Advice for Dealing With a Spouse’s Sex Addiction – Part 1

Upon their happy wedding day, no one expects to one day discover a spouse’s hidden addiction. While an alcohol addiction is difficult to hide, sex addiction can persist for years in secret. Porn and sex addiction are especially painful because, unlike alcoholism or drug addiction, there is inherent betrayal. The emotional and perhaps physical infidelity that accompany sex addiction shatter any sense of mutual trust, constituting betrayal and inviting destruction on the marital covenant.

The spouse of a sex addict is left without a roadmap. The marriage and their years of interaction are called into question. The doubts and fears and uncertainties flood the mind. How long has this been going on? What did I do wrong? Is our marriage salvageable? Will it always be like this? Sex addiction is not only dangerous for the addict, but for the spouse as well. Many, after learning of or dealing with a spouse’s sex addiction, begin to display symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Both partners will need help in dealing with and, hopefully, recovering from the addiction and its effects.