I work with many men who tried to work their way through their porn addiction in a 12-step group before arriving at the Porn Reboot program. I’m not the biggest fan of these groups myself but I know some people find their solution in those rooms. I want to cover a topic today that is a big part of the 12-step approach to recovery: surrender.

Anyone who spends even a few weeks around a 12-step group will undoubtedly hear the idea that you must surrender to a higher power to overcome your addiction. The dictionary defines surrender as ceasing resistance to an enemy or opponent and submitting to their authority. 12-step groups are loosely based on Christian principles so surrendering to a higher power makes sense in that context.

The issue with surrender, though, is that a lot of men aren’t willing to do that. It’s not that they’re necessarily unwilling to surrender to a higher power; it’s that they aren’t willing to surrender at all. It’s not a part of their nature. They don’t like to submit. They won’t accept that something might be more powerful than they are, and in this case, it’s their porn addiction.

Surrender and the Porn Reboot System

I won’t tell you that you have to submit to a higher power or God or Jesus. That’s not what the Porn Reboot system is about. We aren’t a religious organization and we surely aren’t based on Christianity. That doesn’t mean the Porn Reboot system isn’t aligned with religious values; you’ll find nothing here that goes against however you choose to live your life. But it does mean that it’s accessible to any man regardless of his personal beliefs.

That being said, I do believe that surrender is necessary to overcome your out-of-control behavior with porn, sex, and masturbation. I’m not saying you have to go to church or pray a rosary to end your porn addiction, but you do have to accept that it’s beyond your control. If you were truly able to do something about it, you wouldn’t be here reading this blog post right now, I guarantee you that.

Why Surrender is Helpful

Surrendering isn’t a bad thing in and of itself. It takes strength to surrender, to recognize when you are in over your head, and to accept that you can’t handle everything life throws at you. That’s hard to come to terms with, especially for men in the Porn Reboot program. 

We have a lot of self-made men among our ranks who built massive businesses, climbed corporate ladders, and made names for themselves. Yet they were still brought to their knees by a porn addiction that they couldn’t manage to control.

Surrendering doesn’t mean you’re weak. It doesn’t mean you’ve given up. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t smart, strong, or capable. It simply means that you’re willing to recognize when you’re in over your head and are ready to accept a new approach. And that’s where the Porn Reboot system comes in.

Surrender and the Porn Reboot Program

Surrender is a big part of the Porn Reboot program. When men aren’t successful with the system, I usually find it’s because they’re unwilling to surrender in a certain area. There are three primary areas where I find surrender is necessary for success in your reboot.

Surrender to the need for a new way of living

Surrender to the fact that you need a new way to live. If your way of living was successful you wouldn’t be on my website right now reading this blog post. You wouldn’t have done the Google searches necessary to land you here. There’s something about your life that isn’t working and you know it’s true. So it’s time for you to surrender to the need for a new way of living, and you can find that path to live in the system and tools taught in Porn Reboot.

Surrender to the need for accountability

Surrender to the need for accountability. It’s hard for men to let go of the vision they have of themselves, especially when they’ve accomplished so much on their own. This might be the case for you, too. You don’t want to let go of the idea that you’re self-made. You want to believe you can figure this thing out without help. But if that were true then, again, you wouldn’t be reading this post right now. You need support. You need encouragement from men you can respect. You’ll find those things and more in the Porn Reboot groups, from the free Facebook group to the implementation group to the intensive group.

Surrender to the need for reprioritization

Surrender to the need for reprioritization. You probably have very specific ways of managing your time during the week. Trust me, I get it. I still work many 80-hour weeks to this day. But in the early phases of your reboot, you’ll probably have to rearrange some of your schedules. It’s hard to step away from work sometimes but find an hour or two during the week where you can focus completely on yourself and your reboot. These few hours per week will pay dividends in the long run.

Where Do You Need to Surrender?

So, how can you start? I want you to take some time and identify the areas where you’re refusing to surrender. Is it one of the three above? Those are the most common ones I find that hold men back but maybe something else applies to you. Maybe it’s time with your family, maybe it’s your ego, maybe it’s your fear of financial commitment. 

Once you identify where you’re unwilling to surrender, face it head-on. Bring it up in the group, send me an email, or talk about it with a reboot strategist. Find someone you can share with and let them know. Putting that reason out in the open takes power away from it and puts you on the path to surrender.

Surrender is an important part of any transformation, brother. It’s not a negative thing. It’s the first step to freedom from anything holding you back and sets you on the right track to reframe your life.