Relapse Prevention, Part 1: Identifying Addiction Triggers

October 6th, 2015 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Addiction & Recovery - (Comments Off on Relapse Prevention, Part 1: Identifying Addiction Triggers)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

Jonathan is a 45-year-old structural engineer. He has been in recovery for both sex addiction and meth/cocaine addiction for just under a year, initially seeking help after his wife learned about his multiple affairs, trips to strip clubs, drug abuse, and sex with prostitutes. Jonathan is serious about his recovery and saving his marriage. Unfortunately, …
Read more

What Sexual Addiction is NOT

June 13th, 2015 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on What Sexual Addiction is NOT)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

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 …
Read more

Diagnosing Sexual Addiction, Part One: Casual vs. At-Risk vs. Addicted

April 26th, 2015 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Diagnosing Sexual Addiction, Part One: Casual vs. At-Risk vs. Addicted)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

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 …
Read more

Can Teens Be Sexually Addicted?

October 29th, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Adolescents - (Comments Off on Can Teens Be Sexually Addicted?)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

Do Bears Do Their Business in the Woods? Asking whether teens can become sexually addicted is a bit like asking if they can become alcoholic or drug addicted. Of course they can. In fact, they are every bit as vulnerable as adults to addictions, perhaps more so because their emotional immaturity has prevented them from …
Read more

Double Trouble: Cross- and Co-Occurring Addictions

June 19th, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Addiction - (Comments Off on Double Trouble: Cross- and Co-Occurring Addictions)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

With cross-addiction, addicts switch from one problematic substance/behavior to another. If they can’t use one substance/activity to escape and dissociate from life, they’ll use another. For instance, Marie is an active alcoholic who occasionally feels bad about her drinking and sobers up. But any time she stops drinking, she binge eats, numbing out with food …
Read more

Helping Addicts Stay Safe Online

April 23rd, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Helping Addicts Stay Safe Online)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

Addicts of all types have been adversely affected by the tech-connect boom and the endless array of stimulation it provides. As online accessibility, affordability, and anonymity have increased, so too has the number of people falling prey to Internet-related addictive behaviors – compulsive porn abuse, compulsive sexual hookups, compulsive gambling, compulsive shopping, compulsive video gaming, …
Read more

Creating a Plan for Sexual Addiction Sobriety

March 20th, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Creating a Plan for Sexual Addiction Sobriety)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

In a previous blog I examined the ways in which sexual sobriety is typically defined, noting that total abstinence, the most common conception of sobriety with alcoholism and drug addiction, does not work for many of the process (behavioral) addictions, including sex addiction and eating disorders. (For instance, if a sex addict is married, his …
Read more

Sex Addiction: Signs and Symptoms in Men

December 2nd, 2013 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Sex Addiction: Signs and Symptoms in Men)

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 …
Read more

I wrote in a previous blog about the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction, noting that all sex addicts display, in some form or fashion, the following: Preoccupation: obsessing about sex/romance, making the fantasy and pursuit of it the number one priority in life, etc. Loss of Control: inability to limit or curtail sexual/romantic …
Read more