soberdad
4 episodes tagged "soberdad".

What Happens When The Demons Are Gone?
Joy actually takes courage. It takes courage to look at a beautiful day, accept that you don't deserve it, and still say thank you instead of tearing it apart to pay for your own guilt. Stop trying to pay a debt that Christ already paid. Your self-inflicted misery is an insult to the cross. If I take away your depression, your anxiety, your marital drama, and your addiction... what's left? A blank slate. And for a lot of you, that is the most terrifying image in the world. In psychology, we call this narrative identity. For years, my story was: I'm Michael. I'm a struggling alcoholic. I'm the guy fighting his demons. That was my full-time job. But what happens when the demons are gone? You are left with an identity void. When the drama stops, you actually have to figure out who you are. You have to figure out what you like to do on a Saturday. Do you like playing golf? Do you like playing video games with your kid? Do you want to learn how to edit videos? You actually have to participate in a normal, boring, beautiful human life. And normalcy is terrifying to the addict, because normalcy requires responsibility. It is time to step into the blank slate.

Are You Addicted to Chaos?
You say you want peace. You say you want sobriety. You say you want a happy marriage. But every time things get too quiet, you set your own house on fire just to remember what the smoke smells like. I’m Michael. I’m a psychologist in training, a sober dad, and today I am probably going to hurt your feelings. But if I don't, I'm not doing my job. If you've been following the channel, you know I am a recovered alcoholic. But the insidious thing about recovery is this: Sobriety isn't just putting down the bottle. It is staying away from the vibe of the bottle. And for a lot of us, the vibe of the bottle is absolute, unadulterated chaos. A few weeks ago, I was making espresso on a Saturday morning. The West Texas sun was shining, Skylar was in the other room, and my son was playing quietly. Bills were paid. Nobody was sick. It was a perfectly beautiful morning. Suddenly, my chest tightened up. I felt this venomous itch to find a problem. To check my bank account for a charge that didn't belong. To pick a fight over how the dishwasher was loaded. Why? Because when you have spent over a decade wiring your brain for disaster, peace feels like a threat. It's time to stop the self-sabotage.

Why 80% of Young Men Have E.D.
If I told you that 80% of young men today have erectile dysfunction before the age of 30, you wouldn't believe me. You think we're the most sexually liberated generation in history. Wrong. We are the most sexually sedated. You are hijacking your own dopamine system until you are clinically incapable of loving a real human being. I'm Michael—a psychologist in training, a sober dad, and a man who spent 15 years clawing his way out of the pit of digital lust. Today, we are breaking down Dr. Patrick Carnes' Addiction Cycle. Every single user goes through these 4 phases: 1️⃣ Preoccupation (The Trance): Your brain checks out before you even open a screen. 2️⃣ Ritualization (The Hunt): The search that releases more dopamine than the act itself. 3️⃣ Acting Out (The Binge): You lose time. 4️⃣ Despair (The Crash): Post-nut clarity hits. You feel like the smallest, dirtiest thing on the planet. But here is the kicker: That shame is the exact fuel for your next cycle. You use the addiction to numb the shame the addiction created. You aren't addicted to sex. You're addicted to the cycle of medicating your own self-hatred. Buckle up. It's time to break the cycle.

To The Dads Hiding In The Bathroom...
Psychology tells us that daughters often marry men who resemble their fathers—emotionally, if not physically. If you're hiding, lying, or objectifying women, you're teaching your daughter that love = distance. You're setting her "normal." As a psychologist in training and a sober dad, I’m telling you: She's imprinting on you right now. Do you want her to marry a man who smiles at dinner but lusts after 50 other women in the bathroom? Do you want her to feel the betrayal trauma your wife feels? Every time you click, you're voting for her future heartbreak. It stops with you.