Whether you’re addicted to masturbation, compulsive sex, gambling or spending, it’s important to seek help when needed. The earlier sex addiction is diagnosed and treated, the less likely it is to damage your marriage, family, finances and health.
Unlike most other addictions, where abstinence is the desired outcome, sexual addiction treatment often includes building new, healthy coping mechanisms and relationships. This is especially important for people with sex addictions who have suffered from childhood trauma, including physical, emotional or sexual abuse as well as parental enmeshment and neglect.
Sex addiction looks different for everyone. For some it’s an uncontrollable urge to masturbate; for others it’s the need to sleep with multiple partners or to buy pornography. Whatever it is, sexual addiction can wreak havoc on your life and destroy your self-esteem.
Like all addictive behaviors, sex addiction can be treated by finding a professional therapist who has experience with these types of issues. A therapist will take the time to get to know you and your unique needs. This will help them find the best solution to help you stop your sex addiction and live a happy, fulfilling life. In addition, many therapists specialize in working with couples, helping their clients to rebuild their relationships and overcome sexual addiction. There are also support groups available, such as S-Anon, which is a fellowship for those affected by someone else’s sex addiction; and S-Ateen, a meeting for teenagers who have been affected by their parents’ sex addiction. sex addiction san diego