and I also want my book to be heard and to let people know that I'm very talented when it comes to writing...