Sex Addiction Therapy Program

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to individuals who have an issue of sex addiction. Although at first glance, this diagnosis was extremely controversial, the repercussions of this are often no laughing matter. Sexual addiction is the term used to describe a person who has an unusually high sex drive or perhaps even an obsession with sex. A person who is considered to be a sex addict often find themselves thinking of nothing else other than sex related thoughts; this makes it extremely difficult for that individual to have a fulfilling professional career or to have healthy personal relationships.

A sex addict’s way of thinking and processing information is not like that of a normal individual; in fact, excuses tend to become a way of life for individuals who are dealing with this type of issue. For some individuals, their addiction to sex may even drive them to commit acts that are illegal and can cause even further difficulties in their already complex lifestyle. Keep in mind, individuals who are dealing with a sex addiction often do not think rationally enough to consider the consequences that their actions will have on their life and the people in it.

It is common for sex addiction therapists to use a psychotherapy model to treat their patients. This model will allow the therapist to explore and examine the patterns and rituals of the addict, as well as his or her sexual history. In addition, if the addict has had any previous history of sexual abuse, this model will also help to treat this abuse as well as the connection it may have to the current sex addiction behaviors. As a therapist, you will work to help your patients identify specific triggers or zones of danger that may be contributing to their tendency to exhibit an unwanted or undesirable behavior.

The psychotherapy model will also be useful in identifying a person’s negative thoughts, which may be contributing to the exhibited behavior. As you work with your sexually addicted patients you may find it helpful that they also attend a weekly support group, which will help them establish some accountability in their recovery process. It may also be helpful for your patients to find a mentor who has dealt with a similar situation so that they can help them through particularly difficult times; informative books may also prove to be beneficial to individuals who are ready to change their behavior and patterns.

In your capacity as a sex addiction therapist you will also have the option of applying the medical model in order to help your patients. This model examines the underlying cause of sex addiction through a means of physiological aspects. Keep in mind, no matter which therapeutic model you decide to employ in order to help your patients, there are no psychiatric drugs that have been identified to help treat sex addiction. Rather, antidepressants are typically used to help curb their feelings.

It is also important to understand that it is common for individuals who are battling a sex addiction to also be experiencing some sort of depression. For instance, some people who have been diagnosed with a sex addiction have also been diagnosed as having an obsessive-compulsive disorder. As a sex addiction therapist it will be likely that you function under the thought that a person who has a sex addiction gets their “high” from performing or interacting in a sexual act. It is believed that the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin is partially responsible for a sexually addicted individual’s continued addiction.