My husband's inappropriate content addiction

farmgal09

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When we were dating, he told me that one of the things he liked to do, and had been doing for years, was write erotic stories. He even sold some and was a regular contributor for many online erotic literature sites. I figured at the time that since coming back to the Lord that those days were behind him. But off and on through the course of our 2 year (incl. marriage) relationship, I have found evidence of inappropriate contentography, either in hard copy like a magazine, or in stories he had written and hidden on the computer. When I confronted him the first time, it was with a handwritten letter. I'm not very good at speaking sometimes, so writing it down helps me. When he read it, he was very penitent and sorry, and told me I had no need to worry further because he would stop writing. We talked more, hugged, etc. then moved on. Some months later however, I found a stash of magazines and movies in his shop. When I asked about them, he seemed agitated and annoyed that I'd found them, but gave a perfectly believable excuse as to why they were there. (They were a gift from his previous wife while they were together. He forgot they were there but found them while cleaning the shop and kind of re-hid them so that I wouldn't see them and freak out, which I did anyway, until he got rid of them.) After he explained all this, he left the room in a huff, pretty disgusted with me. I even went in after an hour or so to apologize to him for being accusatory (I don't think I brought it up harshly, I'm not that kind of person), but all he did was semi-ignore me and shrug and say, "Well, I can't do anything right I guess" or something to that effect, and went back to what he was doing. He was sullen around me for 2 more days.
The last time I caught him doing something was in the spring. He had moved an old computer out to his shop, he said to be able to listen to music while he worked. There is no internet connection out there, so I didn't worry about it for a while, until he started getting up at 3 a.m. not able to sleep, and going out there for literally HOURS. He would stroll back in around 5 or so, grab some coffee, chat with me and start his day. One day, I got up and stayed up waiting for him to come back in. When he did, we talked about random things, he got distracted and never went back out to his shop, but started work instead. I took that opportunity to go check out what was on his computer, and sure enough, there was an unfinished story on the screen, 2 other new ones, and a really disgusting one that I'd asked him to not finish, that he'd recently put more work into. Well, I left it up on the screen on purpose so that when he came back he'd see that he'd forgotten to hide it, then I confronted him about it. HE WAS MAD. Again, I got the silent treatment and was accused of being a jealous freak. He didn't speak to me for days. Then all of a sudden a switch flipped and he was fine again, and not spending any time in his shop at all. It has not been discussed since.
And now, here I am a year later. Things were going so well this past year, and I was starting to let my guard down, trusting him more with his alone time. But last night I was going through some old files of stuff on the computer, reading through a pamphlet he made of our business, when smack in the middle of it is a snippet of a story! Pretty tame for him, but still, there it was. Scrolling down a bit further, I discovered a clip of what looks like a conversation he had with someone on an online forum. (Sometimes he'll type out responses in Word, then cut and paste it to the site, so that he can spell check, or so that the site won't lock him out if he's making a long post). From what the clip said, it looks like he's been having a conversation with someone about sexual fantasies. And he's been posting stories to this particular site, but I don't know what the site is, he only called it EP. He's a member of so many forums I can't keep track.

I have known about this latest escapade of his for 2 days now and I don't know what to do. Considering the escalating reactions I got from him the last times that I've said something to him, I don't want to bring this up. I'm scared. Why does he keep so many secrets from me? He hides the stories, he's on a mystery forum where, apparently, it's ok to post erotic content. From reading these latest writings, he has fantasies I didn't even know about, and we're pretty open with each other about that stuff. Why didn't he tell ME? Why is he confiding things like this to a complete stranger? How long is this going to go on? How long do I just pray? I feel I can't do any more than that because of his previous reactions to me. He makes me feel like I'm the one with the problem and how dare I go through "his" stuff, and how dare I accuse him of anything improper. He has a bad temper and has displayed it before on unrelated topics. I don't know what he'd do if I brought this up.
I need prayer. And help for me, I guess. Cuz there's no getting through to him right now. He needs to come to some realizations on his own maybe. Or be confronted by someone other than me. I don't know.
Someone please help! (I'm sorry this is long, lots of back story)
 

Avniel

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No I wouldn't say you are the one with the problem. Even if he feels it is right(which I disagree but let's just go along here) still there are things that we have to sacrifice for our spouses if that isn't being done then it's selfish and that's not a good foundation to build on a marriage.

