Hypersexuality/Sex Addiction
One type is called Paraphilic Hypersexuality. People with this profile describe themselves as being sexually aroused by a very wide range of many different things. They can be straight, gay, or bisexual, and are often unsure. They are aroused by many kinks and fetishes and are sometimes worried because of being aroused by dangerous or potentially illegal things. On the one hand, having a broad range of sexual interests can be very healthy and part of an enjoyable sexual life. But on the other hand, some arousal patterns can pose potential harm and cause great distress to the person, their partners, and their family.
Another type is what we call Avoidant Masturbation. Although there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it represents a genuine addiction, some people refer to this problem as a ‘masturbation addiction’ or ‘pornography addiction’. People with this problem are usually men, and they spend many hours a day, usually by surfing pornography and masturbating. Gay and bisexual men experience this problem as well as straight men, sometimes spending many hours or days cruising or in bathhouses instead of surfing porn. There is no concrete way to decide between a healthy and an unhealthy amount of sex or masturbation, but people with this problem face difficulties because disengage from the rest of their lives: They experience employment problems because of not performing their jobs or, among students, they fail classes because of not completing assignments. Although many experts still debate whether this should count as an official diagnosis, there already exists a very accurate nickname for it: procrasturbation.
Women who experience problems controlling their sexual drives are often in more complicated situations than men. Although there are many exceptions, women with out-of-control sex often express multiple out-of-control behaviours or emotions, not just sexual ones. Because high rates of sex or masturbation are more rare (or are perceived to be more rare) among women, it is often the case that people notice only the sexual aspects when it comes from a woman and ignore the other behaviours and emotions. In therapy, the most success is often had by addressing the whole problem instead of only its sexual aspects.
Other profiles of sex addiction are identified not by what the person is experiencing, but by the effect it has on others. Although there are exceptions, the most common situation is for a man’s behaviour to interfere with his relationship with a woman. This is often a man who cheats on his relationship, not just one time or with one other person, but chronically. Other times, it is a man who violates the rules of the relationship in other ways. Although many couples believe that this is the man’s problem which he needs to fix with therapy, the best solution usually happens in couples therapy to address their problem.
Although 12-step programs are the most familiar, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to out-of-control sexuality. After careful and thorough assessment, treatment plans are tailored to clients specific needs, integrating techniques from Emotion Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. In some cases, therapy is conducted with the client one-on-one, and in some cases it is with both members of the couple.
Another type is what we call Avoidant Masturbation. Although there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it represents a genuine addiction, some people refer to this problem as a ‘masturbation addiction’ or ‘pornography addiction’. People with this problem are usually men, and they spend many hours a day, usually by surfing pornography and masturbating. Gay and bisexual men experience this problem as well as straight men, sometimes spending many hours or days cruising or in bathhouses instead of surfing porn. There is no concrete way to decide between a healthy and an unhealthy amount of sex or masturbation, but people with this problem face difficulties because disengage from the rest of their lives: They experience employment problems because of not performing their jobs or, among students, they fail classes because of not completing assignments. Although many experts still debate whether this should count as an official diagnosis, there already exists a very accurate nickname for it: procrasturbation.
Women who experience problems controlling their sexual drives are often in more complicated situations than men. Although there are many exceptions, women with out-of-control sex often express multiple out-of-control behaviours or emotions, not just sexual ones. Because high rates of sex or masturbation are more rare (or are perceived to be more rare) among women, it is often the case that people notice only the sexual aspects when it comes from a woman and ignore the other behaviours and emotions. In therapy, the most success is often had by addressing the whole problem instead of only its sexual aspects.
Other profiles of sex addiction are identified not by what the person is experiencing, but by the effect it has on others. Although there are exceptions, the most common situation is for a man’s behaviour to interfere with his relationship with a woman. This is often a man who cheats on his relationship, not just one time or with one other person, but chronically. Other times, it is a man who violates the rules of the relationship in other ways. Although many couples believe that this is the man’s problem which he needs to fix with therapy, the best solution usually happens in couples therapy to address their problem.
Although 12-step programs are the most familiar, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to out-of-control sexuality. After careful and thorough assessment, treatment plans are tailored to clients specific needs, integrating techniques from Emotion Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. In some cases, therapy is conducted with the client one-on-one, and in some cases it is with both members of the couple.