You’re not doomed – There are several treatments that are effective in treating sexual addiction. You can control and overcome your compulsion and resume a normal sex life.
This is not a problem that will go away on its own. It’s important that you take action right away to avoid the many negative results of hypersexuality:
- Shame. Feeling out of control is embarrassing and hypersexuality is particularly sensitive.
- Social consequences. Your behavior can put your important relationships at risk – divorce, job loss, or isolation from friends and family are all possible results.
- Financial loss. Sexual addiction can be costly – the price of pornography or sex chat lines, payment for prostitutes.
- Legal problems. Your addiction can lead to illegal behaviors like prostitution, rape, and pedophilia. The consequences of being caught can be catastrophic.
- Depression. If your sexual addiction isn’t caused by depression, the opposite can become true — your sexual addiction can cause depression. You’ve got enough to deal with; you don’t need another disorder resulting from your problems.
There’s no one step to deal with your sexual addiction, but there are several things you can do to start your recovery:
First, don’t deny it. No one welcomes a self-diagnosis of hypersexuality, but you know if your behavior and your feelings are beyond normal. If you try to hide your sexual activities and feel shame about what you’ve done, if you coerce or force a sexual partner, if you cheat repeatedly, if sexual fantasies distract you from your daily life, you have a sexual addiction. Pretending differently won’t change anything.
Learn all you can about your addiction. It’s probably not a welcome topic of study, but you need to understand what may be causing your behavior and what you can hope for.
A team of specialists – physician, social worker, psychiatrist, therapist – can diagnose any contributing problems and recommend treatment so you can concentrate on overcoming your sexual addiction.
One of the most effective ways to address sexual addiction is by joining a support group. Simply admitting your feelings to a group where you will not be judged can be remarkably freeing. Sharing the struggle with others can make it possible to change your behavior. There are also 12-step groups to support sexual addicts.
An experienced therapist can be a valuable guide in your journey of discovery. Cognitive behavioral therapy is frequently used in treating sexual addiction. CBT is generally short term and goal oriented. You and your therapist will outline the thoughts and behaviors you want to change and create a plan for substituting healthier thoughts and behaviors whenever you feel yourself slipping into hypersexuality. Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses instead on unearthing the reasons for your sexual addiction and resolving issues from your past.
If you are in a relationship, couples therapy can help you and your partner develop an understanding of how you relate to one another and how your relationship can be improved.
Medication can be helpful in controlling your compulsions while you are working on long-term solutions. Antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft, medications used to reduce the pleasure of addictive behaviors like alcoholism, those that reduce sexual urges in men and mood stabilizers like lithium all may be effective.
If your addiction feels out of control and defies treatment, intense residential treatment may be your best option, laying the foundation that will support your recovery when you return to your normal life.
