How Sex Addiction Therapy Works

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesPharmaceutical TreatmentWhat It Can Help WithBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

Pharmaceutical Treatment

What It Can Help With

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Sex addictiontherapy refers to the psychological and pharmaceutical measures used to manage an excessive relationship with sex. A person may seek this therapy to manage obsessive and harmful sexual fantasies, interests, or behaviors that affect their daily life and functioning.

While sex addiction has yet to receive its official stamp of recognition asaddictive behaviorin the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it has been acknowledged as a behavioral challenge that could require proper control and treatment.

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As withcompulsive behaviorslike gambling and hoarding, a person dealing with a sexual addiction has little to no control over the urges that may overtake them during the course of the day. These urges often demand satisfaction, no matter how inconvenient or harmful achieving this might be.

To get sex addiction under control, the following therapeutic approaches may be effective:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) is a type of therapy that helps individuals recognize and change negative, dangerous, or unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. These patterns and behaviors often have damaging effects on well-being, making their control important.

With sex addiction, CBT helps identify triggers that may encouragenegative sexual behaviors, swapping these out for more healthy and wholesome attitudes and thought patterns towards sex. For instance, CBT may help identify an excessive indulgence in porn as a compromise for staying faithful to one’s partner, and then help the client reframe that thought and behavior to come up with a healthier relationship with both porn and their partner.

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Psychodynamic Therapy

This technique emphasizes self-reflection and examination to understand the causes of emotional challenges, especially unconscious ones that are tied to the client’s past experiences and relationships.

Psychodynamic therapypromotes a better understanding of the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and attitudes that make up behavior. This means exploring the prompts that form unhealthy attitudes towards sex.

This form of therapy will help to highlight the shame, fear, or anger that pushes a person to view sexual acts as necessary outlets, and helps the person understand their urges and impulses in order to change them.

Exposure Therapy

Ideally,exposure therapyslowly and safely introduces a patient to the object of their fears or compulsions for better management of them. With sex addiction, this may require things to be done a little differently.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy

This collaborative effort between therapist and client helps the latter find the inspiration to work through issues surrounding sex. This approach is often preferred, as it allows for ease in setting goals for a healthier attitude towards sex.

Family Therapy

On a good day, navigating the complex terrain of sex addiction is a hard enough job. This process can be further complicated when one seeks treatment without the full cooperation or knowledge of family members.

If sex addiction is wreaking havoc on a family unit, it might be worth addressing together in family therapy.

Couples Therapy

Living with a partner dealing with sex addiction can be incredibly challenging. Beyond the feelings of inadequacy this might cause, intimacy and trust in the relationship will undoubtedly take a beating.Couples therapycan help navigate the difficult terrain of addiction recovery, communication, and intimacy improvement in the relationship.

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Pharmaceutical Treatment for Sex Addiction

In addition to therapy, different classes of medication may help manage sex addiction. They include:

The pharmaceutical management of sex addiction comes with several pros, as it can reduce the desire for uncontrolled sexual behaviors without decreasing the drive for healthy sex habits. This medication may also lessen sexual urges linked with addiction,masturbation, and pornographic interests.

However, drugs provide only short-term benefits for sex addiction and are most effective when combined with therapy.

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What Sex Addiction Therapy Can Help With

Sex addiction or compulsive sexual behavioris divided into paraphilic and non-paraphilic behaviors.

Paraphilic behaviors refer to sexual behaviors that deviate from the norm, including acts such as:

Non-paraphilic behaviors refer to excessive engagement in more common sexual acts such as:

Sex addiction therapy can help to get such behaviors under control. It will teach different measures to mitigate unhealthy sexual impulses while encouraging more sustainable attitudes towards sex.

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Benefits of Sex Addiction Therapy

For anyone who struggles with thecompulsion to watch pornography, engage in unconventional sexual acts, partake in excessive sexual affairs, and other signs of sex addiction, getting help through therapy is commonly recommended. This is because sex addiction therapy has the following advantages:

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Effectiveness of Sex Addiction Therapy

Even though sex addiction therapy is a common suggestion for managing excessive sexual behaviors, there is little to no data backing its effectiveness.

However, because sex addiction therapy often adopts trusted techniques like CBT and psychodynamic therapy that focus on identifying and managing obsessive-compulsive habits, positive changes may be observed in those seeking professional help for their condition.

But while sex addiction therapy has proven benefits for managing this condition, the absence of reliable data makes it difficult to determine how well this treatment works against a relapse of unhealthy sexual behaviors.

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When seeking out therapy to manage sex addiction, it’s important to keep expectations in check. Like other forms of individual therapy, one may require repeat and consistent sessions over an extended period of time to achieve a breakthrough in sexual behavior.

Considerable honesty will also be required, which can be difficult when considering the conversation’s nature. However, frank discussions are essential to progress from negative to more healthy attitudes toward sex.

For anyone looking to receivetreatment for sex addiction, reaching out to a qualified professional is usually the first step.

This professional may come from a referral or may be discovered from online therapy directories, where you can search for therapists specializing in sex addiction.

Afterfinding good options for a therapist, they may discuss challenges and goals of treatment in the first consultation. If the first consultation with the professional proves to be a good fit, sex addiction therapy may begin in earnest.

If in-person individual sessions are a little too much to handle, online group therapy, couples counseling, and other online treatments may be considered.

If you or a loved one are struggling with sex addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.

George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao SS, Shivanand MJ, Sathyanarayana Rao TS.Psychosocial intervention for sexual addiction.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S510-S513. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_38_18Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.

Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)#

Psychodynamic Therapy#

Exposure Therapy#

Motivational Enhancement Therapy#

Family Therapy#

Couples Therapy#

Pharmaceutical Treatment for Sex Addiction#

What Sex Addiction Therapy Can Help With#

Benefits of Sex Addiction Therapy#

Effectiveness of Sex Addiction Therapy#