Breaking Free: Understanding Sexual Addiction and the Healing Power of Jesus [Paperback]

Russell Willingham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 1999

Our world is awash in sex. We are bombarded with it everywhere we turn--TV, newspapers and magazines, music, movies and the Internet. When this ever-present temptation mixes with human weaknesses and unmet needs, many get pulled into addiction to sexually sinful behavior. They may detest their own habits, but they can't seem to break free. Is there any hope?

Russell Willingham speaks from his own experience and that of the many he has counseled. His answer? "Yes! There is hope. Jesus offers forgiveness and healing."

True stories show how the principles in this book can be put into action. The essentials are spelled out in practical steps that can help people begin to break free. Willingham deals with such issues as


This realistic yet hopeful book offers a new way to see the world for every person who wants to understand and break free from sexual addiction.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Russell Willingham is executive director of New Creation Ministries, based in Fresno, California. He counsels, leads groups and speaks nationwide on issues related to sexual addiction. He has presented workshops at several annual conferences of Exodus International, at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference (2001) and at the AACC Superconference on Sexuality (2002). He is also a participant in AACC's video curriculum on healthy sexuality. He is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God International Fellowship and works under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Olford, Ph.D. of the Link Care Counseling Center in Fresno, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (February 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830817913
• ISBN-13: 978-0830817917
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Addiction & Recovery > Sexual

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 119 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope for healing and deliverance July 14, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Russell Willingham's Breaking Free is a compelling and insightful work that seems intended primarily for Christian heterosexual males seeking deliverance from the habitual use of pornographic materials, sexual fantasizing, masturbation, prostitution and extra-marital affairs.

He is careful to distinguish between those that struggle sexually and those who suffer from sexual addictions but provides hope and practical advice for both.

Willingham theorizes that a common thread running through the lives of the sexually addicted is that they are lonely to the core and have frequently experienced abandonment. He emphasizes that they often have personal histories characterized by physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood and suggests these experiences result in unmet yearnings for love, acceptance and security.

Because of the lack of adequate nurturing in the formative years, the sexually addicted are subjected to powerful and often relentless temptations as they attempt to satisfy the underlying for love and nurture. Motivated by inner emptiness, they are frequently driven by an overwhelming need to feel valuable and worthwhile. Willingham believes that these unmet childhood needs, though valid, are mistakenly thought to be sexual needs and lead to addictive and sexually obsessive behaviour.

Breaking Free also attempts to identify the demonic undercurrents of sexual addiction and portrays sexually compulsive behaviour as an idolatrous attempt to meet ones personal needs apart from God. This is undertaken as the sexually addicted take their deep hunger for love to a "sexualized goddess" in an act of worship.

For those suffering under the yoke of sexual addiction, Willingham holds out a promise of hope and deliverance. He stresses though, that this can only be accomplished through consistency in prayer, full cooperation with God's Word, and the establishment of authentic relationships to provide support and accountability within the Body of Christ.

He then outlines the process of breaking free from sexual addiction through an intimacy with Christ that invites him into the pain and allows him to meet the needs for love, acceptance and nurture.

Breaking Free is written in a down to earth and readable style and is a good place to start for Christians who struggle with sexual addictions or for those who provide counsel and support to them.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A life changing book for the sexually broken man... September 27, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

The author speaks with rare authority and insight into the complex issues related to sexual addiction. This is a balanced approach, in that Willingham affirms both the effects of one's family of origin and the responsibility of the addict to make mature choices. He writes with compassion, yet with a force that motivates the addict toward healthy life and relationships. Willingham writes from a Christian perspective, pointing the reader to the healing power of Jesus Christ. Non-Christian addicts may or may not wish to acknowledge the power in the Gospel, but I believe even they will be greatly helped by this remarkable book. A must read for anyone struggling with sexual addiction in any form.

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking Free, Understanding Sexual Addiction April 14, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Never before have I understood why, after all these years, I have had this overwhelming craving for pornography. Having been a happily married man for 20 years never seemed to matter. Now, because Russell Willingham has taken the time, and God love him for it, I finally have an answer. Being a sex addict has nothing to do with sex. It has to do with lack of nurturing and the constant need to be loved and accepted. Turning to superficial sexual gratification is nothing more than trying to find a way to fill the vacuum in our hearts. Russell then helps you to understand that even though we finally come to an understanding of the cause, we must then take responsibility for our actions. And, the way to overcome the addiction is to ask Jesus to fill the yearning we have for love and acceptance. He is the only one who loves us for who we are; who accepts us for who we are; never faultering; never withdrawing. Thank you Russell Willingham for writing this book. I will keep it by my side forever.