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Over the years, the people I have worked with have used various words to describe the end result of their compulsive sexual behaviors: words like shame, anger, depression, anxiety, disappointment, self-hatred, hopelessness and helplessness, usually describe their subjective experience after the ... Views: 3277
Fifteen years ago, people didn’t even know there was such a thing as sex addiction, never mind how to get help for it. With Patrick Carnes’ groundbreaking book Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sex Addiction, people who suffer from self-destructive sexual acts had hope of knowing what ailed ... Views: 2849
Mindfulness is a method of awareness and introspection which involves a conscious attempt to focus attention intensely on the present moment, noting thoughts, feelings, perception, images and sensation without judging them, participating in them or acting on them. The contents of the mind appear ... Views: 3164
The usual response to the suggestion to one of my clients that hypnotherapy might be useful in the treatment of sexual addiction is typical of the general public’s misguided understanding of hypnotherapy:
“I’m afraid of going into trance – I might lose control”; “You’ll find out things about ... Views: 3516
NLP is an approach to doing psychotherapy that was all the rage
in the 70’s and early 80’s. It is a model of the structure of your inner, subjective experience and how that experience influences behavior. It provides a framework for eliciting the way you experience reality with a focus on ... Views: 2590
In my opinion, long-term psychodynamic therapy is the most efficient way to cultivate healthy personality development. The most comprehensive treatment combines the empathy, insight and relational abilities of a psychodynamic psychotherapist with the 12-step orientation and cognitive-behavioral ... Views: 3909
While the sexual behaviors differ, the underlying dynamics of sex addiction are the same. There is always an inability to form a healthy, consistent attachment to a cherished loved one. Perhaps there was a mother who was unable to create a bond with her infant/child that provided the ... Views: 1536
Addiction to sexual behavior is a complex disorder that incorporates many aspects of your personality, bio-chemistry, socio-cultural environment, family-of-origin issues, thinking/feeling processes, self-esteem, and quality of relations with others. I see sex addiction as a prism; depending on ... Views: 2072
A sex addict is a person who misuse sex as means of coping with unwanted feelings and life stressors.
He looks to repetitive, compulsive sexual activities to fill a need for constant validation that shores up a fragile sense of self. If women desire him in reality or through pornography, his ... Views: 1428
To be at risk for addiction, two psychological conditions seem to exist during childhood.
First, the child has become over- reliant on sources of comfort outside of himself to provide a feeling of being soothed, safe and secure.
Second, the child had difficulty making a healthy separation ... Views: 1187
Addiction to sexual behavior is a complex disorder that incorporates many aspects of your personality, bio-chemistry, socio-cultural environment, family-of-origin issues, thinking/feeling processes, self-esteem, and quality of relations with others. I see sex addiction as a prism; depending on ... Views: 1384
Most addicts would stop if they could.
It’s been said that of all the addictions, sex is the most difficult to manage. This syndrome is a complex mixture of biological, psychological, cultural, and family-of-origin issues, the combination of which creates impulses and urges that are virtually ... Views: 2100
Relapse in sexual addiction recovery is a reality. While all addictions are relapse prone, it is the sexual recovery community who suffer most from the demoralization of repeated relapse. After all, we can live without ever being around alcohol or drugs, but our sexuality is ever-present. ... Views: 4821
The philosophical basis for cognitive therapy goes back to the Stoic Philosophers who taught that it is not the external event that causes our distress, but rather our perception or interpretation of the event that is distressing. According to the Stoics, people are capable of considering ... Views: 2878
Group therapy is a highly effective treatment modality for sex addicts. It reduces shame and denial, limits isolation, increases socialization skills and the development of empathy. The process fosters the development of intimacy and helps sex addicts develop the coping skills they need to meet ... Views: 1358
Cybersex is the use of electronic communications for sexual diversion and includes email, texting, and internet porn. The American Bar Association cites that in 2011 a whopping 50% of the divorces it handles have cybersex implicated in the couple’s demise. The harm and emotional wreckage to the ... Views: 6090
Sex addiction recovery typically involves at least psychotherapy,twelve-step groups self-help groups and medication. Medication, while not always necessary, can serve as the “water wings” for negotiating the changes necessary for growth.
