All daily inspirations can be found in the book Sex and Porn Addiction Healing and Recovery. Used here with permission of the author. Click the book cover image to purchase the book on Amazon.
We are not born with low self-esteem. We acquire it. We learn it.
Sex and porn addicts share certain characteristics. One of these common traits is that, because of our low self-esteem, we use sex to feel validated and worthwhile. Usually, we learned early in life, as the result of inconsistent, neglectful, or abusive parenting, that our thoughts and our needs did not matter very much. So we started to wonder what was wrong with us that put us in that position, and eventually (often with outside assistance) we identified a whole bunch of things that we felt were inherently wrong or bad or unlovable about ourselves. In other words, we developed low self-esteem. And then, somewhere along the way, we learned that if someone wanted us sexually, that caused us to feel (at least for a few moments) worthy and wanted. Is it any wonder that we began to search that out compulsively?
Task for Today
Ignore the chatter between your ears that tells you you’re not good enough. That chatter is a lie.