Not everyone who looks at porn, or who struggles with monogamy necessarily has a sexual addiction. However, researchers have discovered specific indicators most frequently exhibited by men and women who struggle with sex addiction. One simple indicator that a behavior is problematic is the fact that you are asking yourself whether or not you have a problem. Typically, this indicates that you have had some form of consequence or you, or someone else, raised your awareness regarding your behavior.
Sexual addiction/compulsion has been defined as a pathological relationship with a mood altering experience associated with denial of escalating adverse consequences and/or loss of control. Tracy Tacquard, LMFT is a certified professional in sexual addiction at Trauma & Recovery Solutions, Inc.. With twelve years of experience working with addicts and betrayed partners, she sees sex addiction as an “Equal Opportunity Addiction”. Compulsive sexual behavior occurs seamlessly into a persistent and escalating pattern and crosses all socio economic status, ethnicity, and sex. Men and women struggling with a sexual addiction typically report that his/her “will” to choose whether or not to engage in the behavior has been removed and acting out occurs despite increasingly negative consequences to self or others.
Some out of control repetitive behaviors, which may reflect sexual addiction include:
- Masturbation
- Simultaneous or repeated sequential affairs
- Pornography
- Cyber sex, phone sex
- Multiple anonymous partners
- Unsafe sexual activity
- Partner sexualization, objectification
- Strip clubs and adult bookstores
- Sexual aversion
- Prostitution
Feel free to take a confidential online test at http://www.sexhelp.com/ under “Am I a Sex Addict?” If this sounds familiar to you or you’ve taken the online Sexual Addiction Screening Test and found you are within the range of concern and have decided to seek outpatient treatment, Trauma & Recovery Solutions, Inc. offers clients the most up to date confidential testing. Results will be reviewed and thoroughly explained to you and a behavioral plan will be developed and initiated utilizing a 30 task recovery model, to guide you through your therapeutic process towards a life of healthy sexual focus.
Recovery from sexual addiction and compulsivity does not happen quickly, but rather it is a process that occurs over time. Through the twelve years expertise of Tracy Tacquard, a certified sexual and multiple addiction therapist, you will be required to be actively involved in your recovery process. This includes weekly individual therapy sessions; weekly attendance and participation in a facilitated group; reading and homework assignments; in addition to working through a 12 step recovery program for sexual addiction with a sponsor.
Lastly, recovery should not just involve you alone. There are others close to you who have likely suffered emotionally, mentally and possibly financially. For this reason, my office also offers an individualized therapeutic support system for your partner. By having his/her own personal therapist from the same location a coordination of care and treatment occurs so that he/she as the co-addict or co-dependent grows and heals as well through their own recovery. Many spouses/partners are suffering from their own form of post-traumatic stress disorder and benefit by receiving therapeutic support from a professional who understands sexual addition and the pain it has caused. This does not mean that your confidentiality is compromised, but it does mean that you’re both given professional support through the healing process!