In the spirit of self-searching, I ask a question, somewhat rhetorical:
How effective is therapy or searching for recovery through online 
resources?

Of course, this bbs conference isn't the only medium out there.  I 
belong to a number of e-mail lists and a web forum to address some 
particular issues of mine.  More particularly, I put forth the inquiry 
of how well people can interact and progress online.  As you 
understand, there are precious little guarantees of sincerity or true 
identity through written means alone, and Internet communication is 
largely written means by default, short of webcam and voice chat 
technology (I don't really count digital snapshots much).  There is a 
sense of permanency in posting, and rarely are replies truly unfiltered 
and straightforward.

Of course, this also begs the question of asking if it is possible to 
progress through online resources alone?  I would say no.  I think it 
is healthy to have some sort of face to face interaction, whether as 
minimal as a therapist/counselor or as broad as a support group.  Doing 
things online would seem a good start; giving time to sort things out a 
bit before setting the meter to run (so to speak) with a therapist.

I am also curious why this conference is very, very quiet.  I've had 
time to observe, granted; it has been this way for quite some time, and 
perhaps it filled a certain niche at a certain period.  Perhaps it is 
the seriousness of our forum; the existence of the "Happy Happy Joy 
Joy" and "Bummed" items in Agora indicate a general need for Grexers to 
express some feelings, albeit in less specific and heavy tones, as well 
as the lighter-hearted spirit of Inferno, which at the moment appears 
to be a sister conference (thanks for your help, bhelliom).

For my effort, I have shed the usual witty handles; this is my real and 
true name.  Granted, I give up some anonymity, but I hope that it will 
be taken in sincerity. 

10 responses total.

Good questions: I'll be back on those.

One answer to "quiet":  The most active discussion has been taking place in
an item that is also in Agora.  As soon as Agora rolls, I'll be willing to
post to it.  Agora is too public.  

Another answer to "quiet": Grex is a public internet space.  I try not to
write anything that  I wouldn't want to see published as a quote in the
local paper.  This is not simple paranoia:  I've been an electd official,
and I have been misquoted in the papers, front page.  

So I'm not going to put anything here that I'm not willing to have my
constituents read about 5 or 6 years from now; twisted by my opponent's
campaign publicity folks.  

answer #2: whoops, yeah.  I was actually thinking of that, but probably 
neglected to mention it.

answer #1: yes, item from inferno cross-linked to Agora.  *sigh*  
Perhaps I should have delayed linking it.

Actually it is the item from Recovery linked to Agora that I'm not responding
to.

It was originally linked to Inferno from Agora, then to Recovery.

   Are there any informative online resources regarding sex/porn
addiction which are *not* fronts for the religious right?  Due to some
recent events, I have found myself needing to learn a whole lot about it
in something of a hurry.  NIMH's website was remarkably devoid of any
information on the subject, and most other websites I found were either
sponsored by various religious right groups or not very helpful.

void, I don't think that's a fair assessment to say they are 'fronts.'

It is much more accurate to say that many religious denominations have 
found it a problem they should deal with, and yes, it is in their best 
interest to do so.  Sad to say, society at large does not see 
pornography as a large problem, at least for those who consume it.  I 
cannot count the number of times I have heard the philosophy "As long 
as you're not harming anyone, it's not so bad/it's okay."

I've also heard "Pornography (usually, 'erotica' is used instead, but 
couples *do* rent porno flicks) can be used successfully to improve 
couples' sex lives."  Well, from my experience, it's usually fostered a 
co-dependent aspect, especially as both my wife and I have had an 
addiction to it.  I think there are some slightly more benign ways to 
address that problem.

Also, many are prone to think possibly *everyone* has got to be 
addicted.  No, this is not true.  Apparently, they are not able to 
distinguish between what is a healthy sex drive (and that's hard in 
this sex-crazed but touch-deprived culture) and behavior that abandons 
and breaks all other relationships based in any sense of normalcy.  I 
suppose the porn industry doesn't help that matter; one could perceive 
that if porn represented real life, nymphomania, voyeurism, and sexual 
fetish is the norm.  It's not; not everyone experiences those things or 
are naturally inclined.

Are the SA and SAA websites hopelessly entangled in religious links 
that offend you, void?  All I suppose I could suggest is glean what you 
can.  By the way, SA, by basis of roots in the 12-steps, is *NOT* 
exclusively religious.

   The sites I had found all pretty much said the same thing: let Jesus
do your thinking for you and your porn addiction will be cured.  At
the time, I was looking for something a little more educational and
grounded in psychology rather than religion.

The Internet is vast.  Perhaps such will come in the future.

Hmmm.. so the common solution was "surrender to your Higher Power, i.e. 
Jesus."

I'm genuinely concerned here.  Religious solutions are okay for those 
who are religious, but I think a purely psychological angle would be 
very helpful.  Perhaps it is a statement on current psychology that 
such is lacking.  I have a hard time believing that only the religious 
believe that porn can be an addictive problem.  There is too much 
evidence that proves that it is.

I went to my first online support group a little while back.  It was a 
little frustrating as I didn't have the book, although the online 
moderator read passages.  It was a very structured discussion and 12-
step based... and not at all what I was used to.  I think I really 
prefer an in person support group and use the Internet to supplement 
it.  Usually treatment and recovery should be balanced, I think: there 
should be therapy/treatment, a support group, etc.

I also took up web logging a few issues.  Granted, I took some 
precautions.  I use LiveJournal and kept posts on private security.  
Why not just use a Word document?  Well, I have the option to unlock 
posts to friends if I so choose.

But I am very, very careful with sharing...

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