Raising A Strong Daughter In A Toxic Culture: 11 Steps To Keep Her Happy Healthy And Safe
Meg Meeker has been a pediatrician for more than thirty years, is a mother and a grandmother, and has seen it all. She knows what makes for strong, happy, healthy young womenand what puts our daughters at risk. Combining that experience with her famous common sense, she explains the eleven steps that will help your daughterwhether shes a toddler or a troubled teento achieve her full human potential.
Praying The Scriptures Over Your Children
You will discover how using the Bible to shape your desires and requests opens the door to Gods provisionand frees us from things like worry and fear in our parenting! This expanded edition of the bestseller features updated content on issues like technology and identity, and comes with new material designed to invite children into the family prayer circle. Purchase now and receive 10% off your product.
Sensitised Pathways Remain Even When You Quit Your Addiction
Thus, its really DeltaFosB that causes sensitisation and it does this by creating stronger and more powerful nerve connections in the brain. Long after an addict has quit using and DeltaFosB levels have returned to normal, these sensitised pathways remain. This explains why alcoholics who have been sober for many years may still suffer from strong cravings when they walk into a pub.
You May Like: Can You Get Addicted To Hydrocodone
Understand The Nature Of The Battle
There is more knowledge about how the brain works now than ever before. Sexual addiction is not just a moral problem it is also a brain problem.
We can develop a brain problem with moral implications that cant be healed by moral solutions alone. We cannot just read our Bibles more, pray more or attend more small groups. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and we must find healing for our wounds.
So where is healing found?
Moms Raising Sons To Be Men
Mothers of boys have the special calling to shape future men of God. Popular speaker Rhonda Stoppe, mom to two sons, knows this opportunity is a challenge, a joy, and probably the most important work of a womans life. Drawing from years of experience, this inspirational resource will revive the faithfulness and fortitude a woman needs to partner with God as they shape the character and heart of a future godly man.
You May Like: How To Cope With Sexual Addiction
How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
Neuroplasticity: How New Reward Pathways Arise
Forming new brain pathways in this manner is known as neuroplasticity. This is how we learn and how we become addicted. Overtime, old brain pathways weaken. This is known as forgetting or breaking a bad habit. Creating or weakening brain pathways is often known asrewiring the brain. Thus, neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt as a result of experience.
Although they didnt know it, they had been seduced into pornographic training sessions that met all the conditions required for plastic change of brain maps.
If youre looking for addiction recovery books, check out our guide on the best books on addiction recovery »
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Sugar Addiction
Deltafosb And Genetic Survival Via Memory And Repetition
Sensitisation begins with high levels of dopamine. This tells our primitive brain that this activity is really valuable and you should engage in this activity again and again. Dopamines goal is to have us remember and repeat behaviours that further our genetic survival. Dopamine achieves this by triggering a protein known as DeltaFosB. DeltaFosB remains in the brain for around eight weeks following your last binge.
DeltaFosB also activates certain genes that change the physical and chemical structure of the brain. As DeltaFosB levels rise, this protein begins to rewire the brain to crave for the substance or behaviour that led to a rise in DeltaFosB levels in the first place. This creates a circular process where wanting causes doing. This causes a surge in dopamine which leads to even more DeltaFosB being accumulated. As DeltaFosB accumulates, so does the urge to engage in the behaviour that created its accumulation in the first place. And so this cycle continues until you make a conscious effect to cease the addictive behaviour.
Access The Wound That Makes You Return To Unhealthy Addiction
We live in a broken, fallen world. You can grow up in a perfect family with tons of support and still get hurt. Some people can process their pain relationally with others, but many of us cant do that. We dont know how. We find ways to numb our pain, and those can become addictions.
Ultimately, you must go on the journey of exploring your own life and ask, “Where have I been wounded and how do those wounds affect me today?”
Have you been hurt by abuse? Divorce? High school? If we dont identify these wounds, well end up treating the symptoms rather than the root problems. You must explore your own story with safe people. Discover where youve been wounded and allow yourself to process that pain. Then you can find healing.
