323: How do 12-step programs connect to healthy relationships? (ft. Mark Wilde)

Dear Men: How to Rock Sex, Dating, and Relationships With Women

"When I was at my worst, I didn’t know there was a way out."

Sometimes in life we get stuck. We don't know how to deal with big feelings, so we self-medicate -- with alcohol, or porn, or weed, or food.

But often the self-medication gets in the way of things we really want -- love; intimacy; healthy, connected sex; joy.

You may think of 12-step programs as solely for alcoholics, but they're far mroe comprehensive. There are programs for porn addiction, codependency in relationship, sex & love addiction, and for those who are loved ones of an addict (or adult children of parents who were addicts).*

Addiction and recovery profoundly affect your sex and love life, and here, speaker and 12-step mentor Mark Wilde delves into his own story, and how his journey has positively impacted his marriage.

In his words, as he grew and healed and learned to lead: "When I became more vulnerable and expressive, I had reciprocation and energy from her that I’d not experienced before ... our relationship began to ascend dramatically."

If you want to feel inspired and uplifted, listen on.

*These groups are: Codependents Anonymous (CODA), Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA), Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), Al-Anon (for the loved ones of those who struggle with addiction).

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Labor Day weekend (last weekend of August), 2024.

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Memorable quotes from this episode:

• "My parents passed away, my marriage ended, and it got bad."
• "Alcohol became a solution to deep-seated issues that had carried on since childhood."
• “I still felt myself wearing lots of masks and building up lots of walls.”
• “How am I going to placate and keep the peace and make her happy?"
• “When I did work with my body, I felt the unlocking of everything.”

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Mentioned on this episode:

• What Happened to You?