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Going Deeper: Understanding How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction: The Road to Recovery Goes Through Your Childhood
"Intuitive and insightful. Capparucci encourages readers to think beyond their immediate circumstances to their childhoods, in order to better understand their struggles." –BookLife
If you have been battling a sex/porn addiction you understand how frustrating it can be to fail time and time again. This book provides a new and proven treatment method that will empower you to take control and finally manage your addiction. The key is understanding the road to recovery from a sex/porn addiction goes through your childhood. Why? Because it’s your inner child who is running the show. The Inner Child Recovery Process has proven successful with a large majority of clients in my counseling practice. It has changed the lives of many individuals who felt helpless and hopeless due to their addiction. And it can do the same for you. Endorsed by many leaders in the sex/porn addiction field, the Inner Child Recovery Process is a game changer and can be the solution you have been seeking when it comes to breaking free from your sex and porn addictions.
170 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2020
119 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Capparucci
13 books19 followersLicensed professional Christian counselor with a private practice in Texas. Specializes in the treatment of pornography and sexual addictions. I am the creator of the Inner Child Model for the treatment of addictive behaviors.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 20, 2022
Amazing and highly insightful. This book focuses on answering the question of "WHY" we engage in sexual addictions and proposes the concept of the inner child's unprocessed emotional pain as the answer. Eddie Capparucci then proceeds to brilliantly present the 9 reasons why the inner child might be acting out sexually. This took me on a deep journey of self discovery and introspection through memory lane. I've learned a lot about myself just by reading the chapters carefully, thinking about them and then writing my own experiences that correlate with what I'd just read. I have to say though, I was skeptical at first of all the "inner child" stuff but I'm glad I decided to give it a chance because I was shocked when reading some chapters that deeply resonated with my past experiences and current behaviours and that's when I realized this is not some psychology nonsense, plus I'm sure Eddie's background as a previous addict himself in addition to his counseling experience are what added volumes of insight into this work and made it as real and relatable and profound as it is.
December 13, 2020
The author offers an enlightening foray into the mind of sexual addiction. "Just one more chapter" was how to best describe how fine a read this was. I would find a stopping place but then keep on reading after that still. The information is organized in such a way that despite presenting lots of information you never feel overwhelmed. A textbook that reads like a novel basically. Which is a good thing.
Now at the risk of sounding like a self deluded, work in progress, recovery case to the author, I have to counter the thinking that their is an inner child underneath the veneer of every addict. Now again I will concede that I do relate to some of these habits, though I see them as tendencies rather than part of a greater narrative of abuse. My thinking is to take responsibility yourself for the harm addiction causes to oneself and others and see the need for change. But also to be that change yourself. Mindfully counter the little voice inside you belittling you every step of the way. Call it an inner child if you wish but by view is that taking responsibility should be priority over trying to establish a child like point of view in one's self conscious.
It is worth mentioning that there are also several accounts that are very sexually explicit, which seems to counteract the purpose of this book, that of diminishing sexual proclivities in one's psyche. Which I thought was a bit distasteful. I understand though the reasons for which they are presented.
The book argues that an addict will fall into one or more character profiles that stem from some measure of abuse in their pasts. Which paints the addict as a victim of some form or another. Which seems to me at least to detract from the responsibility of the addict for his own actions. Of course the author, perhaps in light of this opposing stance, mentions several times that the inner child narrative is never an excuse for their bad behavior.
This is not to belittle in any way the victims of actual abuse which I concur can take many different forms. I sincerely wish the best to any and all who realize they are in a destructive pattern and to seek help perhaps starting with but not limited to this book.
Now at the risk of sounding like a self deluded, work in progress, recovery case to the author, I have to counter the thinking that their is an inner child underneath the veneer of every addict. Now again I will concede that I do relate to some of these habits, though I see them as tendencies rather than part of a greater narrative of abuse. My thinking is to take responsibility yourself for the harm addiction causes to oneself and others and see the need for change. But also to be that change yourself. Mindfully counter the little voice inside you belittling you every step of the way. Call it an inner child if you wish but by view is that taking responsibility should be priority over trying to establish a child like point of view in one's self conscious.
