If a person’s desire to engage in sexual behaviors is causing them serious emotional distress and disrupting their personal, professional and/or family life, it may be time to seek treatment. Sex addiction therapy can help them separate from the compulsive behavior and gain a sense of control over their lives.
There are many options for sex addiction therapy. Typically, one-on-one sessions are given by licensed counselors or psychologists. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can teach people how to think differently about their behavior and urges, while relapse prevention strategies are also taught. Some medications are also used in the treatment of sex addiction. These include antidepressants such as Anafranil, which can help reduce sexual urges by blocking specific chemicals in the brain.
A sex addiction can be complicated, as it often involves a mix of psychological and physical factors. Psychologically, the most common reason someone develops a sex addiction is to self-medicate past experiences of abandonment, abuse or neglect. This is why it is so important for sex addicts to realize they cannot continue to use this behavior as a way to treat these issues.
A sex addiction can also be physically unhealthy and can cause an individual to contract and transmit sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It can be helpful for individuals with a sex addiction to find out what environments or thoughts can trigger these urges, so they can take steps to avoid them. This might mean staying away from strip clubs, limiting access to the phone and computer or installing software that blocks pornographic websites.sex addiction therapy