“Thanks for Sharing” as an Educational Tool

Posted on September 25th, 2013

Publicity photos courtesy of Roadside AttractionsOne of the hardest things about being a sex addict in recovery is explaining to friends and family what sex addiction really is, and what trying to recover from it is really like. Frankly, most people either think sex addiction would be a really fun addiction to have, or they think that people suffering from it are either making it up or using it as excuse for bad behavior. If you’re in sexual recovery, of course, you know different. Sex addiction is not fun, it is not made-up, and it is not an excuse.

What is Escalation?

Posted on September 11th, 2013

What is Escalation?Addicts new to recovery often face a whole world of new terminology. Sometimes when they enter treatment or start attending 12-step meetings, it seems as if the people around them are speaking an entirely different language. One of the new terms that many addicts are confronted with is “escalation.” Escalation is common to all types of addiction – alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, compulsive shopping, sex addiction, etc. It is caused by an increasing tolerance to the mood altering effects of the addict’s drug/behavior or choice. (There is a very specific neurophysiological process to the development of both tolerance and escalation, but that is not the subject of this blog.) Suffice it to say that addicts, over time, nearly always find themselves doing more of their drug/behavior of choice, and/or turning to more intense substances/experiences to achieve and maintain the neurochemical “high” that they seek.

Sex Addiction: An Imperfect Path to Recovery

Posted on September 10th, 2013

Sex Addiction: An Imperfect Path to RecoveryTandi sat on a bench in Central Park with Beth, her sponsor, beside her. The usual parade of nannies with strollers and joggers with iPods passed them by while Tandi cried, oblivious. Beth was breaking up with her; she said she couldn’t be her sponsor anymore. Tandi thought she understood. She hadn’t worked any of the steps in over a year. She’d been lying to Tandi—something she’d sworn she’d never do. And she was not only breaking several rules of their particular Sex Addiction Anonymous group, but she’d been “playing fast and loose,” according to Beth, with the bottom line behaviors they’d drafted for Tandi.