Q & A

Sex addicts new to recovery typically have little to no idea how to define sexual sobriety. Sometimes they worry that sexual sobriety is the same as chemical sobriety, where permanently abstaining is the ultimate goal. Many say that if that is the case, they’ll stick wi...

Question: I have a question for Rabbi Twerski or any Chabad rabbi who is on the GYE board. How do the 12-steps go with the concept of “moach shalit al halev” (“Mind rules over the heart”)? GYE Responds: Good question. Let's take the example of someone who has Diabetes. Fo...

Dear GYE, I don't know what my husband does or doesn't do regarding the Internet - he plays the innocent card - but I caught him watching porn several years back, and he never came clean to me, saying, "it's in my past, I'm doing GYE." He gets your emails but they rarely ...

An email received by GYE from Rabbi Y.W: Dear GYE, My partner and I are directors of a local kiruv organization that realizes that nowadays many in the frum community need a tremendous amount of kiruv and chizuk as well. I am aware of the enormous help GYE provides, and t...

AnswerMy sympathies for the murder of your cousin. It is an unfathomable tragedy and I share your grief.Your question is a complex one, and the answer contains many variables. I will present them all for you here. I hope that something I have written helps to console you ...

Dear Mother of Boys, Great question! Here's the thing. Sins are not like parking tickets--where the violation is clear and the fine is established. In the spiritual realm, Hashem judges each person and each sin according to their specific circumstances. What could be cons...

Dear Coulda Been, I take strong issue with these sentences of yours: "The tremendous shame is that I lost out on very important developmental years of my life and could have grown into much more than I am. My potential was far greater than what I look like now." This is a...

Dear Distraught, I agree it should be addressed earlier. We have a booklet called "Protecting our Youth: Experts Speak" that can help parents know how to speak to their children about these things. But let me just try to set you straight about something. Your best years...

Dear In Need, Don't worry, the body automatically re-absorbs the semen build-up, so there's no need to release it. I understand it's hard, but this is what separates the men from the boys! Hashem challenges us to be strong and pays us back a thousand-fold in both this wor...

GYE Responds: First of all, there's no such thing as a disgusting being. Hashem doesn't make junk. He has a plan for you, and it's better than you can imagine! The feelings you express are very common for addicts, and I feel your pain and confusion. A few points c...