Also Check: Can I Get Disability For Addiction
Giving Up Sugar Tasting God’s Goodness
As a latchkey kid, Wendy Speake turned to sugar for comfort. Every Friday, she would pedal to the candy show and use her allowance to fill her bag with candy. And one day, when she was older and a mom of three young boys, she came to realize that she was still pedaling away from her stress and using sugar as comfort, instead of turning to Jesus. She was joyless, worn out, tired, and in need of a change. In this interview, Wendy will challenge Christians to take 40 days to focus on fasting from something they turn to instead of Jesus for comfort. She invited people to break free from a dependence on sugar and taste the goodness of God.
Understanding The Root Of Your Child’s Misbehavior
Often, children act out because they are used to getting attention through bad behavior. Dr. Kevin Leman offers advice to help parents transform their childs behavior. He discusses the benefits of allowing your kids to learn from real-life consequences and describes the importance of understanding your childs temperament based on his birth order.
Don’t Miss: List Of Addiction Recovery Words
Sex Addiction Disordered Relationships And Abuse
Support groups for sex addiction, disordered relationships, and abuse include:
- Love Addicts Anonymous: A 12-step program for those who have “distorted thoughts, feelings, and behavior when it comes to love, fantasies, and relationships.”
- Sexaholics Anonymous: A 12-step program for those who want to “stop lusting and become sexually sober.”
- Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous: Find a meeting by searching by state or province. This is a 12-step program for those with “an addictive compulsion to engage in or avoid sex, love, or emotional attachment.”
- Sexual Compulsives Anonymous: A list of International SCA meetings in-person and online. This is a 12-step program.
- Sexual Recovery Anonymous: A 12-step group for those who desire to stop compulsive sexual behavior.
- Survivors of Incest Anonymous: A 12-step program for those who are over age 18 who were sexually abused as a child.
Install A Good Filter Or Accountability Program
Along this journey, youre going to need to gain some self-control in the face of sexualized images everywhere, but that doesnt mean you cant give yourself some reprieve when you can. Download a filter or accountability program such as Covenant Eyes on every device you use phone, tablet, laptop, work computer and dont forget to put some safety controls on your TV, as well.
These will help you avoid gateways to binge sessions, as well as find some space to focus on more important things. Like the next thing on the list.
Also Check: Elevate Addiction Services Watsonville Ca
How To Join A Support Group
For most support groups, all that is required to join is a desire to begin recovery. Most people join a support group by simply walking in the door of a meeting near them. No invitation is required and there are no dues or fees. For members, there is often a voluntary collection.
That said, there are “open” meetings for members and non-members as well as closed meetings for members and prospective members only. Depending on the type of meeting, you might come across some of the following codes that indicate a more exclusive support group or additional services offered:
- American Sign Language
- Al-Anon Family Groups from Al-Anon
You can still find a meeting the old-school way by looking up a phone number in the white pages of the local telephone book or online.
Some databases are detailed and allow you to see which meetings are for newcomers or are wheelchair accessible, non-smoking, or LGBTQ+-friendly, among other characteristics. Other pages are less detailed and may only have phone numbers or listings for you to contact the meeting organizers.
The following is a list of official mutual support group websites and their meeting listings. If you cannot locate a face-to-face meeting near you, there are many online meetings available.
The Spiritual Battle For Your Marriage
God designed marriage to reflect His love to the world and because of this, the enemy wants to destroy Gods beautiful design. Based on his book, Defending Your Marriage, Dr. Tim and Noreen Muehlhoff share about the reality of spiritual warfare against marriages, and how to combat the enemys lies with the truth of God. Couples will be encouraged that theyre not alone in the fight for a godly marriage and better equipped to be a shining example for the world around them.
You May Like: Chc Addiction Services Akron Ohio
Love In Every Season: Understanding The Four Stages Of A Healthy Relationship
Every relationship goes through four life-changing seasons: Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Each season plays an important role in taking your relationship to the next level. And depending on how you navigate each season, your relationship will either flourish and grow, or it will slowly die. Whether youre single, dating, engaged or married, join licensed professional counselor and relationship expert, Debra Fileta as she takes you on an eye-opening psychological and spiritual journey through the four seasons that she has observed in every healthy relationship.
If Youre Concerned About A Loved One
It may be a problem if you notice that your loved one:
- watches while at work or at other inappropriate places and times
- is unable to keep up with their social, occupational, or other important obligations
- is experiencing relationship difficulties
- has tried to cut back or stop, but cant keep themselves away from it
If someone you care about shows signs of a compulsion or addiction, it may be time to open the lines of nonjudgmental communication.
