Creating a Definition for Sex Addiction That Will Withstand Scrutiny

Posted on December 30th, 2013

Sex addiction — sometimes identified as compulsive sexual behavior or the outdated and stigmatizing condition called nymphomania — is a dysfunctional, uncontrolled pattern of sex-related thoughts and actions that purportedly diminish an individual’s mental health and ability to participate fruitfully in everyday life. Currently, there is no single, accepted definition for this form of addiction and doctors can’t diagnose its presence under generally accepted guidelines. In a study review published in 2013 in the journal Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, researchers from three U.S. universities examined the evidence for sex addiction and identified some of the important steps in creating a workable definition for the condition.

Female Sex Addiction and Cultural Messages

Posted on December 28th, 2013

If you have ever violated your values and ignored responsibilities to pursue and overwhelming desire,

 then you understand the feeling of addiction. -Charlotte S. Kasl

 Have you ever noticed how the media likes to portray women as saintly mothers, vulnerable victims or manipulating villains, but rarely a realistic blend of qualities you can actually relate to — particularly around sexuality? A woman depicted in the media or rumored about in schools and workplaces is either all about the sex or “frigid” and closed to closeness of any kind. It would seem that culturally, we haven’t quite learned how to talk about women and sex in a way that is reflective of actual experience — instead, casting women into one or the other side of the rigid virgin/whore dichotomy without their say so. Still, women have sexual lives just as real and complicated and tricky as men, and whether we’re able to admit it or not, this means women experience sexual addiction too. Because female sex addiction is so infrequently discussed, it remains not well understood, not even by many women living with it.

Are Loneliness and Violence the Products of Porn Addiction?

Posted on December 26th, 2013

Are Loneliness and Violence the Products of Porn Addiction?In 1997, I worked in the banking industry. It was my first “real job” and I was taking my promotion from teller to commercial loan assistant very seriously. Internet usage hadn’t quite yet gone completely mainstream, though it was well on its way (that would happen only two years later). But this was the banking industry, and it was expected that we keep abreast of the digital trends. As such, there was one computer behind the concierge desk in the lobby that had full Internet access. Every member of staff, including the vice president of the bank, took turns working for 15 minutes at concierge. While there, you were allowed to surf the Web when not engaged with costumers. It was expected that you’d be using this time to bone up on the day’s Wall Street earnings or reading about news in the housing markets.

Abandonment, Abuse and Sex Addiction

Posted on December 24th, 2013

Abandonment, Abuse and Sex AddictionSex addiction, a condition often as hard or harder to break than cocaine or heroin addiction, baffles its victims — both the addict and his or her loved ones. How can an individual be so obsessed with and so compelled by sex, even to the point of the destruction of self and one’s personal relationships? Where is the line between genuinely enjoying sex and having an addiction? What are the root causes?

Sex is, under normal circumstances, a highly pleasurable activity and it is certainly not uncommon for people to enjoy it quite a lot, and to be motivated to have sex frequently. While levels of desire will vary among individuals, a person with a healthy sex drive and functional sexuality is going to naturally desire sex.

12-Step Groups for Sex Addicts

Posted on December 2nd, 2013

12-Step Groups for Sex AddictsSometimes people new to sex addiction recovery don’t know about all of the options that are available to them. In addition to inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, individual therapy, and/or sex addiction focused group therapy, sex addicts may want to attend 12-step sexual recovery meetings. The simple truth is that while intensive treatment and therapy are a great start to sexual recovery, and often an integral part of long-term sobriety, over time 12-step support groups are the true lifeblood of a healthy, happy, sexually sober life. After all, 12-step meetings are where recovering addicts meet others with similar issues who are also working to stay sober – people who quickly become a support network that “speaks the language” of sexual addiction.