There is a fine line between enjoying sex and being addicted to it. People who are addicted to sex may not even realize that they actually have an addiction. Just through the actions and thoughts, a person will show when he or she has become an addict. It is easy to get into an addiction, but overcoming it is a process that not only takes time but also needs a lot of dedication, support, willpower and honesty. The tips mentioned below will help you in overcoming your sex addiction.
1. Accept the fact that you have an addiction
Before you start working towards overcoming your addiction, the first thing that you have to do is accept that you have an addiction. Acceptance is an essential step. It becomes the foundation for your recovery.
2. Confide in someone you trust
Getting through the addiction by yourself will not be easy, this is why, it is important that you should have someone with you. We all have that one person who we trust blindly. When you confide in the person you trust the most, you are building a support system for yourself. This person will not only motivate you, but also stand by you through every step of the recovery phase. Choose this person well and be sure of whom you choose.
3. Meet a counselor
A sexual addiction can be a deep-rooted problem that can be psychological. Meeting a counselor will help you to understand and plan your recovery process. You will not only guide a professional opinion on how to go about dealing with the addiction, however, your counselor will also be the right person to recommend a rehab program or center.
4. Know your trigger factors
Every addict has a trigger factor that pushes him or her deep into the addiction. Your recovery will not be complete if you do not identify the factor that triggers your addiction. The trigger factor can be anything from an emotion to a want. By understanding this one small thing, your recovery can be faster and easier.
5. Enroll in a good rehab program
For a good recovery, you need to ensure that you get all the help you can. There is nothing better than enrolling yourself in a rehab program that is designed for sex addiction. This not only helps you to come out of your addiction, but it also helps you to know how you can deal with your trigger factors and overcome your addiction.
6. Find proper residential sex addiction rehabilitation centre
Where proper, residential sex addiction rehabilitation centres offer you the highest level of care and medical attention, outpatient clinics are where the patient attends sessions during the day and then returns home for work or leisure in the evening. People who have successfully completed their inpatient programs are generally allowed to continue outpatient services as follow-up treatment. Sex addiction rehabilitation facility is an excellent option for those who have been unable to stop the regressive and damaging behaviour of their own. A sex addiction rehabilitation and treatment centreprovide a supportive ambience where the addicted person may regain health without any distractions or temptations. Rehabilitation is a private matter. Confidentiality is the greatest priority to staff at private sex addiction rehabilitation organizations. Each person is treated with respect, and unless required by law, records are kept private and confidential. Many rehabilitation centres allow patients to have a cabin to them.
In some cases, the doctors recommend this. A trained doctor specialist explains the options, and helps the recovering person make choices best for them. The duration of the treatment is dependent on many factors such as severity of addiction, needs of the patient, the recommendations of doctors and consultants, length of addiction and the patient’s progress. Recovery from sex addiction varies from patient to patient.
Some sex addicts may have to stay in the residential sex addiction rehabilitation centres for one-month, which may not be sufficient for those who have the problem at a greater degree, and a two month may be a better option. Those with the most serious sexual addiction will get a wholesome treatment if they stay in a rehabilitation centre for three months and follow the program devotedly; while some patients may have to stay even longer.
7. Get yourself insured
The price of treatment varies as most sex addiction rehabilitation centres give financing schemes to patients and addiction programs are generally covered by medical insurance to a certain extent. Many people with this disorder have twisted thinking and deny even having problems. At a sex addiction rehab centre, the doctors and nurses will go on to find the root cause of sex addiction. In some cases, medication is given to check the obsessive aspect of patient’s actions. Programs conducted to treat sex addiction use methods, such as counselling individually, 12-step methods, group remedy, family psychoanalysis and tutoring to treat the patient. The first step in is getting over denial. Once a patient is able to admit the issue, he or she is ready for rehabilitation.
Link between sex and depression
One such manner in which men release their depressive feelings is turning toward sexual encounters. If they constantly feel empty inside, then they hardly like to share this fact with others. They keep being consumed inside, which further aggravates their stress and loneliness. This constantly increasing depression leads to perverted activities like sexual deviance or addiction. Men facing depression need a way to externalize their pain. While some men release their pain by becoming workaholics or alcoholics, others get involved in domestic violence, substance abuse or sexual intimacy.
When sexual activities start giving them a feeling of grandiosity, then they do not realize their pain from depression. Their emotional troubles find a way out and they start getting frequently involved in such activities. This initially gives them pleasure, but later puts them in a darker state of mind when their object of desire in unavailable. Thus, they start feeling empty and depleted once again. The vicious cycle of grandiosity and depression restarts at this point. The initial feelings of satisfaction and positivity start turning into addiction. Whenever such an addict finds himself in a condition of hopelessness or helplessness, he turns toward sexual activities. Soon, he becomes unable to find out another defence mechanism.
When a man’s self-attacks the self, it is the time he goes into a state of depression. As he does not want to get a feeling of this state, he forgets about it through sex addiction. While sex addicts keep pushing their feelings of inferiority, shame and guilt arising out of this addiction, they only realize to take professional treatment when they are fully drained off their power and when they face extremely painful consequences. They can no longer substitute their self-esteem with sex at this stage. Removing the cause of their trauma is the only solution to their recovery. Extreme feelings of depression may lead a man to sex addiction. Sex makes them feel manly while they covertly possess feelings of inferiority and shame.
How to find good counsellor for sex addiction?
Guys in their adolescence tend to be inclined towards the opposite gender and some of them have a tendency to watch pornographic movies on the Internet, try it out by themselves with the help of multiple sex partners, and end up having sexual diseases like HIV and others. Hence, it is obligatory that as soon as you find out that you are suffering from this problem, also known as Sexual Addiction, you consult a good counsellor who might help you to overcome this problem. Sexual addiction occurs due to a number of reasons:
- Probably you are feeling very lonely and want something to keep you occupied.
- Emotional as well as psychological difficulties.
- Too much of masturbation.
- You want to know about things, but are not being told.
- A disease in itself.
Many sex addicts actually fear admitting that they have a problem. This, in the end, can result in the person losing his job, face emotional problems, break up a marriage, result in bad health or just get affected by sex problems.
To treat this type of compulsive disorder, numerous support groups are there to treat people with sexual addiction, counselling individuals as well as families, and providing medications so that the person can come out of the problem, and lead a normal and healthy life just like others. These support groups are specially trained so that they can understand the psychology of the person involved and handle the case accordingly. In order to search for a competent counsellor, you need to prepare some questions beforehand, such as:
- Do you think that I am really a sex addict?
- Can you counsel me to get me out of this problem?
- How successful are you in helping out people to overcome this addiction?
- Do you recommend psychological treatment of medication?
- Do you want me to attend any of your counselling programs?
- Do you also analyse the person before going into the details like talking about his childhood, talking about his likes and dislikes, and talking about his obsessions and passions.
If you find that the answers to all your questions are positive, then you can be rest assured that you have visited a good counsellor. A good counsellor should be honest, monogamous, frank and open minded. So people who feel that they are not being able to face the world outside because of their fears, need not worry. With a little bit of help, assistance and cooperation, they can lead a normal life and overcome the addiction of sex.