Hosted by Roland Cochrun · EN

It’s no mystery that integrity is one of the most important pieces in both sex addiction recovery and healing your marriage after infidelity. But what is integrity, and how do you repair the damage caused after cheating? In this episode, I’m joined by one of my favorite experts in the field of sex addiction and betrayal trauma. Dr. Crystal Hollenbeck is an author and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. Crystal and I talk about integrity and the effects of violating it will have on a marriage. For those interested in reading Crystal’s new book, “Betrayal Trauma Anger | You’re not Crazy…You’re Angry…And You Should Be!: How to Process Complex Anger While Healing from the Impact of Sexual Betrayal” You can find the book here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN6P62K8 If you’re struggling with sex addiction or compulsive sexual behavior and you have not yet read my book, you can find it here: https://a.co/d/0dWg1hCs
The sex addiction relapse rate is believed to be between 67 and 80 percent at 5 years. That means only 20-30% of men can avoid relapse. Why aren’t we talking more about this?! In this episode, I go on a bit of a rant. And, it’s likely to offend some people. That was not my intent. My intent was to be helpful. Some people will hear this rant and have had a totally different experience from what I describe. That’s okay. Skip this episode. However, I get on dozens of phone calls each month with men to whom this does apply. They describe the frustrations with their recovery experience and finding like-minded men to connect with. This episode is for them. If you are a high performer looking for a group of like-minded men to connect with in recovery, visit my website. I run small recovery groups of 10 men. They range from business owners, lawyers, doctors, sales professionals, to professional athletes. Fill out an application at www.successfuladdict.com
Healing your marriage after sexual betrayal can be a mess. Sometimes it feels like you have a plan… other times it feels like you have no plan at all. In this episode, Tesa Saulmon (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) outlines a clear 3-phase plan that can help. Betrayal trauma recovery is complex. Add that to a sex addict in recovery, and you have quite the challenge. It’s important to use a framework so that your marriage can stay on track. Tesa uses the framework created by Joanna and Matthew Raabsmith to help couples heal after sexual betrayal. In this episode, she explains the 3 phases and how to navigate each one. If you would like to contact Tesa Saulmon, you can find her website here: https://www.roottobloomtherapy.com/ If you’re a high achiever, executive, or entrepreneur and you have not yet read my book, you can find it and the audiobook here on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iOe8wNU
I’m not a big fan of the term “sex addiction.” While some men fall into this category, a lot of men don’t. Therefore, calling any guy who has been unfaithful multiple times an “addict” is not necessarily accurate. This matters when you’re in recovery, as treating an addict who isn’t an addict will not work. In fact, it typically backfires and results in relapse. I believe this is why we see such a high rate of relapse. Not because sex addiction is hard to recover from, but because men are not getting the recovery that they actually need. It’s also my belief that this is why many betrayed partners often feel that their husbands are “not in good recovery.” I think that betrayed partners sense a lack of change in the areas that they feel are responsible for their husbands’ acting out. While many men find this frustrating (I know I did), I wonder if these ladies are onto something? In this episode, I talk about the difference between an addict and a chronic cheater and what needs to be done differently in recovery. If you don’t resonate with the term “sex addict,” you’re not alone. While each of my recovery groups has 1 or 2 sex/porn addicts, most of the men in my program don’t meet the diagnostic criteria of “addiction.” If you want to dive further into this, check out my book on Amazon or Audible. The book is written from a process addiction approach rather than your typical sobriety/abstinence approach. Here is the link to my book: https://a.co/d/01M8659n
Imagine having something holding you back in your sex addiction recovery that you’re unaware of… In this episode, my guest Shirley Lytle (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) educates listeners on how to spot and manage “complex shame.” I personally found this episode thrilling to record, as I had never heard of complex shame before. Like most complex issues in psychology, it is… complex. Listening to this episode, you will see why. But what I found most interesting was that the majority of sex addicts who are struggling with complex shame have no idea that they have it. This can lead to defensiveness, which we all know stunts sex addiction recovery. If you would like to contact Shirley, you can find her website here: https://lwpc-wa.com/ If you are looking for a group of men to recover with, visit my website: successfuladdict.com My groups are designed specifically for business professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners who are struggling with sex addiction and chronic cheating.
