Sexual Orientation and Sexual Addiction

In order to reduce prejudice and to prevent the mislabeling of healthy sexual relations as pathological, The Sexual Recovery Institute wishes to clarify its position on same-sex sexual relations and same-sex intimate relationships.

Sexual activities and relationships with members of one’s own sex, whether casual or intimate, are not considered to be a sign or symptom of sexual addiction. Sexual addiction is not defined by type of sexual act, by choice of sexual partner, or the gender of that partner. Sexual addiction is defined by the escalating negative consequences of sexual behaviors that are acted out compulsively and impulsively, often without regard to personal or relational consequences.

The Sexual Recovery Institute does not encourage nor endorse any type of treatment methodology which promises to “cure” homosexuality or which holds that homosexual sexual relations are a deviancy which can be “cured” through sex addiction treatment, nor do we offer any such kind of treatment. The Institute acknowledges, along with the American Psychological Association, that homosexual behavior or lifestyle choice does not imply or suggest any form of mental illness or pathology.