Recommended Reading: How To Stop Video Game Addiction
Causes Of Chronic Masturbation
What are the causes of masturbation addiction? Below are some potential causes of feeling the need to excessively or compulsively masturbate:
- Underlying depression or anxiety that you manage by using masturbation to lift your mood, relax, or reduce stress
- An inclination toward addiction because of your neurobiology
- Emotional pain caused by life circumstances that you seek to push away by focusing on addictive sexual behaviors
Tactics 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions
In a world increasingly indifferent to Christian truth, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate with those who do not speak their language or accept their source of authority. In Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. Youll learn how to stop challengers in their tracks and how to turn the tables on questions or provocative statements. Most important, youll learn how to get people thinking about Jesus.
Recommended Reading: Treatment Process For Drug Addiction
We Are Funded By Donations
Fund our mission: An investment in the FF is an investment in marriages, families, churches and the next generation of spiritual leadership in the Church.
Help us create new content to equip the leaders and participants alike.
Update and refine our program and application, so that the support and tools we provide men and women on the difficult path to freedom are effective.
Support our ongoing, practical, ministry-based research into effective recovery and the culture in which were ministering.
Develop and train men and women who lead groups.
Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1
Our monthly givers understand that changing hearts and minds takes time. They help us ensure the Freedom Fight is always available and always free. If you give monthly, you will receive our special monthly updates on how Freedom Fight is helping the church win the battle for the next generation of young men and women and this generation of marriages and regular opportunities to pray for us.
Financial And Acquisition Problem Behavior
Support groups for financial and acquisition problem behavior include:
- Debtors Anonymous: 12-step program for compulsive debtors.
- Gamblers Anonymous: A group to support recovery from problem gambling and are guided by 12-step principles.
- Spenders Anonymous: A 12-step program for those who want to recover from compulsive spending and taking on debt.
- Workaholics Anonymous: WA meetings include phone meetings, online meetings, or in-person meetings in the United States or internationally. This is a 12-step program for those who are compulsive about work.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Over Gaming Addiction
There Is Hope And Forgiveness In God
In 1 Corinthians, we read: No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it .
And Proverbs tells us: Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy .
There is no disputing Gods love. Its a love we cannot even fathom. Because of this immense love, He will forgive us if we seek forgiveness.
Just as it keeps you from true intimacy with your spouse, it keeps you from an intimacy with God.
What Is A Support Group
There are common misconceptions about support groupsincluding about what they can and cannot do. A support group can be defined as a group of people who share concerns or experiences. These groups meet regularly in order to provide each other with advice, comfort, and encouragement.
While support groups can be important in the recovery process, they are not meant to provide treatment. Instead, their focus is on providing peer support, allowing members to share their stories, celebrate each other’s successes, and talk about coping strategies that may help.
Family and friends are still an important source of support for people in recovery, but they aren’t always able to understand what the person might be going through. Support groups help fill in an important gap in social support by providing the opportunity to talk to people who have been in the same situation and may be better able to empathize and offer tips coming from a lived experience.
Also Check: How To Get An Addict Into Treatment
Symptoms Of Masturbation Addiction
While engaging in masturbation regularly does not necessarily mean that you have a problem, any of the following could signify that it’s time to reach out for help:
- Masturbation takes up a lot of your time
- Your personal or work life is suffering because of masturbation
- You choose masturbation over in-person activities
- You find yourself engaging in masturbation in public or in places where you would rather not
- You’re masturbating when you don’t feel like it or when you’re not aroused
- You find yourself feeling guilty or upset during or after masturbating
- You find yourself thinking about it often
Tool #: Meditate On Scripture
Scripture is a powerful spiritual tool that points us back to the truth and refocuses our minds in times of temptation. Memorizing scripture helps us remember who we are and who He is. Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Its more than just opening your Bible and starting to read . Its about hiding Gods word in our hearts, knowing what He says about us, and letting these truths renew our thinking.
Choose a few passages and take some time to memorize them, so that no matter where you find yourself in the heat of temptation, you have a powerful spiritual tool to wield against it. When you feel tempted, take a moment to repeat one of these verses to yourself, reminding yourself over and over again that you are dead to sin, but alive in Christ. That you are no longer a slave, but a son. Allow these verses to draw you back to your true identity a child of God, made in Gods image, free, worthy, and valuable.
Don’t Miss: How Long Does It Take To Get Over Caffeine Addiction
