With all the cases in the last few years of celebrities and their sex problems, it might make you wonder if they are sex addicts or not. There is a controversy of whether sex addiction is a real thing. Research psychologists have said that sex addiction is not a mental disorder because there is no evidence that shows that there are changes in brainwaves to support addiction like with substance abuse disorders. However, therapists and recovery programs will argue that the sex addict’s risky, disastrous actions are the signs that show someone who is not well.
What exactly is sex addiction? Does it mean that you love sex so much that you want to have it all the time? Yes and no. It is not so much that sex addicts love sex. They love the feeling of the power they get from the actual ritual of it. With any addiction, it is about the high that is generated from something small that builds up a tolerance. The urges get stronger and stronger and the addict continues to strive to get the same high as in the beginning, making them attempt higher volumes of their addiction.
Sexual addiction can be considered an obsessive-compulsive disorder because it can become something that can overrun somebody’s life. A person can try to stop the obsessions and compulsions to no avail despite a person’s intentions to end the repeated, increasing sex behaviors. This sexual conduct of trying to fulfill the intense and reoccurring sexual fantasies and thoughts, can take precedence over everything that is important to the sex addict. Jobs, friends, and families can be lost as a result of sex addiction. Just like with other addictions, genetic and environmental factors lead to an addiction as a way to cope with stressful situations.
Treatment for sex addiction is available in rehabilitation facilities, but this kind of treatment is not quite as prevalent as some other addictions. The mentality of sexual addiction treatment is different than that of other addictions. Instead of total abstinence, termination of the compulsive, unhealthy behavior is recommended along with support, therapy, education, as well as medication in some cases. There are also 12-Step programs that are solely dedicated to sex addiction such Sex Addicts Anonymous and Sexholics Anonymous, that can be a good source for someone who needs support.
Sex addiction is a real thing even though it is not medically recognized as a disorder. Getting help for something that is shredding your life into pieces, including sex addiction, is detrimental to getting back an individual’s well-being.
Serenity Wellness Center is a good source for someone who is struggling with drugs and alcohol. Our 5-week treatment program is based off 12-Step program aspects as well as holistic therapy to get you, or someone you know, to embrace recovery wholeheartedly. Call us today: 844-720-6847
