Strange bedfellows
Emotional pain and sexual addiction ?
In my new book ( releasing this fall- TATE PUBLICATION) , certainly Depression , and Anxiety will be the leading topics. But also in that discussion towards the depths of the mind and soul we will discuss what odd bends come with that sinking ship. In many cases of anxiety one of the first things people do to combat it is to replace it or better yet- mask it.
This "emotion masking" comes in many forms and tastes. From those who run to drink to those who run to drugs- the list is unending. Yet whats interesting in regards to the workings of our mind is what creative ways it finds to (find a better band aid).
Today avenues such as cutting and burning ones self is nothing short of a pandemic . Young girls in their early to mid teens are most noted for this creative pain relieving not to say that others aren't jumping in to. There are those who choose hygiene deprivation to name one. Yes odd but not the oddest. There is also those who deal with anxiety and depression by living out anger towards all who come their way.
There are those who choose violence which sadly today is all too common in our schools in the shooting and stabbings we are hearing so much about. Then there are those who choose the darkness as we see expressed in the Goth and Emo groups. In all cases these people are crying out for help. Be it for attention to their pain or for relief of their pain. For certain there is the older then the hills ( binge eating ) which seems to have our country (USA) on a trending towards the obese. Again they are all coping mechanisms that our wonderfully created body tries to utilize to keep itself functioning as best as possible. Yet sooner or later these all come crumbling down and the cause is too strong for the covering.
Now the last in these odd ways of dealing with life's anxieties and pains is a fairly new one which has been prompted so by the age of social media. That is the coping system of sexual addiction and or perversion. From uncontrollable masturbation to on line sex play. Roll playing and mild S&M spanking are also found in this bizarre bedfellow. This escape as one might call it mostly effects men but a new trend in women is on the rise.
One of my patients dealing with extreme depression and anxiety was driven here by uncontrollable desire to "feel something other then emotional pain" which ended up in an affair that went from online to in person. If it were not for my intervention a very dangerous situation could have turned into a deadly situation.
Whats interesting about all these areas in which we try to find temporary freedom from our mind is how far we will go and how quickly loss of reason takes over. Simply meaning that we will do most anything to free ourselves. We can almost say that its a virtual suicide of sorts. Men who are so tormented from life's pain will risk all for a dangerous encounter with an unknown stranger. Woman now are doing the same as I have stated. One younger woman I was counseling attempted to replace her crippling anxiety with sexual addiction via sleeping with any man she could encounter. This power over the men she would meet in clubs and bars gave her a sense of control that she didn't have over her own life.
In my first book- SPIRITUAL LIVING IN A SEXUAL WORLD (Amazon.com) I deal with many of these issues but more towards men. As times change a new book will be needed for the females who are also running to this place of quick fixes with eternal consequences.This generation of free affairs and sex talk has opened up many new and catastrophic doors of destruction. From Sexing to Facebook -virtual affairs in our culture are trying to redefine what is wrong and what is right and all in the name of ( just feeling good ) for at least -a little while. This escapism is a lie and takes us away from nothing but only gives us more things to fear and grow anxious about.
Friends there is no joy in things of the flesh apart from the confines of Gods Word and endorsement
In any case they are all danger signs and places that we must be ever aware of. What the mind thinks about one day is what the mind might attempt to do the next. With the exploding of social media these problems are only flames that are being fanned more and more each day.
If you know someone hurting with Depression and Anxiety or if you are yourself. Please watch out for these next steps of destruction that begin to seem like possible solutions to your ills but are only salt to an open wound. Like rubbing excrement into your bloody knuckles these devices will surely kill even if their thrill offers quick fixes.
Please feel free to comment, share or email me with your thoughts
also look for my book - Spiritual Living in a Sexual World on Amazon.com
and
Keep your eyes open for my new book coming out this fall 2014
Depression Anxiety and the Child of God
SR Kraniak
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