1.1 Introduction to the program and CBT
- What is it about?
Welcome to the ReDirection self-help program! ReDirection is an anonymous self-help program which aims to help you to adopt a lifestyle without child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through guided exercises. The program is based on cognitive behavioral theory and will support you in managing your emotions and thoughts by helping you learn to change your behaviors and “ReDirect” away from using CSAM. You work independently on the program.
In this first section you will explore your personal concerns about viewing and using CSAM. This will help you to determine what changes you want to make in your life and why you want to stop using CSAM. - What is CSAM?
CSAM refers to Child Sexual Abuse Material, sometimes known as ‘child pornography.’ - What will I learn?
The program will teach you how to handle your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to ‘ReDirect’ you away from using CSAM. Throughout this program you will learn about what leads you to use CSAM, why you should stop using CSAM, and how you can go about changing your behavior to stop using CSAM in the long term. The exercises will help you put new skills into practice. Some exercises appear more than once in the program to help you notice possible changes and to help you reflect on your process.
The ReDirection self-help program will improve your resources to adopt healthier behaviors that do not harm yourself or others. This section will help you identify the factors that motivate you to search for and use illegal online material and will help you understand the impact that it has on you.
Please note that during the program you will be prompted to reflect on different questions and write down your thoughts. We encourage you to write down your thoughts on paper or on a text file on your computer. This is, of course, completely voluntary but we recommend this approach as it will ease the workload during the program. - Your motivation will fluctuate
Being motivated to change your behavior and having confidence in your ability to change can help you succeed in your rehabilitation. Your motivation will inevitably fluctuate throughout the process, and sometimes it will feel difficult to continue. It is common to feel this way, but we want to encourage you to keep on working, as completing this program in the end can lead to positive effects for you. - The role of grief and loss
Any behavioral change can cause feelings of loss and grief, which is completely normal. No matter how many negative impacts seeking CSAM has, it might have been in an important role in your life in the past. For example, it might have worked as a tool for you to deal with or distract yourself from negative emotions. As result, your symptoms or difficult feelings may increase in the beginning before you learn different ways of coping with these issues. - CBT theory and therapy
The format for this program is based on Cognitive behavioral theory (CBT).
In CBT therapy people learn how certain thoughts lead to certain feelings which in turn lead to certain behavioral responses and vice versa. CBT therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for people who have problems with the use of CSAM, as the goal is to achieve cognitive, behavioral, and emotional change.
Therapy helps you to achieve a healthier life with safer and better emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning.