Certain psychiatrists believe that addiction is ... Views: 1443
“Brainlock”, a four-step self-help
guide for treating OCD is a book written by Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D., a physician who spent most of his career treating and doing research on Obsessive/Compulsive (OCD) behaviors. His has developed a four-part program self-help program that can be used for ... Views: 2602
The diagnosis of sex addiction is the same as every addiction: loss of control and continued behavior despite adverse consequences. Sexual addiction differs from other addictions, however. Our sexuality reflects unconscious conflicts, longings and wishes of which we are not aware.
In essence, ... Views: 2990
A number of years ago, in conjunction with my work with treating sexual addiction, a number of masochistic or submissive men began to come to me for help. The clients I saw did not seem immature or inferior. In fact, the reverse seemed to be true. They were successful by social standards: ... Views: 4130
My work over the last fifteen years as a psychotherapist treating sexual compulsions has brought me into contact with men - and more men. They come to my consulting room wearing the mask of shame, humiliation, and confusion. Often, after a period of therapy, they come to a common link among ... Views: 3935
Attachment patterns have to do with how the infant is tended to by his/her primary caregiver, typically the mother. This means that when an infant is upset, or dysregulated, the "good enough" mother soothes the infant thereby regulating his/her nervous system. This kind of consistent tending to ... Views: 2572
Steve is a professional musician. A man in his 50's, virile yet sensitive, he is sexually compulsive around fetishistic sex. Since his early teens, Steve had masturbated nearly every night before going to sleep. As he matured, his need for masturbation increased until he was masturbated five or ... Views: 3934
I've been sitting in a room talking to addicts for 25 years. All kinds of addicts. I've participated in the enormous struggles of alcoholics to get sober, cocaine, heroine, methamphetamine, food, love, nicotine, sex...all kinds of addictions.
My conclusion, culled from clinical experience, is ... Views: 2533
Who are sex addicts and what are they hoping to find through their compulsive sexual behavior?
Sex addicts are people who, afraid of real, intimate relationships, repeatedly and compulsively try to connect with others through highly impersonal, non intimate behaviors: masturbation, empty ... Views: 1441
Sex is surely one of the most powerful of all human experiences. It can drive people to the pinnacle of ecstasy or it can spiral others to the depths of self-loathing and despair. Sexual expression is meant to tie, or connect, to our core sense of self. Sexual energy is part of our life ... Views: 1651
The True Self is capable of objectively observing the Sex Addict Self because it's not obsessively preoccupied with getting it's neurotic needs met. Psychoanalysts call this the “observing ego” and it is considered a sign of maturity. Proponents of Eastern spirituality call the True Self “The ... Views: 2078
A sex addiction is a habitual response and a source of sexual gratification or emotional security. It is a way of coping with internal feelings and external pressures that provides the Addict” as “Not You”">addict with predictable and consistent immediate gratification, but that has concomitant ... Views: 1792
The True Self is Reality. It sees the activities of the Addict as being what it is: a fantasy growling for what it compulsively seeks: immediate gratification in the form of physical pleasure. Sex addiction is fueled by a fantasy of being how you never thought you were in your youth together of ... Views: 1409
Alcohol dependence is a serious problem today, with an increasing number of young people being affected annually. This translates to loss in productivity as well as a significant amount of money being directed to health care. If you or your loved one has developed a drinking problem, it is ... Views: 949
Alcoholics are classified into three stages - early, middle and chronic stage. While it is easy to treat people who are the in the first two stages, the treatment for those in the chronic stage may take some time but it is not impossible.
Chronic drinkers will have symptoms like indulging ... Views: 838
I didn’t start drinking until I was separated from my husband. I got the house, but selling it was the only way I could survive, so that is what I had to do. I had the summer to get the house ready and for the first time in my life, I was alone. I was suffering from depression, losing my ... Views: 1277
In August of 2010 Overeaters Anonymous celebrated its Golden Anniversary at its world convention in Los Angeles. As someone who has treated compulsive overeaters for more than three decades, I was privileged to be an invited guest to join in the celebration. As a point of reference my ... Views: 2591
By: Stan Popovich
As a person who has dealt with fear, anxiety, and stress for over 20 years, the number one thing I learned was to not take my mental health issues for granted and to get help.
