COMPULSIVE SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

Compulsive Sexual Behaviors

In a safe, confidential environment, you will be interviewed and assessed using state of the art techniques to decipher the presence and extent of sex addiction.* Then you will start a disciplined, task oriented weekly therapy to rid yourself of damaging behaviors that are hurting your current relationship and/or keeping you from your goals and dreams. The use of workbooks will keep you on task and accountable to your recovery program along with a detailed plan of action to get you to where you want to be and how you want to live. Many sex addicts need to learn the skill of empathy and be coached in this practice.

Topics include breaking through denial, defining sobriety, discovering thinking errors, history taking, and planning for relapse prevention to start a life changing recovery journey with healthy habits.

Am I a Sex Addict?

Sexual addiction is a pathological relationship with a mood altering experience that includes deprivations and excesses. It is a maladaptive behavior involving any type of uncontrollable sexual activity that results in negative consequences. The addiction is called a process addiction or a behavioral addiction like that of a gambler, the overeater or a compulsive exercise fanatic.

Learn more about treatment for sex addiction including an initial (free) sexual addiction screening assessment.

Can Sex Addiction Be Cured?

Like other types of addicts, some sexual addicts may never be "cured." Sexual addicts achieve a state of recovery, but maintaining that recovery can be a lifelong day-by-day process. The Twelve Step treatment approach teaches addicts to take their recovery "one day at a time," concentrating on the present, not the future.

At What Point Does Behavior Constitute Addiction?

At the core of a sex addict is this belief system:
  • I am basically a bad, unworthy person
  • No one would love me as I am
  • My needs are never going to be met if I have to depend on others
  • Sex is my most important need
Behaviors an addict may engage in:
  • Online pornography (Cybersex, Chat rooms, Sexting, Online video streaming)
  • Obsessive fantasizing
  • Strip clubs, massage parlors, prostitution
  • Affairs
  • Voyeurism
  • Exhibitionism
  • Sexual harassment
  • Power position relationships
  • Anonymous sex, one night stands
  • Seductive sex
  • Searching newspapers or online for a future sex partners
  • Sexting

Group Therapy

This powerful piece of the recovery process is vital as most sex addicts have an isolated, secret life that feeds their addiction. If the sex addict is a male, many come into group without authentic relationships with other men. In this transformative group process, the addict learns how to express feelings, be assertive, honest, and be accountable to self and the group. The group members provide a sounding board, inspiration and support while also calling the addict out on behaviors that they all know too well. Many times, deep friendships for life come out of this awesome group experience.

Group Therapy facilitated by a CSAT is vital in that the Sex Addict will learn valuable relational skills about how to be transparent, vulnerable and relational with his peers. Many times this group experience is the first time the Sex Addict has been honest with others about emotional matters. From this important adjunct to the Sex Addict treatment plan, the Sex Addict grows and evolves exponentially as a human being taking the skills learned in group and using them with self and others in his intimate relationships outside of group.
*Please Note:  There is controversy in the field of sex addiction.  The World Health Organization defines out of control sexual behaviors as a persistent pattern of failure to control intense repetitive sexual impulses or urges, resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour over an extended period (e.g., six months or more) that causes marked distress or impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

Possible manifestations of the persistent pattern include: repetitive sexual activities becoming a central focus of the individual's life to the point of neglecting health and personal care or other interests, activities and responsibilities; the individual making numerous unsuccessful efforts to control or significantly reduce the repetitive sexual behaviour; the individual continuing to engage in repetitive sexual behaviour despite adverse consequences such as repeated relationship disruption; and the individual continuing to engage in repetitive sexual behaviour even when he or she no longer derives any satisfaction from it.
Share by: