“Honey, we need to talk.” Haunting words no one wants to hear. Your spouse has a problem with pornography. If that’s you, you’re not alone. Join marriage experts Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley for six episodes in this Christian podcast series about pornography addiction from Focus on the Family. You’ll learn why pornography hurts a marriage, but there’s hope and freedom found in God’s grace. Whether you’ve struggled with pornography or been hurt by your spouse’s usage of it, this series will help you start a journey toward healing.
Need additional help with a pornography problem? Find it here.
Dr. Greg Smalley serves as the Vice President of Marriage at Focus on the Family. He develops and oversees initiatives that prepare individuals for marriage, strengthen and nurture existing marriages and help couples in marital crises. Prior to joining Focus, Smalley worked for the Center for Relationship Enrichment at John Brown University and as President of the National Institute of Marriage.
Erin Smalley serves as the strategic spokesperson for Focus on the Family’s marriage ministry. In this role, she develops content that prepares individuals for marriage, strengthens and nurtures existing marriages, and helps couples in marital crises. Erin is also a licensed professional counselor with a private practice (Smalley Marriage), as well as an author and conference speaker.
My story followed the typical progression of addiction to pornography: early exposure, addiction, escalation, desensitization and acting out sexually. Then one person’s response to my story changed my life.
After your spouse confesses a pornography addiction, you might feel stuck. The journey to healing starts by acknowledging that you’re not alone. Here are some mile markers to guide you along the way.
Ultimately, pornography addicts are dependent on God for recovery. But certain patterns lead to healing, and others result in heartbreak.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is not new, but ED is no longer occurring only in middle-aged and older men. Many men with ED are under 40. Research suggests this might be the result of pornography addiction.
Does viewing pornography as a couple enhance intimacy in marriage? Marital sexuality is to be exclusive. So, pornography not only decreases true intimacy in marriage but actually prevents it.
Counselors have seen that the major benefits of truth-telling are worth enduring the challenges. Before you tell your spouse about your secret past, you have to admit a few things to yourself.
This is the story of one pastor’s battle for sexual integrity and how God helped him overcome pornography so he could help people with similar struggles. God transforms us so we might help others.
Karen was raised in a dysfunctional home where family members did not discuss issues. But as painful as talking about her husband’s use of pornography was, Karen simply could not ignore it.
We may stereotypically think of sexual temptation as a man’s problem, but women are not immune to the lure of romance depicted in new and graphic forms of entertainment.
