Compulsive Sexual Behaviors An Understanding and Treatment Guide

1. Compulsive Sexual Behavior: An Understanding and TreatmentGuide • If you think about sex seeminglynonstop and feel like youcan’t control your sexual impulses, you may be experiencingcompulsive sexual behavior.Compulsive sexual behavior,also known as hypersexuality, results in an inability to manage risks or control impulses. It can damage your physical and mental health while damaging relationships and causing financial or even legal concerns. • WhatisCompulsiveSexualBehavior? • When your sexual cravings, behaviors, ideas, and fantasies are impossible to control, you may have compulsive sexual behavior, also known as “hypersexuality disorder” or “sex addiction.” Sex addiction causes distress and negatively affects your relationships, work, and health. But despitethe negative consequences, you can’t quit. • SignsofCompulsiveSexualBehaviorinclude: • Inability to Control or Stop Compulsions. If you find yourself unable to stop thinking about sex and engaging in sexual activity even when it's against your better judgment, youmay have a problem. • Emotional Distress. Sex addiction is associated with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Engaging in these behaviors may cause feelings of isolation andloneliness which can also resultin depression or anxiety.

2. Physical Ailments. Difficulty experiencing arousal or maintaining an aroused state can occurwhen sex addiction forcesthe need for heightenedstimulus. • Relationship Issues. Social and romantic relationships suffer when you isolate, express ongoingemotional distress, lie, and avoid intercoursewith your partner. • Poor Work Performance. The inability to control sexual compulsions and a need for heightened stimulus encourage risky behaviors, such as viewing pornography in the workplace. And sex addiction results in you thinking about or planning for sex seemingly nonstop. • Financial Issues. Paying for risky sexual encounters or subscribing to sexual content whenunable to stopsexual urges may leadto significant financial distress. • Feeling Disconnected From Your Faith. Distance from your religious community and spiritual support may indicate an underlying issue with compulsive behavior.Also, feelingsof being unworthyof God’s love arecommon among those withsex addiction. • WhyDoPeopleDevelopCompulsiveSexualBehaviors? • Understanding compulsive sexual behavior requires more than recognizing its signs. It also requires understanding underlying issues, such as unresolved trauma, which is the most commoncause of addiction. • Trauma can affect your brain’sability to function asbefore the traumatic event. Whenyou experience trauma, you can deal with negative emotions by finding a source of dopamine, the pleasurechemical your brain releases. Sexual encounters — sex, pornography, or masturbation,for example — release dopamine, which makes you feel better temporarily. • Your brain makes the connection between sexual behavior and a dopamine release or feeling better temporarily, so youbegin doing itmore. Before yourecognize what’s happening, a neural pathwayforms between stress, trauma,and sex. Sexual releasebecomes a way to • self-medicate. • You try to stopthe behavior, but youcan’t.And becauseyour brain adjusts tothe dopamine hit, you become less fulfilled with each experience, which means you have to seek more intense andfrequent sexual experiences to get thesame feelings. • EffectsofUncontrollableCompulsions • The effects of compulsive sexual behavior vary from person to person, yet there are generalities thatindividuals may share. • Outcomesofsexaddictioninclude: • Physical. Increasing difficulty in sexual arousal is common with excessive sexual behavior.

3. Mental.Ongoingstress,anxiety,andotheradverseemotionsoftenemerge.Mental.Ongoingstress,anxiety,andotheradverseemotionsoftenemerge. • Spiritual. Distance from faith communities and resentment of faith's expectations may develop. • Social.Isolationfromromantic,familial,andsocialrelationshipsoccurs. • Behavioral.Erratic,dishonest,andirritablemoods whendeprivedofsexualrelease. • Financial. Indulging in risky sexual behaviors can be costly with online subscriptions and solicitingsex workers. • WhenShouldPeopleSeekTreatment? • If you're experiencing an overwhelming urge to engage in sexual activity and you can’t stop, you maywant to consider treatment options. • If you can't control your sexual urges or desires, you may feel like they’re taking over your entire life.You may experience effects from your behaviorthat cause problems with your relationships with others — especially family members and romantic partners — or damage your reputation. Allof these are signs that you may need help. • If you aren't experiencing any of the above symptoms but are concerned about your sexual behavior, it still may be a good idea to talk to a mental health professional about your symptoms. • TypesofTreatment • Varioustreatments or combinations oftreatments are available forpeople with compulsive sexualbehaviors.The treatmentsused depend onthe individual and theirneeds. • Commontreatmentsinclude: • Psychotherapy.Individual counseling helps unpack unresolvedtrauma and begin the goal-settingand habit-building necessary forrecovery. • Support Groups. Community is essential to healing addiction, so group meetings with otherswith the same types of issuesare helpful. • Intensives. Intensives help you jump-start recovery in a limited time by focusing only on treatmentduring a short residential stay. • FamilyTherapy.Vital torepairingromanticrelationshipsandfamilialbondswhen betrayaltraumaand trust issues develop. • ResidentialTreatment.For those who need more long-term recovery help, residential treatmentcenters areavailable tosteep you intreatment fora moreextended period. • These treatment modalities are most effective when people actively develop healthy coping mechanisms.

4. Effective Ways to CopeDuringTreatment Sex addiction is an impulse control disorder and a behavioral addiction that can affect anyone, regardlessof age, gender,ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Sex addiction isn’t really about sex. It’s about the underlying issues and triggers that lead to these behaviors. So when you’re in treatment, it’s important to understand these triggers to avoidthem in the future. Youshouldbeabletorelyonyoursupportsystemduringthistime:friends,familymembers, andmembersofyourreligiouscommunitywhoknowwhatyou'regoingthroughandcanhelp youstay on track with your treatment plan.You should also be able to stick to healthy routines that keep you busy and distracted from your cravings. Avoiding risky situations like bars or clubs whereyou might feel tempted toengage in addiction behaviors alsois important. Keepinga journal ofyour progress duringtreatment can helpyou be accountable forevery step. RecoveringFromandLivingWithCompulsiveSexualBehavior Matt Wenger, Clinical Director at Boulder Recovery, said, "It's important to remember that recoveryis a lifetimeprocess because youcan never fullyrecover from addiction. "Itmust be attended toin some form forthe rest of yourlife," Matt said. That means, even after you complete treatment, you should maintain a recovery program consistingof therapy, meetings,and perhaps evena sponsor soyou don't relapse. "Cravings and relapse changes can go down significantly, but upkeep is recommended if not required,"he said. HelpfromBoulderRecovery In the end, compulsive sexual behaviors can cause serious harm to your relationships and your life. And in the worst-case scenario, they can develop into something more severe — like an addictionto sex. If you suspect that youhave a sexual addiction, don't be afraidto seek help. Seekingtreatment begins yourjourney to healingand recovery. BoulderRecovery offersa 14-Day Christian Men’s Intensiveto help jump-start your recovery and renew your faith.Contact usfor more information. Source: https://beginagaininstitute.com/christian/compulsive-sexual-behavior-an-understanding-and-trea tment-guide/