I think you can bring up to him again, it's something that bothers you....have an open conversation with him about it....this is something that bothers you why shouldn't you talk about it? If he get's mad that's between him and good.

Think about marriage counseling also.
 
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Romanseight2005

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I tota;;y get where you are coming from, and my advice to you has nothing at all to do with your husband. You can't change him. I do recommend prayer for him, always, but you need to start seeking prayer, and giving prayer that's only focused on God, and Him granting you wisdom, etc. In short, you need to gain a level of peace, that is not taken away by your husband's actions, and you need to pray to that end. Also, seek the Lord about what kinds of things He wants you do do, and go out and do them. Maybe it's becoming a missionary, or volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc.
 
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Avniel

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I tota;;y get where you are coming from, and my advice to you has nothing at all to do with your husband. You can't change him. I do recommend prayer for him, always, but you need to start seeking prayer, and giving prayer that's only focused on God, and Him granting you wisdom, etc. In short, you need to gain a level of peace, that is not taken away by your husband's actions, and you need to pray to that end. Also, seek the Lord about what kinds of things He wants you do do, and go out and do them. Maybe it's becoming a missionary, or volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc.

I'm not even joking that's deep
 
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farmgal09

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Thank you both for your replies, and prayers for me. I know God moves on His own timetable and in His own way, so I may not see the changes in hubby that I want, but I know that God can change ME in ways I probably cannot even imagine. Continued agreement in prayer over this would be greatly appreciated, Romanseight, especially for that peace you were talking about. I am 7 months pregnant, and stress is not a welcome visitor in my life right now!
 
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Green Scottie

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Men can become obsessive about an activity (golf, for example). Maybe your husband's obsession isn't inappropriate content, maybe it's writing. He has, unfortunately, fallen into writing in a genre is that is unworthy of him.

Try redirecting your husband's obsession into something more productive (or at least not destructive). Instead of saying "you have to give up writing," try to focus him on all the other things he could write about (both fiction and non-fiction). Nobody remembers (much less respects) writers of erotica, but a half a century later Ian Flemming is still remembered for writing spy novels.

Ask him what he wants his writing legacy to be. When he's 85 and on his deathbed, what does he want the people around him to be saying about his writing?

Tell him you will support him in his writing, as long as he isn't writing inappropriate content. Be it an online political blog or a fiction adventure novel.

Also, look up some information about CreateSpace. This is a service provided by amazon.com that allows anyone to write a book, turn it into a physical printed book, and list and sell it on amazon.com. The cost to do this is virtually zero, but the bragging rights are huge.

Create a vision in his head of writing a book and having it listed on amazon.com; of being able to give autographed copies to his friends and relatives; of being able to say "my name is on the cover of this book, because I wrote it." Would he be proud to do that with a book of inappropriate content? I doubt it. A spy novel? You betcha.

Don't take away his writing; redirect it to something positive. Create a positive vision for his writing; a vision you can both be proud of.
 
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dayhiker

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I like where Green is going with the writing idea. My thought was smaller, like writing a puppet skit that the kids in Jr. church could preform. Or a skit that the teens could act out. Have to find something that would fit in with that is going on at church.
 
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farmgal09

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Those are both great ideas! Yes, hubby is a writer through and through, and I've never discouraged him in it, as he is extremely talented. He has written things other than erotica, such as a children's story, editorials for farming newsletters, even an unpublished novel, though it does have some no-nos in it. He loves to write. It is his outlet. The problem is his mind gets bored with what he is writing sometimes, and so it wanders into bad territory. I will tell him about CreateSpace though, that sounds awesome. I think he would be very encouraged to see his name in print!
 
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dayhiker

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farmgal .. that does help us understand him quite a bit.

So let me go one step further to see what your thoughts are. I remember at times reading some Christian fiction that had so little evil, as in war, fighting, hate etc that the stories were sappy and didn't feel at all real. Then there are the stories that start with the characters in a bad situation, usually as a result of some sin they committed or a bad family they grew up in, etc and the story is about them finding Christ and the a way to forgive and restore relationships. The happy ending. Some people do find a happy ending, but many of us find problem/struggles coming and going thru our life.