When I first started dealing with my fear and anxieties, I thought that it was just a phase and ... Views: 1222
Recovery Coach Shira- Thoughts on Relapse
I think that recovery is not only a process, but unlike popular belief, definitely not a linear one. Statistically speaking, relapse, or at least a 'lapse,' (and yes I do believe there is a difference) is almost a guarantee for about 80% of the ... Views: 1036
Alcohol addiction is a serious condition. It does not just ruin a person's life; it can also affect the people around him or her. However, it should be noted that this type of addiction has a solution. You can always seek the help of an alcohol rehabilitation center to help yourself or someone ... Views: 1020
Overheard at meetings and treatment rooms are stories of how clients report that there's nothing to do now that they're sober or how they feel like they won't have any friends once they get sober. While I can certainly understand the concern, there are a lot of people engaged in a full life who ... Views: 2604
I’m in the company of the great ones. Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, & Dennis Hopper, not to mention countless others. Alcoholics. Winos. Drunks. It’s yet another label to put on people, to classify them away from yourself and away from the norm, as if there is such a thing. My ... Views: 1221
If you or a loved one have just come out of a stint in rehab, the main focus is to now stay and remain sober from drugs or alcohol. However, this is sometimes easier said than done.
There are so many misconceptions about relapse, that’s why in this article; we aim to set the record ... Views: 3375
If you are about to be admitted into alcohol addiction treatment, then it’s important to know how to get the most out of your stay in rehab.
This article will provide you with the best alcohol addiction treatment tips, which can help you make it a success.
Go Small, Not Big
Ever hear ... Views: 2295
Are you asking yourself ‘when is alcohol treatment needed?’ The fact that you are asking this question indicates that there could be a problem at hand.
In this article, we’ll tell you how you to determine when alcohol treatment is needed.
Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol ... Views: 1859
Did you grow up in a household where cocktail hour was a nightly affair? Do you cope with stress by having a glass of wine? Or two? Do your friends drink heavily?
The causes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are not precisely known, but they usually result from a combination of factors like ... Views: 949
Teenagers, nowadays, are a greater risk of getting trapped in the clutches of addiction than ever. The reasons being, easy availability of alcohol, the knack of being a part of a particular group, the willingness to develop tolerance for alcohol for being called “big-boys”, disturbed ... Views: 903
Why alcoholism is called a family disease? This is because, when you become an alcohol addict, you cut off from your family, neglect your spouse and children, forget important anniversary and birthday dates, stop enjoying family gatherings, disappoint people in your life, start lying to your ... Views: 927
Alcohol addiction treatment depends upon the stage of alcoholism that a person is going through. There is nothing one-size-that-fits-all. At each stage, risk factors differ as well as vulnerability to using alcohol or falling back to it also differs. The initial stages may include regular ... Views: 938
Addiction is never an individual problem; in fact, it is a family disease having severe impact on all family members regardless of their age, relationship and profession. Each one needs to make efforts to set things straight and win back a normal and healthy life.Even addiction treatment ... Views: 831
Having a family member in a treatment center? Are you concerned about their well being? Are you struggling with emotional problems, lots of questions and concerns or misconceptions on how they will be treating your family member?Relax; when you enroll your loved one in a family treatment center, ... Views: 929
Whether it’s a job interview, an examination or even sport, for most things in life, the key component to doing well is preparation and when it comes to alcohol treatment, it’s no different.
If you or a loved one is addicted to alcohol and have just decided that getting professional help is ... Views: 1578
When a loved one is addicted to alcohol, it puts massive strain on the people that love them the most.
Family members will often feel angry and resentful towards the individual for what they have done during the time they were addicted, which is understandable.
However, once their loved ... Views: 2376
Is someone in your family addicted to alcohol? If that’s the case, then it’s important to know the damage it can cause if no immediate action is taken.
Alcohol addiction is often called a ‘family disease’ as the harmful effects of it do not only affect the alcoholic, but also the people ... Views: 2123