It is worth mentioning that there are also several accounts that are very sexually explicit, which seems to counteract the purpose of this book, that of diminishing sexual proclivities in one's psyche. Which I thought was a bit distasteful. I understand though the reasons for which they are presented.
The book argues that an addict will fall into one or more character profiles that stem from some measure of abuse in their pasts. Which paints the addict as a victim of some form or another. Which seems to me at least to detract from the responsibility of the addict for his own actions. Of course the author, perhaps in light of this opposing stance, mentions several times that the inner child narrative is never an excuse for their bad behavior.
This is not to belittle in any way the victims of actual abuse which I concur can take many different forms. I sincerely wish the best to any and all who realize they are in a destructive pattern and to seek help perhaps starting with but not limited to this book.
February 13, 2020
I have 31 months of Sobriety due to the concepts of this book. I know things I would of never known. I have been healed of things that I could of never been healed of. My Childhood was so bad that I have been in counseling for 20 of my 50 years of life. My Dad was an out of control rageaholic. He had a terrible anger problem. I developed coping mechanisms using sex to get away from the pain of my Father. If you had a bad upbringing and you developed a sex addiction, buy this book. Not until the concepts expressed in this book have it had any healing. Eddie (The Author) walks the walk and talks the talk. He had a sex addiction. Eddie was able thru the concepts in this book to become healed. If you struggle with Sex addiction as a male or female, you need to buy this book. You need to read this book. You need to do what the book tells you to do. If you do what the books says to do, you will be healed of this addiction.
Please buy this book. It changed my life.
Please buy this book. It changed my life.
January 19, 2021
A powerful recovery book that goes to the guts of sexual addictions
This book held up a mirror to me in so many ways. It helped me better understand my childhood traumas, and because she also read it, helped my wife understand the effects of my traumas. The book contains a recovery process that incorporates implicitly than explicitly 12 step programs and goes from experience to hope in our most important relationships.
This book held up a mirror to me in so many ways. It helped me better understand my childhood traumas, and because she also read it, helped my wife understand the effects of my traumas. The book contains a recovery process that incorporates implicitly than explicitly 12 step programs and goes from experience to hope in our most important relationships.
March 24, 2024
This book helped me further insinuate how much those problems in your life can be traced back in trauma in childhood. While I could not completely resonate with some of the stories from struggling addicts that truly messed up big time because of unresolved childhood issues, it made me realize all the more how much more work I have to do on fixing my past that is haunting me. It's all about asking the "Why" in your story.
November 25, 2021
I don't agree that every single addiction can be traced back to your childhood. I had one of the happiest childhoods and cannot think of a traumatizing moment in my life when I was younger. This does not mean the author is wrong, we just have different points of view. Either way, I enjoyed the book.
May 19, 2022
"Every man has inside himself a parasitic being who is acting not at all to his advantage.” -William S. Burroughs
Strange, I know, to quote Burroughs, author of "Naked Lunch," in a review of a book about sexual addictions, but here we are. Eddie Capparucci's "Going Deeper" is a manual for men who have sex addictions, designed to help them understand the roots of their sickness, and how to combat it successfully.
In order to accomplish his task, Capparucci delineates the different kinds of inner child that various men with addictive personalities have at their core. The inner child, in Capparucci's formulation, seems to function like an unconscious id, grievously wounded in the past and seeking out hollow pleasures in order to escape the hard work of self-reflection and personal improvement.
All of the men who saw Capparucci for therapy seemed to use pornography as kids as a means to escape situations in which they felt stressed beyond their limit, or neglected by absentee parents. In the most extreme cases, these children were victims of extreme sexual abuse themselves. Their precocious interest in pornography would later bloom into encounters with strippers and escorts and more serious extramarital affairs.
Each chapter contains insights on the various compulsive behaviors these men engaged in, treating the "why" behind the seemingly unmotivated, spontaneous acts sought for no reason more complex than an adrenaline rush. After the "why" comes the "how" portion, in which Capparucci gives advice and techniques on how to conquer one's sexual addiction. Each chapter also contains a worksheet exercise that allows the recovering addict to formulate, in their own words, why they do what they do, and how they might learn to stop doing it. As with AA, some of the language has a tinge of the religious about it, but the areligious and atheist can easily substitute a more generic "higher power" for "Jesus," or "God," when they are mentioned.
