Experienced Certified Sexual Addiction Counseling in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
DISCOVER THE FREEDOM FROM THE BONDAGE OF OUT-OF-CONTROL SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
Sex and love addicts struggle to control their behaviors, and experience despair over their constant failure to do so. Their loss of self-esteem grows, fueling the need to escape even further into their addictive behaviors. A sense of powerlessness pervades the lives of addicts.
Sex and love addicts feel tremendous guilt and shame about their out-of-control behavior, and they live in constant fear of discovery. Yet addicts will often act out sexually in an attempt to block out the very pain of their addiction. This is part of what drives the addictive cycle. Like other forms of addiction, sex addicts are out of control and unable to stop their behaviors despite their self-destructive nature and potentially devastating consequences.
HERE’S WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT REDISCOVERY COUNSELING ASSOCIATES
At Rediscovery Counseling & Coaching we do not shame you or your partner. We treat your partner as someone who has experienced trauma from your out of control sexual behavior and we treat you with respect and non-judgment. We do not label “outside the box” erotic interests as weird. Only when any sexual behaviors get out of hand and begin to damage relationships, jobs, money, etc.
While an actual diagnosis for sexual addiction should be carried out by a mental health professional (CSAT), the following behavior patterns can indicate the presence of sexual addiction. Individuals, who see any of these patterns in their own life, or in the life of someone they care about, should seek professional help.
- Acting out: a pattern of out-of-control sexual behavior.
- Experiencing severe consequences due to sexual behavior, and an inability to stop despite these adverse consequences.
- Persistent pursuit of self-destructive behavior.
- Ongoing desire or effort to limit sexual behavior.
- Sexual obsession and fantasy as a primary coping strategy.
- Regularly increasing the amount of sexual experience because the current level of activity is no longer sufficiently satisfying.
- Severe mood changes related to sexual activity.
- Inordinate amounts of time spent obtaining sex, being sexual, and recovering from sexual experiences.
- Neglect of important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of sexual behavior.
We will address the reasons for your out of control sexual behaviors, identify triggers and set up strategies and tools for overcoming triggers, urges and desires which may prove harmful to your relationship. Our goal is to help you develop mutual respect in your relationships, define boundaries, discover how to value yourself instead of depending on others and build trust and empathy, intimacy and respect back into your life.
IS SEX AND LOVE ADDICTION REAL?
The World Health Organization has recently declared Sexual Compulsivity an official disorder.
Sex and Love addiction is defined as any sexually-related, compulsive behavior which interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one’s work environment. There are several types of relationship & intimacy disorders including internet addiction, porn addiction, chat room addiction, voyeurism, pain exchange and more.
Sexual addiction is really an intimacy disorder of problematic sexual behaviors. By any name, it is a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict’s life. Sexual addicts make sex a priority; more important than family, friends, and work. Sex becomes the organizing principle of addict’s lives. They are willing to sacrifice what they cherish most in order to preserve and continue their out of control behaviors.
Broken Heartedness: Sexual addiction is more about the intensity of being with a person, while compulsively viewing porn is more about fantasy, voyeurism and a need for connection and attention.
Whatever you’re struggling with, get help from a Trained Professional. Problematic sexual behavior is not about sex, it’s an intimacy disorder. Howard Shaffer, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School, said, “The idea of addictive drugs makes no sense, it’s magical thinking to imagine that drugs have this power. We don’t talk about addictive dice.” (cited in Lambert, 2000).
However, we do know that for some individuals their relationship to dice can become pathological. The focus needs to shift away from the dice back to the individual holding them. It is the relationship between the person and the object of addiction that matters, not the objects.
No single behavior pattern defines sexual addiction. These behaviors, when they have taken control of addicts’ lives and become unmanageable, include: compulsive masturbation, relationship disorders, pornography, prostitution, exhibitionism, voyeurism, indecent phone calls, child molesting, incest, rape and violence. Even the healthiest forms of human sexual expression can turn into self-defeating behaviors.
As more and more of addicts’ energy becomes focused on relationships which have sexual potential, other relationships and activities—family, friends, work, talents and values—suffer and atrophy from neglect.
Long-term relationships are stormy and often unsuccessful. Because of sexual over-extension and intimacy avoidance, short-term relationships become the norm. Sometimes, however, the desire to preserve an important long-term relationship with spouse or children, for instance, can act as the catalyst for addicts to admit their problem and seek help.
The Avoidance of Normal Intimate Relationships
In sex and love addiction, a parallel situation exists. Sex – like food, drugs or gambling—provides the “high” and addicts become dependent on this sexual high and the “hunt” to feel normal. They substitute unhealthy relationships for healthy ones. They act out with people who are emotionally unavailable. They opt for temporary pleasure rather than the deeper qualities of “normal” intimate relationships.
The Key to Understanding Out of Control Sexual Behavior
The key to understanding the loss of control in addicts is the concept of the “hijacked brain.” Addicts essentially have rewired their brains so that they do behaviors (drinking, drug use, eating, gambling, and sex) even when they are intending to do something quite different. The triggers to these maladaptive responses are usually stress, emotional pain, loneliness, abandonment or specific childhood scenarios of sexual abuse or sexual trauma. Breakthrough science in examining brain function is helping us to understand the biology of this disease.
RESOURCES for Assessing compulsive sexual behavior, fantasy addiction and intimacy avoidance:
When you suspect you or a loved one has an issue with sexual compulsivity or sex and love addiction:
- Take the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) at www.SexHelp.com.
- Contact a Certified Sex Addition Therapist (CSAT) for help. 901-248-6001
- Attend Twelve-step programs like Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous at http://slaa-memphis.org.
- Visit www.GentlePath.com to browse the online catalog for books and tapes which will help you understand sex addiction. And visit our resource page.
The first step in seeking help is to admit to the problem. Though marital, professional, and societal consequences may follow, admission of the problems must come, no matter the cost. Fear of these consequences unfortunately keeps many sexual addicts from seeking help.
Many sources of help are available to provide information, support, and assistance for sexual addicts and their partners trying to regain control of their lives. These include intensives, inpatient and outpatient treatment, professional associations, self-help groups, and aftercare support groups.
Here’s What Addiction Professionals Have to Say About Allan J. Katz:
Allan has a good knowledge base for treating addictive disorders and codependency. He has a personal and professional understanding that brings an important combination to his work.” Kent Fisher, LPC, CSAT-S, Experiential Healing Center, Memphis, TN
I worked alongside Allan. He is revered as second to none among his colleagues for his professionalism and compassion. I witnessed deeply profound and miraculous changes take place within the individuals he treated. He treated individuals for substance use disorder, sex and love addiction, trauma, relationship restoration and intimacy, mental health and personality disorders, and a variety of other issues. He pulled from multiple counseling theories to fit treatment to the individual. Some of these included, DBT, CBT, and experiential therapy. I watched transformations from broken to restored. His empathy allowed him to help those he worked with to dig deep and resolve things that had plagued them their entire life. He empowers others to be their authentic self and grow. Not only would I recommend Allan to anyone seeking help, I would trust him with my own family or even myself if the need arose. Amanda Cocke, Former Senior Recovery Coach, Vertana Health of Mississippi.
For more information or to set up a FREE 15 minute initial phone or in person consultation, call 901-248-6001