I work in partnership with a physician who specializes in psycho-pharmacologic interventions to assist in addiction treatment.  Medication is not a solution for many psychological problems, and certainly this is the case for lust addiction.  However, it is an important tool to have available as part of an overall intervention plan, should you desire to explore such an option.

My clinical orientation is psychodynamic, relational, family systems, CBT to correct distorted thinking and beliefs, EMDR to reprocess traumatic neural networks, and 12 steps for addiction.

In the actual treatment, it is important to assess the nature and degree of compulsion and addiction, as well as the other stressors, such as depression, sexual traumas, conflictual family relationships etc. that may make these escapes more tempting and complicate the ensuing feelings of guilt.

For some, the problem of being tormented by guilt is the primary concern. The approach in those situations is to work to find healthy outlets, develop a balanced and realistic self-image and philosophical perspective that can be accepting of failures, learn techniques for stress reduction, and identify social and vocational goals that add meaning and satisfaction to life. Individuals in this category may have introjected a punishing G-d in the image of a critical parent, and treatment may involve correcting distorted thinking and beliefs as well as addressing past traumas.

Others may be more severely addicted. A general rule is that out of control and unmanageable external behaviors can often correspond to unmanageability in the person’s inner life. When a man is surfing the web all night long, looking at porn etc, I might discover he has a learning disability and sits all day in kollel not really learning but just faking. He is acting unmanageably in his self-expectations, i.e. forcing himself to fit a mold, and then relieves his tension via his lust addiction. Or a workaholic whose business is out of control and soon to be overwhelmed with debt. Psychotherapy helps the person become aware of how and why his life became unmanageable, and then to learn the necessary emotional skills to restore balance. In addition, GYE resources and/or 12 steps introduce healthy thinking, beliefs and lifestyle.