The book also does a good job of considering the plight of women who love the men dealing with their illness, which makes it ideal for partners and spouses who want to first understand what ails their loved one, and second, learn why they should not take the addiction as a personal affront to their sexual desirability. For as all sex addicts know, it's not really about sex. Especially when it seems to be about nothing but.
Recommended, in combination with more formal therapy, either individual or group.
Strange, I know, to quote Burroughs, author of "Naked Lunch," in a review of a book about sexual addictions, but here we are. Eddie Capparucci's "Going Deeper" is a manual for men who have sex addictions, designed to help them understand the roots of their sickness, and how to combat it successfully.
In order to accomplish his task, Capparucci delineates the different kinds of inner child that various men with addictive personalities have at their core. The inner child, in Capparucci's formulation, seems to function like an unconscious id, grievously wounded in the past and seeking out hollow pleasures in order to escape the hard work of self-reflection and personal improvement.
All of the men who saw Capparucci for therapy seemed to use pornography as kids as a means to escape situations in which they felt stressed beyond their limit, or neglected by absentee parents. In the most extreme cases, these children were victims of extreme sexual abuse themselves. Their precocious interest in pornography would later bloom into encounters with strippers and escorts and more serious extramarital affairs.
Each chapter contains insights on the various compulsive behaviors these men engaged in, treating the "why" behind the seemingly unmotivated, spontaneous acts sought for no reason more complex than an adrenaline rush. After the "why" comes the "how" portion, in which Capparucci gives advice and techniques on how to conquer one's sexual addiction. Each chapter also contains a worksheet exercise that allows the recovering addict to formulate, in their own words, why they do what they do, and how they might learn to stop doing it. As with AA, some of the language has a tinge of the religious about it, but the areligious and atheist can easily substitute a more generic "higher power" for "Jesus," or "God," when they are mentioned.
The book also does a good job of considering the plight of women who love the men dealing with their illness, which makes it ideal for partners and spouses who want to first understand what ails their loved one, and second, learn why they should not take the addiction as a personal affront to their sexual desirability. For as all sex addicts know, it's not really about sex. Especially when it seems to be about nothing but.
Recommended, in combination with more formal therapy, either individual or group.
September 10, 2022
This book was very insightful and helpful. I appreciate that Eddie not only brought some unique ideas of his own into this work, but also included a wide variety of ideas from various sources that I’ve never heard of before. I appreciate the kindness and gentleness the author brings to this topic, and how he teaches that we are not at war with our inner child. Our inner child just needs to be comforted and acknowledged.
In reading through the various types of inner child(s/ren) I could relate to most of them in some regard, leaving me to believe that this depiction of the inner child may not be so black and white or easy to put oneself in 1 of the several boxes. The identity of my inner child is a smattering of the ones described in the book with unique elements of each being represented in my inner child. It also means that my story is truly unique to me while others may see themselves wholly represented in one of the inner child portfolios presented. I recommend this book to anyone who needs and wants help. There are also workbook-like questions in the main book with space to answer for reflection.
In reading through the various types of inner child(s/ren) I could relate to most of them in some regard, leaving me to believe that this depiction of the inner child may not be so black and white or easy to put oneself in 1 of the several boxes. The identity of my inner child is a smattering of the ones described in the book with unique elements of each being represented in my inner child. It also means that my story is truly unique to me while others may see themselves wholly represented in one of the inner child portfolios presented. I recommend this book to anyone who needs and wants help. There are also workbook-like questions in the main book with space to answer for reflection.
February 8, 2024
بسم الله،
الكتاب ده قراته في نهاية 2020 مع مجموعة أخرى، وكان بنسبة لي من أفضل الكتب اللي قرأتها لفهم سلوك الإدمان
الحقيقة الكتاب كان بمثابة الأمثلة الواقعية لفرضية او نظرية الطفل الداخلي من ناحية علم النفس طبعاً ومش هبل التنمية البشرية.
ومن رغم ان الكتاب موجه لجنس الرجال وإدمان الجنس، إلا اني لما قرأت الكتاب وقتها كنت شايف ان الكتاب ينفع للرجال والنساء وينفع كذلك للإدمانات الأخرى وكذلك بعض انوع من الاضطربات التي لا تصنف تحت الإدمان الفعلي.