So clearly your husband doesn't like writing the sappy story. Does he write a happy ending story?

Another perspective. This one actually bothers me. The US has been in quite a few wars where we have sent our troops to kill other people. The American church hasn't opposed one of those wars. Yet a few of them I have found to be very immoral. Also its OK to have police shows on TV were people are killed, the murder scene is shown and the detectives figure out who did it and murders is put away. Justice is done. Nice .. but I can't watch them. The only acceptable sex on these shows are rape or sexual abuse of some sort.

Now most inappropriate content/erotic writing, while it ignores the emotional pain that can be caused by random sex, doesn't have any of that violence in it. Yet it can be a part of any TV show.

So I'm curious where your husband's erotic writing falls and how you evaluate it in the above contexts. I find the churches evaluation of some of these things perplexing so your understanding and reaction to these areas may help me understand some of this.
Thanks
 
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Hetta

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The fact that you said one his stories was disgusting means that there is something he enjoys that he feels shamed by if he was honest about it with you.

Could there be a compromise? Could he vent these desires to you without being called disgusting in exchange for giving up this outlet?
She didn't "call him disgusting". I don't know why you made that up.

After he explained all this, he left the room in a huff, pretty disgusted with me.

there was an unfinished story on the screen, 2 other new ones, and a really disgusting one that I'd asked him to not finish ..

Those are the only two places that the word "disgusting" are used. So ...
 
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Romanseight2005

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The fact that you said one his stories was disgusting means that there is something he enjoys that he feels shamed by if he was honest about it with you.

Could there be a compromise? Could he vent these desires to you without being called disgusting in exchange for giving up this outlet?
Here is the thing. Maybe what is feels shamed by, IS Shameful? We have gotten to the pouint, where we have decided that ALL shame is bad. I am sorry, but without shame, none of us would ever come to repentance. Humility, knows shame. Pride doesn't. So when we call all shame bad, we are essentially calling good, evil. Just because he enjoys something, doesn't mean it's good and right to enjoy. His propensity towards it, doesn't make it God ordained, or good and right. That's another misconception of our current age.
 
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sdmsanjose

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If he has a sexual addiction then they rarely change without a crises. I hope your husbnd does not have an addiction.

Protect yourself as much as possible from his sexual activities and build yourself up as much as possible. You can not change him but you can change yourself.

DO NOT let his negative choices transfer to you feeling that you are a failure. He is disrepecting you and choosing to damage the marriage.
 
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Romanseight2005

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If he has a sexual addiction then they rarely change without a crises. I hope your husbnd does not have an addiction.

Protect yourself as much as possible from his sexual activities and build yourself up as much as possible. You can not change him but you can change yourself.

DO NOT let his negative choices transfer to you feeling that you are a failure. He is disrepecting you and choosing to damage the marriage.

:thumbsup:
 
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Yitzchak

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My thought is this. Don't lose sight of the spiritual aspect of this. The devil seeks any advantage to gain a foothold in a person's life and also in a marriage relationship.

My advice is lots of prayer and also some fasting to seek The Lord for his help with this situation.

I am not suggesting that you get in his face and accuse him. But anytime that there is sinful activity , the long term damage can be profound if it continues. Repentance is not something that can be forced upon a person. they have to choose that for themselves. But I would definitely be praying for him that he would come to a place where he desires true repentance and restoration to God's desire for purity.....

I will say a prayer for you and your husband. It sounds like a serious problem....
 
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pfcreed

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I have been in a bad way myself in the past. If you are uncomfortable with the things that you are finding imagine how you would feel about the things he is successfully hiding. I think you should encourage your husband to be open about what he is doing. Once you are aware of all of it and you see it for all that it is you can show it to him and point out the fact that he knows it has no place in your lives due to the fact that he hid it. Once I started being open about everything it got better. I guess it also took away the feeling that this is my dirty little secret, if you can appreciate what I mean.
 
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You say he has periods of good behavior then suddenly these things crop up, and then suddenly "a switch flipped" and things were back to normal. Plus you're bringing up issues of what sounds like hypersexuality and rage. Has he ever had a mental health intake done? He shows several markers (hypersexuality, rage) and predispositions (creativity) to bipolar disorder.

That may not be the case at all, but it definitely is a possibility in this case from what I'm reading.
 
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