Sexual Addiction Affects on Partner
The term “sexual addiction” describes those who engage in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behaviors despite increasingly negative consequences to self or others. Sexual addiction affects woman as well as men.
The sex addict feels compelled to act out sexually. The addicts themselves (male or female) may not be able to understand why they are acting out sexually or why constant thoughts either of having sex with someone or compulsively masturbating fill their minds, and push out other avenues of interest. The addiction is often mistaken by the sex addict as “love”, but love really has nothing to do with it. What passes for love, is really a progressively negative and intrusive behavior that takes away all of the addict’s self-esteem.
The devastation felt by partners may involve feelings of betrayal, confusion, angry, lonely and leave you questioning your own self-esteem. Partners learn how to recognize that it is not their fault and to stop asking the “what if” scenarios. By working through feelings of victimization in this shared experience, we begin to find witness and support in personal growth, self-realization, and self-transformation leading to a new sense of resiliency.
The fear of intimacy is the fear of being emotionally and physically close to another *individual. This fear is also defined as “the inhibited capacity of an individual, because of anxiety, to exchange thought and feelings of personal significance with another individual who is highly valued”.
[1] Fear of intimacy is the expression of existential views, in that to love and to be loved makes life seem precious, and death, more inevitable.
[2] It often results from past traumas such as rape and child sexual abuse, and infidelity. Fear of intimacy is also related to the fear of being touched.
*fear of intimacy can also occur as a result of a you or your partner’s behavior(s).
Help is available, call me today for your FREE 15 minute consultation.
Resources:
Sexual addiction
http://www.sash.net/en/articles/cybersex-and-addictions.html
Cybersex and Addictions
http://www.sash.net/en/articles/cybersex-and-addictions.html
http://www.cybersexualaddiction.com/
Child Pornography
http://www.croga.org/index.php
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
http://www.nsvrc.org/organizations/sex-offender-treatment-organization
National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth
Sex Offender Resources
http://www.sexoffenderresource.com/national/
Couples Recovering from Sexual Addiction
http://www.ncsac.org/addicts/papers_couples_recovering.aspx
Sex Addiction 101
http://www.robertweissmsw.com/sex-addiction-101
Anonymous Survey for Partners of Sex Addicts
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Cheryl L. Wheeler, MA Transformational Life Coachg
Transformational coaching removes the pathological or pathogenic aspects that the medical disease model of mental disorders prescribes. No longer is the client viewed as ill with a diagnosis in need of treatment. Transformational coaching is a process of implementing critical thinking into action, by testing hypothesis, and applying analytical thinking. Transformational coaching develops a working relationship in “creating a future”, rather than “getting over” the past. Trained as a psychotherapist I’ve come to find a more fulfilling approach to helping others through the practice of “Transformational Life Coaching”. Online, telephone or in person.
Learn more at: http://www.alternativesincounseling.com Call Today to schedule your free 20 minute telephone consultation.
Cheryl Wheeler, MA *only providing Life Coaching Services. Please note coaching sessions are not to be considered psychotherapy in nature, and are not appropriate for Serious Mental Health Illness’.
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