كنت مدي الكتاب 5 نجوم ولكن الحقيقة بعد بحث طويل وحديث مع أهل الإختصاص وجدت ان في مشكلة معينة انتشرت بسبب سهولة الكتب دي
وهي تصنيف النفس والناس عليها بشكل قوالب، بمعنى أخر لما اشوف مثلا حد بيكلم عن اعراض الإكتئاب بتبقى ليها كذا علامة فبيتشبه كانه صندوق، اللي بيبان عليها علامات قربية من هذا الاضطارب ؛ بنشيله ونحطه جوا الصندوق ومبروك انت مريض اكتائب(وحسب كلام بعض الاساتذة ان هذه العلامات محطوة بطريقة غير علمية). فكذلك طلع علينا ناس بقت تشخص نفسها انها تعاني من بعض الاضطرابات وامراض وغيرها.
طب هل الكتاب مفيد؟ اة جداً خاصة لو عرفت تدي مساحة ان الأمور كلها مش شرط تتصنف بنفس الطريقة.
الكتاب ده قراته في نهاية 2020 مع مجموعة أخرى، وكان بنسبة لي من أفضل الكتب اللي قرأتها لفهم سلوك الإدمان
الحقيقة الكتاب كان بمثابة الأمثلة الواقعية لفرضية او نظرية الطفل الداخلي من ناحية علم النفس طبعاً ومش هبل التنمية البشرية.
ومن رغم ان الكتاب موجه لجنس الرجال وإدمان الجنس، إلا اني لما قرأت الكتاب وقتها كنت شايف ان الكتاب ينفع للرجال والنساء وينفع كذلك للإدمانات الأخرى وكذلك بعض انوع من الاضطربات التي لا تصنف تحت الإدمان الفعلي.
كنت مدي الكتاب 5 نجوم ولكن الحقيقة بعد بحث طويل وحديث مع أهل الإختصاص وجدت ان في مشكلة معينة انتشرت بسبب سهولة الكتب دي
وهي تصنيف النفس والناس عليها بشكل قوالب، بمعنى أخر لما اشوف مثلا حد بيكلم عن اعراض الإكتئاب بتبقى ليها كذا علامة فبيتشبه كانه صندوق، اللي بيبان عليها علامات قربية من هذا الاضطارب ؛ بنشيله ونحطه جوا الصندوق ومبروك انت مريض اكتائب(وحسب كلام بعض الاساتذة ان هذه العلامات محطوة بطريقة غير علمية). فكذلك طلع علينا ناس بقت تشخص نفسها انها تعاني من بعض الاضطرابات وامراض وغيرها.
طب هل الكتاب مفيد؟ اة جداً خاصة لو عرفت تدي مساحة ان الأمور كلها مش شرط تتصنف بنفس الطريقة.
July 17, 2023
An incredibly helpful and insightful book revealing a lot of the WHY behind male sexual addiction and gets at a lot of the roots and burdens we carry out of childhood and formative years. This book definitely could’ve used some editing and formatting work, but the content was spot on and worth the read. I appreciate Eddie’s work and insight in this field.
July 22, 2022
I had some great moments in finding my "why." That part is very insightful. He doesn't do much to answer the "how." How do I get out of this? What do I do about it? I wish he had answered that question a little better.
November 20, 2022
Redundant messaging but necessary to readers with addictive personalities.
This is an easy to read book that clearly gets the message across in how to tackle addiction inn general. The inner child dives into the unknown of what causes relapses time and again.
This is an easy to read book that clearly gets the message across in how to tackle addiction inn general. The inner child dives into the unknown of what causes relapses time and again.
October 5, 2024
A great book to help conceptualize how experiences in childhood impact sex addiction. It offers practical information to begin healing the inner child and build a life of recovery. I would recommend this book to anyone who works with sex addiction or anyone who identifies as a sex addict.
September 5, 2020
simple, clear and very helpful.
July 21, 2024
Very good book, just wish the readers pace was a little quicker. I had to use the speed up feature for the first time ever.
December 1, 2024
Hard to read - but helped me understand my own broken story and that of others
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews