3 Myths about Sex Addiction Treatment

Alexandra Katehakis, Senior Fellow at The Meadows, is one of the lead authors of an article titled, “Sex Addiction is NOT a ‘MYTH’ when Neuroscience Keeps the Score” featured in the January/February 2017 issue of The Therapist. The article is endorsed by several experts in the fields of trauma, addiction, and mental health including Dr. Claudia Black and Dr. Stefanie Carnes, both Senior Fellows at The Meadows; Dr. Jon Caldwell, Medical Director at The Meadows; and Dr. Monica Meyer, Clinical Director at Gentle Path at The Meadows.

In the article, Katehakis and her co-authors set out a convincing case for treating sex addiction as a chronic brain disease, much like other dependencies and process addictions. They also lay to rest many of the prevailing myths about the sex addiction model for treating compulsive sexual behaviors, pointing to evidence that the sex addiction theory offers neurologically-informed, sex-positive, and relationally-based therapeutic protocols.

Myth #1: Sex addiction treatment is a really just “reparative therapy.”
Reparative therapy (also known as conversion therapy) is a type of counseling that claims to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. It has been widely discredited by mental health professionals and is illegal in several states.

Unfortunately, some therapists and counselors have misleadingly used the term “sex addiction” to lure clients into reparative therapy. Some also shame people who engage in what they see as non-conforming sexual behaviors. These practices are not considered ethical or appropriate within the sex addiction model of treatment. Expert, credentialed, Certified Sex Addiction Therapists (CSATs) do not use, support, condone, or respect the destructive practice of reparative therapy; and, their aim is to help clients move beyond shame, not to intensify the shame they are often already feeling.

Individuals should not be classified as sex addicts based on their sexual orientation. Individuals of any sexual orientation may display symptoms of sexual addiction and be diagnosed based on self-reporting and a comprehensive assessment process conducted by a trained and knowledgeable sex addiction professional.

Myth #2: Sex addiction treatment shames people for enjoying nonconforming sexual behaviors.

Certified sex addiction professionals do not shame or scold individuals who struggle with sexual preoccupation and/or compulsivity or on the basis of their sexual preferences. The goal of sex addiction treatment is to guide clients toward a sexuality that feels right for them—a sexuality that is pleasurable, creative, and relational. Sexual compulsivity and/or preoccupation is marked by moderate to severe dissociation that is often accompanied by impulses that are destructive to the client’s sense of self and lead to feelings of dysphoria and isolation. According to the authors:

“CSATs are educated about alternative sexual lifestyles which include ‘nonconforming’ behaviors such as kink/fetishes, BDSM, or other practices. Only if a client presents with sexual behavior—alternative or ordinary—that troubles him or her are practices explored and assessed. More importantly, this investigation aims to measure the problematic nature, not of the sexual acts themselves, but of their compulsive use. Recovery from sex addiction never means ‘repairing’ erotic minorities from their sexual preferences.”

Sex addicts expend most of their energy replaying past traumatic sexual experiences and/or repetitively fantasizing about future ones. These preoccupations and impulses are often overwhelming and severely disrupt their professional and personal lives. The disorder has no resemblance to even the most robust, healthy sexual interest and behavior.

Myth #3: Sex addiction treatment is just another 12-step program.
Sex addiction therapists do not see the 12-step program as the be-all and end-all of treatment. 12-step programs are valuable in that they can help participants increase their relational skills and ability to connect with others through regular interaction with a caring group. But sex addiction therapy does not end with 12-step work.

The most effective treatment for sex addiction is based on a well-designed, multi-faceted, comprehensive plan that is tailored to the client’s goals. The treatment provider also must help the client to develop support structures—like a 12-step program—that facilitate long-term and meaningful recovery.

For example, at Gentle Path at The Meadows and Willow House at The Meadows, treatment plans focus on trauma resolution and include neurofeedback and neuriobiofeedback techniques, EMDR, experiential therapies, individual counseling, mindfulness practices, yoga, acupuncture and more, in addition to 12-step work.

It’s a holistic approach that treats the whole person, focusing on the mind, body, and emotions of the client. Its goal is to help clients resolve past trauma and discover—sometimes for the first time—pleasurable, self-nurturing, and relational sexuality.

What is Sex Addiction Treatment Really About?

The sex addiction model of treatment is not sex-negative, puritanical, or anti-pleasure. It also does not disapprove of or try to discourage sexual expression outside of narrowly-defined, normative, heterosexual sex. Sex addiction treatment, when conducted by well-trained, caring professionals, is sex-positive. Its goal is to help each person discover, delight in, and fully express his or her preferred sex life.

For more information on sex addiction treatment for yourself or your partner or spouse, please give us all call at 800-244-4949. Our Intake Specialists are happy to talk to you about whether one of our 5-day workshops, inpatient sex addiction treatment, or outpatient sex addiction treatment may be right for you.

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7 Things Everyone Hates About Sex Addiction

Sex is a part of daily routine and if it is done in a limit, it could bring partners closer physically, mentally and make them more compatible. But if it is demanded in excess amount it is called addiction and addiction leads to path of deterioration.

Here are 10 things that everybody hates about a sex addict:

1. Continuous masturbating: When a sexual requirement remains unfulfilled, it leads to masturbation. This could also happen in long-distance relationships. Practicing too much masturbation leads to distraction in day to day activities which leads to cheating and prostitution.

