Dear GYE,
I am the vice president of a new organization called Refuat HaNefesh. This organization is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health concerns within the Orthodox community as well as providing on-line support and educational resources to people who suffer from mental illness and their families.
Your organization has led the way in alleviating the suffering of thousands of Jews who struggle with addiction, and I think both our organizations and countless individuals may benefit from our collaboration. Here are some ways we can be of assistance to people suffering from sex addiction
1) Sex addiction holds many similarities with other types of addiction, which are classified as mental illness and very much have a home on Refuathanefesh.com. We have many educational resources that shed light on addiction as well as divrei torah that may be of relevance to addicts. Further, we have an on-line forum in which people with various mental illnesses (addiction included) can seek support from each other.
2) Sex addiction (like any addiction) is highly comorbid with other psychiatric illnesses such as depression. I imagine many people who benefit from GYE would similarly find support on our site.
3) Lastly, while we are only a website at this time, our community of volunteers is quickly growing and we intend to expand our mental health services to the orthodox community, including public speaking engagements and the opportunity for privacy-protected, confidential tele therapy. I would love for your community to be aware of these services as they become available.
Thanks,
Aryeh L. Goldberg MD MA