Sex Addiction & Recovery

[SweetErika]

Does anyone have any kind of experience with a sexual addiction, and especially recovery from it?

To be clear, by "sex addiction," I mean compulsions and behaviors that interfere with normal relationships and activities (cheating, relationship issues, health/safety risks, possible legal troubles, job issues, etc.). You know, like a drug, alcohol, gambling, food, shopping/collecting addiction vs. someone who just likes sex a lot and/or has a high libido.

I'm especially interested in the causes, triggers, what people learn in therapy/treatment, how long it typically takes for one to feel like they're firmly on the road to recovery, how healthy sexual encounters (like say, those with a significant other) are dealt with, how spouses/loved ones work through it, etc. I've already googled, but am curious about personal experiences.

[silverwhisper]

i haven't any personal experience and i know your google-fu is better than mine. i know there's a question in some circles as to whether it does/doesn't reach the threshold for addiction.

i'm not in one of those circles. and hence, i can't help feeling that like other addictions, recovery must be fairly subjective.

ed

[victorious]

Sweet Erika,
I found a web site: http://www.psychcentral.com/lib/2006...ual-addiction/ that has a wealth of information on what the disease is, what causes it, the triggers, and how it is treated. The article is written by a specialist who treats these disorders.
Hope this helps

Originally Posted by SweetErika

Does anyone have any kind of experience with a sexual addiction, and especially recovery from it?

To be clear, by "sex addiction," I mean compulsions and behaviors that interfere with normal relationships and activities (cheating, relationship issues, health/safety risks, possible legal troubles, job issues, etc.). You know, like a drug, alcohol, gambling, food, shopping/collecting addiction vs. someone who just likes sex a lot and/or has a high libido.

I'm especially interested in the causes, triggers, what people learn in therapy/treatment, how long it typically takes for one to feel like they're firmly on the road to recovery, how healthy sexual encounters (like say, those with a significant other) are dealt with, how spouses/loved ones work through it, etc. I've already googled, but am curious about personal experiences.

[Pervertedhub]

They teach you how to deal with your addiction and how to a avoid those tyes of situations. It is a lot like AA. You get a sponsor and they help you deal with the issues that arise.
They also teach you all addictions are different. What is ok for some may not be good for others. It has to be worked in steps just as AA would be.
I hope this helps some. If you want more info you can pm me.

[charlie069]

Patrick Carnes wrote a very good book on this subject Out of the Shadows it might answer a lot of your questions.

[SweetErika]

Originally Posted by silverwhisper

i haven't any personal experience and i know your google-fu is better than mine. i know there's a question in some circles as to whether it does/doesn't reach the threshold for addiction.

i'm not in one of those circles. and hence, i can't help feeling that like other addictions, recovery must be fairly subjective.

ed

Yeah, I don't buy it either. People can get addicted to just about anything, including sexual activity.

Originally Posted by victorious

Sweet Erika,
I found a web site: http://www.psychcentral.com/lib/2006...ual-addiction/ that has a wealth of information on what the disease is, what causes it, the triggers, and how it is treated. The article is written by a specialist who treats these disorders.
Hope this helps

Thank you, that site is very interesting and one I hadn't seen yet!
I'm glad you decided to stick around!

Originally Posted by Pervertedhub

They teach you how to deal with your addiction and how to a avoid those tyes of situations. It is a lot like AA. You get a sponsor and they help you deal with the issues that arise.
They also teach you all addictions are different. What is ok for some may not be good for others. It has to be worked in steps just as AA would be.
I hope this helps some. If you want more info you can pm me.

Thanks for the info, and I might take you up on that sometime.

[Pervertedhub]

Thanks for the info, and I might take you up on that sometime.[/quote]

I have first hand knowledge on it.

[SweetErika]

Originally Posted by charlie069

Patrick Carnes wrote a very good book on this subject Out of the Shadows it might answer a lot of your questions.

I'll check that out. Thank you

Out of curiosity, is being on a site like this generally problematic for a recovering addict? I know triggers and such are different for different addicts, but I'd imagine this type of site would be a slippery slope for many.

[charlie069]

Originally Posted by SweetErika

I'll check that out. Thank you

Out of curiosity, is being on a site like this generally problematic for a recovering addict? I know triggers and such are different for different addicts, but I'd imagine this type of site would be a slippery slope for many.

I would suppose so, having being told that because my SO didn't like me masturbating and looking at porn by a Marriage Guidance counsellor who them intimated that i had a sex addiction i was referred to the book. However after reading and discussing with my SO felt i was not / am not an addict.

[Pervertedhub]

Out of curiosity, is being on a site like this generally problematic for a recovering addict? I know triggers and such are different for different addicts, but I'd imagine this type of site would be a slippery slope for many.[/quote]

It very well could be a trigger for some. But unlike AA, where the goal is not to drink anymore, it probably is not in their best interest not to have sex anymore. A Healthy sexual relationship for a couple can be a great thing. Each person has a different goal. They want to keep away from the sexual acts or behaviors that led them to their addiction. Which in turn caused them marital problems or hurt a loved one because of their sexual behaviors.
Each person has their own goals and their own problem areas where they need to avoid. So where this site may not be a problem for some, but others it could lead them back to the act or behavior that got them in trouble in the first place.
Hope that kinda answers your question.

[BDSMJoe]

You should check out this TED talk on Youtube about porn addiction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF82AwSDiU

There's a board on Reddit called nofap that deals with overcoming porn/masturbation/orgasm (PMO) addiction. Thought it might be helpful.