Simply write to us at mark [at] archcounseling [dot] com and tell us your story.
Do I qualify as a porn junkie?
We want to hear from anyone who feels like porn was ruining their ability to enjoy life and their relationship (if they had one at the time), but couldn't stop.
Are there submission guidelines?
Don't limit yourself! We welcome all submissions. You may find these guidelines and questions helpful:
1. Start out with an encouraging paragraph or two that starts to get into the specifics of your story.
On weekend mornings Elaine and I like to stay in bed, snuggling and sometimes making out. It's a far cry from when we were sleeping in separate rooms and often at each others' throats. Back then she often asked, "What's up with you? Why are you so grumpy all the time?" I couldn't bring myself to tell her I was secretly looking at porn every day when I should have been working. It all came out when I was fired from my job for "accessing inappropriate material on a company computer." What seemed like the worst day of my life at the time turned out to be the beginning of the best four years so far....
2. Describe the starting point of your recovery. How bad were things then--with your porn habit, in your relationship (if you were in one at the time), and in the rest of your life.
3. Tell us why you decided to climb out of the porn pit. What were you most looking forward to? Why was that so important to you? What about a life of recovery seemed better to you? How much did that mean to you?
4. What helped you stay on track and eventually stay away from porn altogether? How have you managed to do it? Who helped? In what ways? What ideas provided inspiration and direction? If you refer to a book, don't just tell us the title, introduce or summarize the concepts that helped the most.
5. Tell us something about the long road along the way. Experiences assured you that you were progressing, setbacks that were disheartening, moments when you wondered if things would ever get better. What helped you make it through your most difficult moments and stretches?
6. Tell us how things are now. What do you enjoy most about your life? What do you enjoy most about your love life? How does that contrast with the way things were when you were into porn? What struggles remain in your relationship? What role does sex play now in your life and relationship? Please be respectful of our readers' sensibilities, but specific and descriptive enough to give them an idea of what life and love are really like now.
Most of all, have fun telling your story! Having made it this far, you can be a hero and inspiration to those who are further back on the hard path. Thanks for sharing your joy and success. We can't wait to celebrate it with you!
