Editor’s note: We recently received a comment from a reader who said she’d only heard of one man ever finding recovery from pornography addiction. The sense I got was that she felt pretty hopeless in regard to pornography addiction recovery really being possible. But recovery [block]1[/block] possible, and more people are trying to share that reality. We received this submission about a new unofficial website for Mormon men with sex and porn addictions, called PASG Works! (PASG = Pornography Addiction Support Group program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Yes, recovery is possible!
PASG Works! Pornography Addiction Recovery is Possible
Read success stories and inspirational messages about the 12 Steps submitted anonymously by LDS men who are finding lasting sobriety:www.pasgworks.com
You may have heard of PASG, but most members of the Church are yet unaware of the fact that seminary buildings and church houses are often occupied in the evenings by addiction recovery group meetings. “LDS Family Services Pornography Addiction Support Groups” started popping up a few years ago and still seem to remain one of the best kept secrets in the church. Right under our noses, LDS men are finding real and lasting recovery from the worst spiritual plague of all time.
I am an LDS man and also a pornography addict. I grew up in the church, served a mission, held church callings and read my scriptures every day… but, I had a “little problem.” My story is similar to that of many other men in the church; what I thought was merely a bad habit turned into a full blown addiction soon after I returned home from my mission.
I was introduced to the PASG program from a friend of mine who approached me one day to apologize for certain things in his past. I noticed a real change in his eyes and his demeanor, and I wanted to know how it had happened. My friend brought me to my first PASG meeting that evening and I started to feel hope for the first time in years.
PASG is not just a meeting to attend each week, it is a lifestyle change. I learned how to live the 12 Steps from a support person who I met in the program; as my ‘sponsor’ he coached me through a rigorous course of honesty that ultimately transformed into lasting sobriety; this program worked for me where hundreds of prior attempts had failed. As time passed, I continued to hold onto the PASG Program as a drowning man would hold onto a life preserver. Now living in recovery, I still attend group meetings every week and contact my sponsor daily.
Three years later I am blessed to maintain sobriety one day at a time. The depression and anxiety that haunted me for the majority of my life has turned to happiness and peace. I have dedicated my life to bringing the message of recovery to fellow addicts, I want this valuable program to be a secret no more… because PASG Works!
To read more recovery stories like this one please visit www.pasgworks.com. ‘PASG Works’ is a reader-supplied blog where men who are finding success with PASG post their stories and thoughts about the 12 Steps.
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Read more personal stories of addicts and their loved ones who have found healing and recovery from the effects of sex/pornography addictions. For any wives who may have a husband who has an addiction, remember, you, too, will need to do your own recovery work. Read this submission from a woman (wife of an addict) who talks about the Addiction Recovery Program of the Church and how it helped her find peace and healing.
In order for addiction recovery to be lasting, the addict needs to be truly remorseful. Sadly, my husband is neither remorseful nor serious about shaking his addiction to pornography.
This is true, Casha. I’m sorry for what you have gone through.
Please stay posted for more information about what wives of addicts can do to find their own healing, regardless of the choices their husbands make.
So many people seem to believe, as I have at times, that because I have what’s defined as an addiction that it also means that I have absolutely no choice in the matter. There is always a choice! Your urges and desire to act out has most likely grown more powerful by virtue of reinforcing the behavior, but even in those low times we have a choice.
I love this post, thank you so much for sharing.
Approaching the situation of porn addiction is a very fragile process. It is important not to become angry, resentful or close minded when it comes to understanding the reasons for the addiction. It is even more important to remain respectful yet firm in suggesting help for the addiction.
These definitely are fragile and difficult situations. There is help, hope and healing available for both those who struggle with addiction and for their family members. Often family members don’t have the capacity at first to respond well because, especially for spouses, there can be what is called betrayal trauma ignited upon learning about the addiction. There many resources available to help women work through that. We have a link in the sidebar for a free private forum for women in that situation, and the blog at that site has many resources.
There are so many great resources out there for overcoming addiction as well. Christ wants everyone to be able to find the healing they need, and it is a blessing to live at a time where there are practical resources available to help people’s brains heal so that their spirits and relationships can, too.