Sex Addiction IS a disease!
Sex addiction is a disease and it is crucial to understand it as such. Sex addicts struggle just as much as alcoholics and drug addicts do; their addiction is just different. Once you understand this addiction in terms of being a disease, it becomes easier to learn about it effectively.
We highly recommend you do some extensive reading. It will help you to better understand the disease of sex addiction from an outside perspective. There are many helpful articles, videos and webinars online, as well as published books, reports and pamphlets.
There are some books that you should read in order to reach a better understanding of the problem. Patrick Carnes' Don't Call It Love: Recovery from Sexual Addiction is universally acclaimed and praised for being the capstone of all books on sex addiction. In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior by Patrick Carnes, David Delmonico, Elizabeth Griffin, and Joseph Moriarty is an especially great pick if the addict in your life indulges in online behaviors, ranging from porn to sex chat rooms and anything in between. Jennifer Schneider and Robert Weiss' Cybersex Exposed: Simple Fantasy or Obsession is another good choice if your partner indulges in sexually compulsive behaviors online.
Your first instinct may be to confront your partner, whether angrily or kindly. Step back for a moment and realize your attempts to talk right now, however good your intentions may be, might be interpreted as an attack. Your partner may not even realize their addiction yet, and your confrontation may be confusing and difficult to respond to. You will have time to talk later, but right now it is best to concentrate on understanding where you should go from here.
You may want to start gathering resources for when you decide to talk to your partner or when he or she realizes there is a real problem. Start by going to your county's mental health agency and finding out their resources for sex addicts. Find Twelve-Step programs and support groups in the area as well as search for online meetings, phone meetings and other resources. Keep this information, as you may need it later when your partner decides to get help. Don't push it on him or her, but offer it up if the search for help looks confusing and overwhelming.
If you feel that you need it, it may be a good idea to seek help for yourself in the form of a therapist or a support group. You don't have to do this alone. And you do not have to wait for your partner to get help before seeking therapy or treatment for yourself to deal with your own feelings.
Sex addiction is a disease and it is crucial to understand it as such. Sex addicts struggle just as much as alcoholics and drug addicts do; their addiction is just different. Once you understand this addiction in terms of being a disease, it becomes easier to learn about it effectively.
We highly recommend you do some extensive reading. It will help you to better understand the disease of sex addiction from an outside perspective. There are many helpful articles, videos and webinars online, as well as published books, reports and pamphlets.
There are some books that you should read in order to reach a better understanding of the problem. Patrick Carnes' Don't Call It Love: Recovery from Sexual Addiction is universally acclaimed and praised for being the capstone of all books on sex addiction. In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior by Patrick Carnes, David Delmonico, Elizabeth Griffin, and Joseph Moriarty is an especially great pick if the addict in your life indulges in online behaviors, ranging from porn to sex chat rooms and anything in between. Jennifer Schneider and Robert Weiss' Cybersex Exposed: Simple Fantasy or Obsession is another good choice if your partner indulges in sexually compulsive behaviors online.
Your first instinct may be to confront your partner, whether angrily or kindly. Step back for a moment and realize your attempts to talk right now, however good your intentions may be, might be interpreted as an attack. Your partner may not even realize their addiction yet, and your confrontation may be confusing and difficult to respond to. You will have time to talk later, but right now it is best to concentrate on understanding where you should go from here.
You may want to start gathering resources for when you decide to talk to your partner or when he or she realizes there is a real problem. Start by going to your county's mental health agency and finding out their resources for sex addicts. Find Twelve-Step programs and support groups in the area as well as search for online meetings, phone meetings and other resources. Keep this information, as you may need it later when your partner decides to get help. Don't push it on him or her, but offer it up if the search for help looks confusing and overwhelming.
If you feel that you need it, it may be a good idea to seek help for yourself in the form of a therapist or a support group. You don't have to do this alone. And you do not have to wait for your partner to get help before seeking therapy or treatment for yourself to deal with your own feelings.
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