In my previous posting to this site, I discussed the ways in which recovering sex addicts can best define sexual sobriety, noting first that lasting sexual sobriety does not involve long-term sexual abstinence, and next that it looks different for each recovering addict depending on his or her unique life circumstances and goals. Generally, recovering
Sex addicts new to recovery typically have little to no idea how to define sexual sobriety. Sometimes they worry that sexual sobriety is the same as chemical sobriety, where permanently abstaining is the ultimate goal. Many say that if that is the case, they’ll stick with their addiction thank you very much. And would anyone
Teens, by nature, are curious about sex, often to an extreme. Thus, it can be difficult to separate normal adolescent sexual behaviors from addiction. That said, teens absolutely can be sex addicts. In fact, as the internet has provided increased access to sexual content and contacts, therapists have seen an equal if not larger increase
Sometimes people think sex addiction is a males-only issue. However, that is not the case. Women are just as susceptible as men to the escapist neurochemical rush created by compulsive sexual fantasies and behaviors. Unfortunately, female sex addicts are much less likely to self-identify as being sexually addicted and to seek treatment for the disorder.
As discussed in my previous posting to this site, the vast majority of sex addicts also have a secondary addiction, whether it’s a cross addiction, where they switch back and forth between sex addiction and another addiction, or a co-occurring addiction, where they engage in more than one addiction at the same time. For multiply-addicted
Sexual addiction is typically not a standalone issue. In fact, most sex addicts also deal with a secondary addiction. Sometimes these individuals are cross-addicted, other times they have a co-occurring addiction. Sex addicts who are cross-addicted switch from one addiction to another. For instance, an addict might alternate between acting out sexually and binge drinking.
Ginny is a 30-year-old realtor. She says she dates constantly, but she can never seem to find the right partner. She says, “I’m online all the time. I’ve got profiles on every dating and hookup app that’s out there. I even joined JDate, even though I’m not Jewish. Honestly, if I meet the right guy,
Paul is a 27-year-old cable TV installer with a long-term girlfriend living in a nearby city. They’ve been dating for two years, and he finds her extremely attractive. However, he struggles to perform with her in bed. He says this has been an ongoing issue, almost from the beginning of their relationship. A year
In today’s world, porn addiction is the most common form of sexual addiction. Without doubt, this is thanks to the Internet, which offers an almost endless supply of free, easily and anonymously accessible erotic imagery of every ilk imaginable. For porn addicts, the Internet is a bit like dropping an alcoholic in a liquor store
In today’s world, digital technology is omnipresent. Nearly everyone owns or has access to a computer or some other digital device, like a smartphone or a tablet. And for the vast majority of people this is a good thing. Sex addicts, however, can struggle with the 24/7/365 ability to affordably and anonymously access pretty much