In the case of love addicts, often their own growth and development were thwarted earlier in life. Similarly, many sex addicts report some form of abuse or neglect as children and frequently see themselves as diminished or damaged in the process. Their parents are often sex addicts themselves.
Stress also plays a part in fueling compulsive sexual behavior by feeding the addict's need for withdrawal and fantasy.
Levels of phenylethylamine (PEA)—a chemical in the brain involved in the euphoria that comes with falling in love—rise with feelings of infatuation, boosting euphoria and excitement.
Love and sex addicts, may simply be dependent upon the physical and psychological arousal triggered by PEA and stress-related neurotransmitters.
TreatmentOvercoming sexual compulsivity and addiction starts with recognizing that you are out of control sexually. Getting to that point requires taking a hard look at yourself and the problems—emotional, physical, or financial—caused by your sexual behavior.
Treatment should probably involve at least some of the following:
- A commitment to abstinence
- Rebuilding relationships
- Managing stress
- Self-help
Some treatment for sex addicts follows the format employed by alcoholics. This model views addicts as individuals chronically addicted to a behavior in spite of their attempts to change. They are in a vicious cycle of use, self-judgment, and avoidance that is repeated time and again. The model focuses on three elements of the cycle:
- Use of sex
- Self-judgment
- Avoidance behaviors
The approach to counseling is strongly based on 12-step models.
The three elements of the addictive cycle are impacted by a process created by using:
- A therapeutic environment
- A thorough assessment
- A group process
- Education
- Self/peer assessment
All five items are incorporated into a therapeutic process, which begins with the first contact.
The creation of an environment that supports the therapeutic process is essential to this approach. Clients must be provided with an opportunity to explore their self-judgments without fear of the judgment of others. They must feel they are listened to with empathy and respect. In earlier models of this approach, the counselor was the only one who possessed so-called counselor characteristics. Although this element is still critical, it now applies to the whole multidisciplinary team, a staff of professionals who are naturally therapeutic.
The counselor conducts an initial assessment, identifies the presenting problem, and, if indicated, schedules the client for treatment.
A thorough psychosocial assessment is conducted, and identified blocks to treatment or problems are noted. The counselor begins the bonding with the client during the assessment process. All counseling skills come into play. The counselor then prepares a therapeutic or treatment plan ( i.e., the change model) to help the client deal with those identified problems or blocks that will prevent response to the treatment process.
