Your wedding vows never mentioned anything about sex and the Internet. You never imagined that the “for worse” you promised to love you partner through would involve porn, infidelity, and layer upon layer of betrayal. You’re married to someone you don’t recognize. You’re living with the reality of sex addiction. You need help. Why therapy? Because you need to know you’re not alone. The pain of your situation may have left you feeling abandoned...
Sex Addiction: Should There Be a Temporary Separation After Disclosure?
Disclosure. The dictionary defines it as the “making of secret information public.” It’s a noun, a thing, a process. But when the “secret” is sex addiction, the process of disclosure–whether leaked, discovered, or confessed–feels like a verb, a painful action taken upon you by someone you loved and trusted. You may wonder whether you can stay. You may wonder whether you should stay. What to Do? With everything on the table, you can see things...
Co-Occurring Disorders: When Depression & Addiction Attack Together
Depression is more than down days or emotional lows. It is debilitating and unrelenting. It wreaks havoc on a person’s mind and body. It weighs heavily on self-esteem and relationships. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 percent of Americans are believed to suffer from and manage depression. For millions of people, the struggle with depression and its fallout is real and exhausting. Coping with the sadness...
Your Partner’s Sex Addiction is NOT Your Fault!
The shame of it is confusing. It feels like this is your fault. It seems like somehow you could have prevented this. Or stopped the whole mess earlier. The pain of it is heartbreaking. It feels like you should be able to help your partner. Change your partner. It seems like you must have some part in this. Because if you don’t, aren’t you just helpless? Helpless to watch your relationship suffer? Your life suffer? Aren’t you just at the mercy...
Adults & Internet Addiction: It’s Not Just a “Teen” Thing
Our initial image of an Internet addict is a teen lost in one screen or another, gaming or emailing friends or watching the latest hot movie. But these are also addicts: that graying head bent over an iPad propped on the steering wheel while stopped at a traffic light, the desk jockey whose work screen is focused on a porn website, the middle-aged middle used to shield a smart phone during a family dinner. The seduction of the Internet may have...