From the outside, Michael’s life reads as full. The job, the house, the kids’ games on Saturday, a group text with guys from college. From the inside, he can’t think of a single person he’d actually tell what’s going on. This isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a remarkably common experience for men who’ve built successful, … Continued
One of the things men describe most often — and most quietly — is escalation. The content that used to work doesn’t anymore. You find yourself looking at things you wouldn’t have touched five years ago. The category has drifted somewhere that makes you uncomfortable when you think about it clearly. You tell yourself it … Continued
The short answer is no — at least not in the United States, and not in the way most people mean it. “Sex addiction” does not appear in the DSM-5, the diagnostic manual used by American mental health clinicians. It was proposed for inclusion and rejected. That’s not a paperwork issue. It reflects genuine disagreement … Continued
You’ve probably already tried to stop. Maybe more than once. Maybe more times than you can count. You’ve done the streak, broken it, reset the counter, felt the crash, sworn it off again. You’ve deleted apps. Cleared history. Made the internal promise — this is the last time — with total sincerity and broken it … Continued
If you’ve been googling “porn addiction” at midnight, you’re not alone. But the label you land on matters more than most people realize — because the framework you use to understand the problem shapes every decision you make about what to do next. Here’s the problem with calling it an addiction. The addiction model was … Continued
One of the most transformative things you can learn about your sexuality is also one of the simplest: Your body has no morality. It only knows sensation. That idea shows up beautifully in the book Sexual Intelligence, and it’s something I see every day in my work with men. We spend so much time judging … Continued
In discussions about sexual health, it’s common to label certain sexual behaviors as “addictive.” However, understanding sexual behaviors in context – rather than immediately pathologizing them—can lead to far deeper insights about healing, intimacy, and self-acceptance. One powerful example comes from The Myth of Sex Addiction by Dr. David Ley, who draws on his earlier … Continued
Sex addiction is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but research and clinical evidence suggest it isn’t actually a valid diagnosis. While sexual compulsivity can cause distress, it doesn’t meet the criteria for addiction as defined in the DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Understanding Addiction Addiction is classified under … Continued
In the vast tapestry of Taoist philosophy, which I study, sexuality holds a unique and significant place. Often misunderstood or overlooked in Western contexts, Taoist traditions offer a holistic approach to sexual energy, integrating it deeply into practices of spiritual growth. One of the more intriguing aspects of Taoist sexual teachings is their approach to … Continued
Tonglen is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice that involves cultivating compassion and empathy. It is a powerful practice that can help you develop a deeper understanding of suffering and cultivate a genuine wish to alleviate it.
