Addiction is a relationship, a pathological relationship in which … obsession replaces people. – Patrick Carnes
SEX
ADDICTION
Sex addiction is real. Despite the ongoing controversy in the mental health community about sex addiction being a real addiction, a compulsion or an excuse for inappropriate behavior, I have seen and experienced how devastating this addiction can be. You may call it what you want, but the fact remains that this is a cunning, baffling and powerful force in our lives.
I believe that sex addiction, as addictions in general, is not the cause of one’s life problems, but a symptom of underlying problems that we haven’t been able to cope with in effective ways. Oftentimes trauma and shame are the driving forces of this addiction, and if not addressed they continue to mess with our lives and often create a wake of destruction in their path.
In therapy, together we approach these underlying forces with curiosity and empathy so we can find ways to meet these challenges, recover from this powerful addiction and lead an integrated and happy life.