2. Seriousness lost: When a person is talking normally, you tend to think it as double meaning and he thinks you are not serious about anything. Thus, you lose their attention and downfall of life begins.
3. Dependence on Pornography: A person could get addicted to porn very easily. It could be easily downloaded via internet. Dependence on pornography increases once a person starts living in fantasy world.
4. Not focusing on other daily routine stuff: Pornography addiction leads to sex addiction which leads to dependency forgetting daily routine tasks. A person forgets to eat, sleep, and work because of the sex addiction. He would often miss out on important meeting and social functions.
5. Leads to other addictions: It is very truly said that one addiction leads to another. Sex addiction leads to alcohol or drug addiction. This could damage his life perfect life permanently.
6. Affecting Relationships: A person becomes demanding from his partner. He wants sex all the time as it has taken a toll over his life which makes his partner leave him.
7. Vulgarity: Once a person gets addicted to sex, he tries sexual molestation knowingly or unknowingly. This could make people avoid you. He could feel disgusted by his own self and he would lose his self-confidence in the public.

If one does not seek right sex addiction treatment then it could destroy him physically, mentally as well as socially. The Gentle path at the Meadows is Sex addiction therapy center that will provide you with all kinds of sex addiction help.

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Finding The Holiday Spirit in Addiction Treatment

By Sheila Wells, Behavioral Health Technician, Gentle Path at The Meadows

The most important part of the holiday season is family. That’s what sometimes makes it particularly difficult for our clients to be in treatment this time of year.

Many of our patients are depressed any time of the year they come in for treatment, but around the holidays it especially takes a toll on their minds. Their loved ones are at home and they are in treatment trying to get their lives back on track.Here at Gentle Path, we have a Christmas party, so that they can enjoy the holiday even if they are away from their families and friends. The guys decorate inside with lights and they put up a tree. We play Christmas music and we have games and activities. On Christmas Day, they get to call the people they love and tell them just how much they are missed.

Though most of our clients feel stressed around the holidays, we make it through and end up having a great time. We show each other support, like family. That is why I love my job so much.

I know it’s hard to be in treatment during the holidays, but you can celebrate anytime with your loved ones when you are healthy and can be the parent, the spouse, partner, brother, and friend that you want to be and need to be.

Our patients often have many regrets about the pain their addiction has caused others, but I see many miracles here. Many of our clients have spouses and partners that love them very much and are willing to work things through and support them through this tough time in their lives. That is what family does. All relationships have their ups and downs, but that is part of growing together.

When you finally get to go home and be with your family, it is just that much more special, because you will feel more like your true self and be able to appreciate each precious moment.

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What is sex addiction? How will this affect me? What is the cure?

Sex is a three lettered word that everyone thinks is cool. But if it is followed by a nine lettered word Addiction, then it could be harmful to your mental as well as physical health. There are three questions that people want to ask but cannot because they are embarrassed. They are as follows:

 1. What is sex addiction?

Sex addiction is a state of mind where a person constantly thinks about sex and it reflects in his actions. When a person starts enjoying sex more than he should, it is called addiction. Following are the sex addiction indicators:

• Loss of control of behaviors
• Preoccupation with sexual acting out behaviors
• Significant adverse consequences
• Continuation despite consequences

At Gentle Path, we give men counseling about sex addiction help before admission and then provide them treatment for sex addiction  

2. How will this affect me?

 For young men, it is necessary to explore themselves as who they are and how good they are in bed but for some it affects adversely. If you find yourself being out of control due to sex, then sex addiction is taking a toll on you. This could affect your economic and social well-being. At Gentle Path, at The Meadows, we work with our young adult patients to identify which of their behaviors are problematic for them and which are parts of normal development.

 3. What is the cure?

 When an in individual finds out what is the problem, he starts working towards its cure. Similarly, the Gentle Path is a sex addiction treatment center that provides sex addiction therapy to all those individuals whose goal is to gain the courage to face difficult issues, including grief and loss; heal from emotional trauma; and become accountable for their own feelings, behaviors, and recovery. The Gentle path provides cure to sex addiction that lasts lifelong.

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Facts about Sex Addiction You Never Knew About

What thing comes to your mind when you hear about the term Sex Addiction? According to you what is Sex Addiction? You must be thinking what a filthy or pervert term. No, it is not something filthy or pervert, it is an addiction that could happen to anyone, which can be easily cured. Sex Addiction is a continuous requirement of sex, be it from others or self – giving pleasure. A Sex Addict has an obsession for following Compulsive masturbation, indulging in pornography, having chronic affairs, Dangerous sexual practices and sometimes Prostitution.

Any kind of addiction that takes a toll over your daily routine and makes you vulnerable and helpless can destroy you mentally, physically, financially and socially as well. Sexual addiction has destroyed many families that we can think of. Like drugs and alcohol, it is habit forming makes a victim self – hating. The issues related to sexual addiction includes:

• Sexual compulsion: Sexual indulgence becomes necessary for men such that they require it like food.
• Pornography addiction: The cycle from watching porn occasionally to regularly and forgetting daily routine.
• Relationship addiction : Where you constantly feel need to be in relationship with one or the other person and cannot survive in its absence
• Sex addiction in young adults: Some men do self-exploration to know how good they are for their partners but excessiveness of that becomes addiction resulting badly.

Thus, The Gentle path at The Meadows is Sex addiction treatment center that provides Counseling for sex addiction. We focus on individual solely and prepare the schedule for each one differently. We keep it confidential and provide treatment for life. You need not require any Sex addiction help once you leave our premises. Come to The Gentle path and get a lifelong return for your one-time investment. 

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