Sex and Pornography Addiction

A sign that you may have already crossed the line into addiction is if you are continuing with sexual behavior despite knowing that there will be negative consequences — or there would be if others learned of your secret behavior. Secret is a key word here. If you have secrets around your sexual behavior, secrets you would be ashamed of if they were discovered by your partner, family, boss, church, or friends, then the possibility of an addiction is worth exploring.

Signs of Sex Addiction

Do you lie to protect your secrets? Do you get a rush when getting ready to sexually act out, even though you may feel shame afterward? If important people in your life knew about your sexual behavior, would they think you are preoccupied? If they heard the excuses you tell yourself (it’s not hurting anyone, no one ever has to know, I deserve this, just one more time…), would they agree? Do you find yourself spending more and more time thinking about, engaging in, or recovering from your sexual behavior?

Bottom Line

If any of those questions make you uncomfortable, I would suggest you take time to learn more about pornography and sex addiction. The bottom line is that if you continue to engage in sexual behaviors that could result in negative relationship, legal, career, emotional, or physical consequences, then you have a problem.

Yes! Contact our team of Certified Sex Addiction therapists to ask about the Sexual Dependency Inventory. Our team of CSATs, psychologist, and Sexual Recovery Therapists can help you discern the recipe for your problematic sexual behaviors – and how to change it.

If you would like a thorough evaluation, contact us to schedule a Sexual Dependency Inventory assessment.

The good news is that we now know more about recovery from sex addiction than ever before. If you are willing to commit to making recovery a priority and are willing to work with a specialist specifically trained in addressing problematic pornography and sexual behaviors in order to come to grips with both the unhealthy behaviors and the deeper underlying issues, you can reclaim your life.

Individuals who complete a task-oriented therapeutic approach to pornography and sex addiction treatment combined with recovery group participation have a higher rate of recovery success.

Not only can a woman be a sex addict, but it is also much more common than most people realize. Studies suggest that females make up approximately 40% of those struggling with online sexually compulsive behaviors.

If we include other forms of sexual compulsion and women who might more accurately be considered love addicts - who may be willing to exchange sex for the illusion of love and romance — those numbers would be significantly higher.

If you would like a more thorough evaluation, contact us to schedule a Sexual Dependency Inventory assessment.

Women are less likely to engage in solitary sexual behaviors and much more likely to engage in behaviors that are relationship driven, even if that ‘relationship’ is just a fantasy. Chat rooms are the preferred mode. And women are more likely to progress from online to real-life sexual encounters than male addicts.

Additional Issues

Struggles with binge eating, compulsive overeating, and body image issues are more common for women. The risk for sexually transmitted infections also differs for women. Since STIs can be asymptomatic in women, they may go undetected for longer periods.

Barriers to Getting Help

Females face more obstacles to treatment than their male counterparts. The myth that only men are sex addicts adds an additional layer of shame that women must overcome to seek treatment.

My personal belief is that professionals are also affected by this myth and often miss the signs of sex addiction in their female clients. Furthermore, most faith-based and Twelve-Step groups for pornography and sex addiction are predominantly male, and some are closed to women.

If you would like a thorough evaluation, contact us to schedule a Sexual Dependency Inventory assessment.

The task approach is a form of sex addiction therapy that was developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes, the foremost authority on the identification and treatment of sex addiction. It involves completing a set of tasks across 30 different recovery domains. The tasks build on each other and are designed to first help you change your behavior and then change your life.

Yes! Our team leaders are CSAT therapists and Pastoral Sex Addiction Professionals trained by Dr. Carnes.

In addition, we have team members who are certified by the American Association of Sex Addition Therapy, as well as integrating the partner-sensitive model of the Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists in our work.

You can contact us discreetly to learn more about our methods for treating sex addiction and pornography addiction.