At the age of 19, Devin’s parents, when he was home on summer break from college, learned that he was looking at gay porn on his laptop, and that he had posted his profile on several gay hookup apps. As members of a conservative religion, they sought advice from their pastor, who told them that …
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As mentioned in part one of this blog, sexual addiction can be difficult to identify. Because of its highly secretive nature (the addict’s denial/unwillingness to disclose), even therapists sometimes struggle to uncover and diagnose active sexual addiction. The good news here is that there are some basic tools that can be used to identify (or …
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There are three main criteria for the diagnosis of sexual addiction: Preoccupation to the point of obsession with sexual fantasies and behaviors – online and off, with self and/or others Loss of control over sexual fantasies and behaviors, typically evidenced by multiple failed attempts to either quit or curtail these activities Negative life consequences directly …
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For the most part, effective sexual addiction treatment strategies mirror the techniques that have also proven useful with substance abuse treatment. In short, sex addiction treatment specialists rely on a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group therapy, trauma-informed assessment and awareness, and 12-step recovery work. One major treatment difference when dealing with sex addiction …
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Lord knows we hear plenty about sexual addiction in the news – most often stories about politicians, actors, athletes, and just plain folks who are systematically ruining their lives with ongoing patterns of problematic sexual activity. Of course, for every scandal that makes the papers, tens of thousands of similar tales go unreported, known only …
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Previous blogs have addressed the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction, as well as the female gender-specific signs of sexual addiction. As a brief reminder, the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction in both males and females are: Preoccupation: obsessing about sex, making the fantasy and pursuit of it the number one priority …
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For the most part, the core signs and symptoms of sexual addiction are the same regardless of age, race, gender, social history, and psychological underpinnings. And you can expect nearly all sex addicts to report, in some form, the following: Obsessive Sexual Fantasy and Preoccupation: Sex addicts obsess about sex. They spend hours, sometimes even …
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