Are you being honest about your sex addiction? Honest with your wife? Your Therapist? Yourself? The bigger question is, can you be honest? While people call this a “sex addiction,” in my groups, only 10-20% of guys are actually addicted to sex or porn. They get caught, and then they stop. By definition, they’re not a sex addict. So, what are they? Well, the answer to this question matters. If you can’t answer it… are you even in recovery? How do we know these behaviors won’t happen again? Sex addiction is classified as a process addiction. It’s important to understand your unique process if you want to prevent it from happening again. In this episode, I talk about how many men are not in good recovery. Not because they aren’t trying, but because they aren’t being honest about their behavior. If you’re not an addict, then you need a different style of treatment. Abstinence and sobriety-based treatment plans are not going to work for you. If you want to learn more about process addiction and how to discover your specific process, check out my book on Amazon or audiobook here: https://a.co/d/0fhSabK3
Successful men are often “highly sensitive people.” And, the sad part is that they have no idea. I myself am a highly sensitive person, as are most successful entrepreneurs. Our sensitivity is a superpower. However, it can cause difficulties when it comes to sex addiction recovery. In this episode, I’m joined by Jason VanRuler and Mike Vaughn. We connected at a sex addiction conference and decided that this would be a great podcast topic for my listeners. We first define what a “Highly Sensitive Person” is and how it might affect you in recovery. Even if you think you aren’t highly sensitive, I would recommend that you give this episode a listen. You might be surprised. Many of the men in my recovery groups are highly sensitive. Understanding this has been os great help for them when it comes to crafting an effective recovery plan. If you are an executive, entrepreneur, or business professional who is lacking a recovery group of like-minded men to connect with, visit my website here: successfuladdict.com
In a hyper sexual world, why do some men act out and others don’t? The Answer: For sex addicts… It’s worth it. Crazy right?! Well, it’s less crazy when you learn WHY they act out. Which is exactly what I talk about in this episode. In this podcast, I discuss: How men reach the point where acting out becomes an option How men free themselves from the guilt What men need to do if they want to achieve lasting recovery Sex addiction is a process addiction. It’s complex, diverse, and unique to the individual. As a result, your recovery will need to be customized. If your goal is to restore trust in your marriage, help your wife feel safe, and prevent this from happening again… You need to develop a recovery plan that’s actually going to work for your specific process addiction. If you’re a business professional, an entrepreneur, or an executive looking for a sex addiction recovery group full of like-minded men you can connect with, visit my website: successfuladdict.com
Many sex addicts are not in good recovery. But it’s not always their fault. A “deficit” is when something critical is missing. In terms of sex addiction, a deficit describes a critical element of recovery that is lacking or underdeveloped. The result is a guy who is unable to fully embody the behavior required to recover. This is extremely common in sex and porn addiction, as most men who develop these unwanted behaviors typically lack emotional attunement, integrity, empathy, and many other human skills that were not correctly modeled to them as children. These guys are trying to recover… but may look like they aren’t trying. This is because they intellectually understand what is required, but are unable to do it in real life. In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Jones out of the UK. Chris has been on my podcast before and is one of my favorite guests. He and I share a similar outlook when it comes to sex addiction recovery. For those of you who are interested in working with Chris, you can find him here: https://chrisjonestherapy.co.uk/ If you are a high achiever, business owner, or professional, and you resonated with this episode, visit my website. I run sex addiction recovery groups for successful men using weekly zoom calls, daily accountability, and bi-annual intensives. Visit my website here: successfuladdict.com
You need a stance on pornography. Is it okay or is it not ok? If you don’t have a stance, you’ll likely relapse. Sex addiction and porn addiction recovery plans need to be crystal clear. And, they can’t be clear if you haven’t yet decided if you really want to stop. Now, I know you want to stop (otherwise you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast). But, do you want to stop for you? Or is it because of your faith or your wife? I believe that recovery is only possible if done for you and the betterment of your life. In this episode, I list off some things to consider that will help you solidify your stance against pornography. If you want more resources to help you in recovery, buy my book on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/0jhqrMzp