It is never too early or too late to seek professional help. The
moment you start to question whether or not you need help may actually
be the best time to seek professional help. In the earliest stages of
sex addiction, you may not realize that you are becoming addicted.
However, you may recognize unhealthy behaviors beginning to manifest in
your daily life. Seeking out help in the early stages of sex addiction
may make recovery easier. It is important to remember that it is never
too late to get help. Sex addicts may feel overwhelmed, hopeless and
beyond help as their addiction progresses.
Don't despair. Trained professionals can help you recover from even the most severe addiction.
In order to know if you need help, it is essential to be aware of the symptoms of sexual addiction. The American Psychiatric Association has released preliminary criteria that may help identify symptoms of sex addiction. John M. Grogol, Psy.D., on Psych Central lists the criteria:
1. "Excessive time is consumed by sexual fantasies, urges, and by planning for and engaging in sexual behavior."
2. "Repetitively engaging in these sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to dysphoric mood states (e.g., anxiety, depression, boredom, irritability)."
3. "Repetitively engaging in sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to stressful life events."
4. "Repetitive but unsuccessful efforts to control or significantly reduce these sexual fantasies, urges and behavior."
5. "Repetitively engaging in sexual behavior while disregarding the risk for physical or emotional harm to self or others."
Grogol additionally states that "the person experiences clinically significant personal distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning associated with the frequency and intensity of these sexual fantasies, urges and behavior."
These symptoms are important to identifying if you think you are suffering from sex addiction. However, you may want to seek help even if you aren't demonstrating any of these symptoms but are concerned about your well being. Talk to trusted friends or loved ones about how you are feeling. Sharing your concerns with others will allow you to relieve some of the burden. Meeting with a counselor or therapist can be intimidating at first. Speaking with someone you know who has gone through the process can help relieve your apprehensions.
Above all, you need to remember that suffering is not the answer. Too many sex addicts suffer in silence and become increasingly isolated as their addiction spirals out of control. The first step in solving any problem is to tell someone about it. After you've taken that first step, you'll be more comfortable about the recovery process.
Recovery is an intimate process that can take many years. Therefore, it is important that you find the right people to help you throughout your recovery from sex addiction. The first person you meet with might not be the best choice for your personality or your specific recovery needs. Don't be afraid to shop around until you find the right person, group, team or program to help you. It can be easy to get discouraged if you are struggling to find the right options for recovery. Just remember, there is no set path to recovery that you must follow. The important thing is to get the help you need.
Don't despair. Trained professionals can help you recover from even the most severe addiction.
In order to know if you need help, it is essential to be aware of the symptoms of sexual addiction. The American Psychiatric Association has released preliminary criteria that may help identify symptoms of sex addiction. John M. Grogol, Psy.D., on Psych Central lists the criteria:
1. "Excessive time is consumed by sexual fantasies, urges, and by planning for and engaging in sexual behavior."
2. "Repetitively engaging in these sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to dysphoric mood states (e.g., anxiety, depression, boredom, irritability)."
3. "Repetitively engaging in sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to stressful life events."
4. "Repetitive but unsuccessful efforts to control or significantly reduce these sexual fantasies, urges and behavior."
5. "Repetitively engaging in sexual behavior while disregarding the risk for physical or emotional harm to self or others."
Grogol additionally states that "the person experiences clinically significant personal distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning associated with the frequency and intensity of these sexual fantasies, urges and behavior."
These symptoms are important to identifying if you think you are suffering from sex addiction. However, you may want to seek help even if you aren't demonstrating any of these symptoms but are concerned about your well being. Talk to trusted friends or loved ones about how you are feeling. Sharing your concerns with others will allow you to relieve some of the burden. Meeting with a counselor or therapist can be intimidating at first. Speaking with someone you know who has gone through the process can help relieve your apprehensions.
Above all, you need to remember that suffering is not the answer. Too many sex addicts suffer in silence and become increasingly isolated as their addiction spirals out of control. The first step in solving any problem is to tell someone about it. After you've taken that first step, you'll be more comfortable about the recovery process.
Recovery is an intimate process that can take many years. Therefore, it is important that you find the right people to help you throughout your recovery from sex addiction. The first person you meet with might not be the best choice for your personality or your specific recovery needs. Don't be afraid to shop around until you find the right person, group, team or program to help you. It can be easy to get discouraged if you are struggling to find the right options for recovery. Just remember, there is no set path to recovery that you must follow. The important thing is to get the help you need.
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