If you’ve been reading this blog then you know we’ve been covering the Tiger Woods story quite a bit now. I’ve been personally asked to provide my own thoughts and “expert opinions” on several occasions now that the focus has shifted to sexual addiction and sex rehab.
Sex addiction sounds like the kind of problem most guys would like to have. Isn’t claiming you are a sex addict just an excuse for bad behavior?
Sex addiction for the sex addict is about as much fun as alcoholism is for the alcoholic. Think about that. Many adults enjoy drinking now and then. Some people drink socially, others drink a bit at the end of the day to relax and some even get drunk once in a while (New Years, etc).
I have spent the past 15 years of my professional life treating sexual addiction. Back when I started this work, those of us working with sex addicts were more often challenged in the media and in professional communities to “prove” that the diagnosis of sexual addiction actually existed, rather than encouraged to discuss how the problem is diagnosed or solved. The Internet has changed all of that. There are now so many men and women simply checked out day after day from their work, families and social lives from hours spent online – viewing porn, researching and hooking up with prostitutes or finding anonymous sex partners, so many lives are now affected, that question has moved from “is there really such a thing as sex addiction?” to “ok there is a problem, what can we do about it?”
At SRI, 2010 is in full swing with our Two-Week Intensive Programs for Sex and Porn Addicts. January has already sold out, February is one space away, and we are already filling dates in March and April. The low cost, highly effective, 10-day intensive provides a personalized program of daily individual therapy, group education and structured support.
Sexual addiction has affected some of the most notable figures in television, politics, and entertainment. David Duchovny’s public admission of being a sex addict, followed swiftly on the heels of a series of political controversies involving, Elliot Spitzer, Larry Craig and of course, Bill Clinton, are just a few examples of sexual addiction problems manifesting in men of power.
Robert Weiss, Founding Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute, issues statement regarding Tiger Woods and consequences of serial adultery on spouses
Despite well-intentioned advice from friends and families, expert on sexual addition says that spouses and families affected by infidelity should not take action right away unless faced with physical or psychological harm.
Tiger Woods has been all over the news lately. America cannot resist a sex scandal of course. But this isn’t your average scandal. SRI’s own Sharon O’Hara (Clinical Director) recently explained why Tiger Woods affair is actually an addiction to intensity, not unlike many professional athletes.
Over the past few decades, Americans appear to have become more educated about the very real problems of alcoholism and drug addiction. But if popular culture and the response to news stories involving high-profile individuals such as actor David Duchovny or former NY Governor Elloit Spitzer are accurate indicators, when it comes to sex addiction, the mindset of the general public seems to be considerably less enlightened.
