The Neuroscience of Self-Care: Stephen Kuhn Interviews Forest Benedict, SATP-C

“What’s the one piece of advice you would give to someone struggling with porn addiction?”

This was the question posed by Stephen Kuhn, author of “10 Lies Men Believe About Porn” when he interviewed me awhile back.

My answer may surprise you. I focused on the neuroscience of self-care because it is an essential, yet easily overlooked, component of a successful recovery plan. In recovery myself, I know all too well that when we don’t invest time in self-care, we will waste time in addiction. As I shared in the interview,

“When I think of recovery, I think of it as a lifestyle change, wherein we’re moving from a lifestyle of self neglect and self-destructive behavior to a lifestyle of self-care.”

In my view, without consistent self-care, there is no long-term recovery. We may abstain for a period of time but eventually the stress and other triggers will catch up with us. Once we understand how self-care impacts the brain, self-care becomes a “no-brainer” for those in recovery.

In the interview, my explanation was adapted from the work of Dr Kelly McGonigal, applying it specifically to recovery from sexual addiction. To learn some powerful and simple ways to strengthen the self-control region of the brain, click here to watch or read the interview:

Stephen Kuhn Interviews Forest Benedict of LifeSTAR of the Central Valley

Additional resources regarding self-care in recovery:

The Scary Side of Sugar: The Trick of Treats

Nutrition and Addiction Recovery

The Neuroscience of Sleep: Strengthening the Brain to Resist Relapse

Exercise: Good for the Body, Great for the Brain

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Preventing Impending Relapse: 6 Immediate Interventions

*Note: The above interview was meant for a faith-based audience yet applies to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. In it I referenced a past article I wrote for a Christian audience called “The Science of Self-Control: Why Christians Are Called to Self-Care”. For further research on this topic, check out the links at the bottom of that article.

-Written by Forest Benedict, MA, SATP-C, LMFT, Clinical Director of LifeSTAR of the Central Valley If you benefited from this article, please “follow” us on this blog and on Twitter, “like” us on Facebook, and SHARE this article and blog with others. Thank you!