Pastor Opens up about the Childhood Sexual Abuse That Contributed to His Sex Addiction

Huffington Post
July 31, 2014

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/30/minister-sexual-abuse_n_5634414.html

[with video]

Dr. Mark Laaser is a thriving ordained pastor today, but his past is much darker thanks to another man of the cloth abusing him as a child. He joined HuffPost Live to talk about his sexual assault and how that contributed to his addiction to sex.

Laaser opened up to host Nancy Redd about how his childhood abuse by a pastor fueled his 27-year battle with a sex addiction. After the assault, he said he did the "typical route" through pornography, masturbation and sexual encounters throughout his adult years until he went into treatment in 1987.

"What helped me finally was breaking that silence, being able to talk about the immoral behavior that I was doing and to get community around me to support me in making the healthy changes," Laaser said.

Overcoming the abuse wasn't Laaser's only struggle -- once he recovered, he and his wife had to redefine their sexual relationship after 15 years of marriage.

"Part of the first 15 years of our marriage, we had sexuality, we produced three children, but it wasn’t imminently connected," Laaser said. "My brain was never really in the room when we were having sex. My brain was off other places, and I think part of our journey of healing has been the integration of emotions and spirituality into sexuality."

Click here to watch the full HuffPost Live segment on childhood abuse and addiction.

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