What is a Sex and Love Addiction?
Both sex addiction and love addiction are mental disorders characterized by an impaired ability to engage in healthy emotional intimacy. Men or women suffering from either disorder typically have obsessive thoughts and compulsions leading to unhealthy behaviours.
A sex or love addiction may negatively impact a person’s health, personal relationships, job, and ability to function responsibly in their life.
Sex addiction, called hypersexual disorder by some experts, is the compulsive need to engage in sexual acts to achieve a sense of euphoria, like that produced by mind-altering substances.
Sexual acts may include obsessively looking at pornography, compulsive masturbation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, paying for sex, and having multiple, often anonymous, sex partners.
Because sex addiction often worsens over time, it is important to seek professional treatment.
Some of the signs of compulsive sexual behaviour include:
Intense sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviours that feel as if they are beyond your control.
A drive for certain sexual behaviours, a release of tension afterward but also guilt or remorse.
Unsuccessfully attempts to reduce or control your sexual urges or behaviour
Use of sexual behaviour to escape from other problems, such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, or stress
Sexual behaviours that may result in giving or contracting a sexually transmitted infection, damage relationships, or cause work, financial or legal problems.
Trouble establishing and maintaining healthy and stable relationships
Love Addiction
Love addiction is often a pattern of intense infatuations and obsessive relationships, as well as a tendency to be desperate and insecure in relationships. A person suffering from a love addiction often seeks the excitement and sexual “rush” of a new relationship but cannot maintain a lasting feeling of attachment.
Signs of love addiction may include achieving a sense of euphoria from the fantasized relationship, feeling desperate or uneasy when separated from the partner, excessive interest in the new relationship to the exclusion of other interests, or using the relationship to hide from negative feelings or situations.
Relationship counselling
(also known as ‘couples counselling’ or ‘marriage counselling’) is an effective form of talking therapy designed to resolve issues within an intimate relationship. Very few relationships exist conflict-free – whether it’s the odd disagreement, repeatedly arguing or you’ve lost the fun element in your relationship – it’s natural to start to question its longevity. When this begins to falter, our health and happiness can also suffer.
For many of us, our first instinct is to try and work through the problems alone, but it can be incredibly helpful to seek outside support, whether that be through friends and family or even a professional. In contrast to counselling for relationship problems, which can be undertaken solely through individual sessions, couples counselling is a term applied to talking therapy for two people within a relationship.
While most of the work you do will take place within the counselling room itself, it’s common that the counsellor will ask you to complete ‘homework’ in between sessions. This may be in the form of specific tasks or to discuss a topic together at home.
While relationship therapy is ideally suited to couples attending the sessions together. As Satori we have a strategy to begin with that enables us to speak to each of you on your own. You might find your partner wants to join you after you’ve had some initial sessions alone and it can be helpful to intersperse couple sessions with individual sessions. (Normally in your last residential week)
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Addiction is a battle that no one should face alone. Satori Recovery is dedicated to providing you with the tools, resources, and support you need to overcome addiction and create a fulfilling life of sobriety
With our comprehensive treatment program, you can experience freedom from addiction and reclaim control of your life. Don’t wait a moment longer – take the first step towards a brighter future by contacting Satori Recovery today. Your journey to lasting recovery begins here.
