Same-Sex Attraction & Sex Addiction among Christians: The Triple Threat of Shame
Photo by Tyler Callahan on Unsplash
It’s shameful enough acknowledging your sex addiction. Now combine that with your attraction to people of the same-sex within a Christian context and you have potentially shame so wide and deep that you fear being rejected on multiple fronts.
I’m privileged to work with those in this category who have found the courage to seek help and open up to their deepest fears and concerns with me as a fellow believer.
Dolce & Gabbana: Stick a Fork in It
The Italian luxury brand, Dolce and Gabbana, is facing a billion dollar backlash from China after Dolce & Gabbana posted video clips on Instagram mocking a Chinese woman seen struggling to eat pizza, spaghetti, and other Italian foods with her chopsticks.In addition to the culturally insensitive ad, the Instagram account also had five smiling poo emojis used to describe China as a pile of excrement.
Asian Shame: Suicide to look like Murder
Photo by Lily Banse on Unsplash
Asian suicide is often misunderstood in Western cultures and viewed from a narrow scope of mental health. Yet, what many don’t recognize are cultural factors that can make someone of Asian ancestry not only susceptible to suicide but the cultural belief that suicide is morally permissible.
Dating back at least 2500 years, Confucius espoused his viewpoints on the need for Asian individuals to submit to the greater good of the collective group and doing so as a means of honoring yourself and others. This in turn, would bring about stability and harmony. His viewpoints on this can be summed up in his 5 Cardinal Rules where you are to honor your superiors and strive towards unity and group cohesion. His beliefs started in China but spread throughout Japan, Korea and much of Asia. In addition to his beliefs, other philosophical, educational, political, and religious viewpoints coincided in reinforcing the need to preserve your cultural honor, even if it means killing yourself to do so. Continue Reading
Intimacy Disorder: The Root of Addiction
By Alex Holyoake of Unsplash
What is emotional intimacy and how does this impact addiction? The lack of true intimacy where an individual does not feel emotionally safe to share their thoughts, feelings, concerns, desires, and needs leaves one vulnerable to develop addictive tendencies as a means to cope.
This can be a one-time incident or the cumulative effect of what’s known as attachment trauma where connection, bonding, safety, and trust are compromised. Ruptures in attachments (i.e. with parents, primary caregivers, coaches, and/or other significant figures) can be overt and explicit like physical or sexual abuse where “something is done to an individual”. Continue Reading
I am from a Chinese Wok
Photo by Margo Brodowicz on Unsplash
I am from a Chinese wok,
of Oolong tea and red envelopes,
I am from a tiny orange house with
matching shag carpet, of bitter melon soup,
rock cod fish, Church’s fried chicken with a
strawberry drink. Continue Reading
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