Sex Addiction: As Real As Any Other

Expert: It's Just Like Obsessions With Gambling, Drugs, Alcohol; Internet Is Significant Enabler

(CBS)  Actor David Duchovny checking into rehab recently for treatment of what he says is an addiction to sex drew attention to the disorder.

Christie Brinkley accusing her ex-husband, Peter Cooke, of spending thousands of dollars on Internet porn also pointed to it.

And, on The Early Show Tuesday, sex therapist Ian Kerner, author of "Sex Detox: Recharge Desire. Revitalize Intimacy. Rejuvenate Your Love Life," said sex addiction is real.

He told co-anchor Julie Chen, "The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize the term sex addiction, because it's so broad. So generally, the terms hyper-sexuality, sexually compulsive behavior are what get used, but it's very much a real condition, and what the latest scientific research is showing is that all addictions, whether it's an addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, or sex, affects the human brain in the same way. So, I think we can definitely say that sexually compulsive behavior is a very real problem for millions of people."

And Kerner points to the Internet as a culprit.

"The Internet, I think, has been the No. 1 enabler of the increase in sexually compulsive behavior. Whereas, in previous years, you might have thought of a sex addict as somebody who's compulsively cheating, hooking up, having affairs, I think today, millions more men are vulnerable -- especially men -- are vulnerable to sexually compulsive behavior because of the proliferation of Internet porn and the easy access of internet porn. So, I think that's definitely the No. 1 problem for people who are suffering from sexually compulsive behavior."

How common is it for a woman to be suffering from this kind of addiction?

"There are no real, hard numbers on sex addiction," Kerner replied. "I mean, we know that Internet porn addiction is affecting millions of people. In my own practice, I hear largely from men who are having the problem, but you know, for many men, there's always a woman on the other side of the issue. I mean, this affects relationships, as well."

How can sex addiction be treated?

"One common way would be -- if you have the money, the time, and the ability -- to check into rehab. The reason David probably did that is because he needs to detox."

And to do that, says Kerner, someone has to "cut it off, cold turkey. You know, you go cold turkey, you combine it with counseling. You look at, really, what are the triggers? For many men, it's not a desire to have sex that leads to sex addiction, it's a desire to escape, to escape anxiety, stress, depression, issues. So, (one would) look at those situations that trigger the behavior and to start to be able to regulate and control it."

[wl7bzh]

I was thinking, we are kind of alike, the cat and me and my male brothers out there. we all may have fought over a woman, went to extremes to get lucky and maybe even passed up a few meals. I guess if you start looking at people of the other *** or are getting too strange maybe it''''s a *** problem or some other type of problem, but just wanting *** all the time I don''''t think means you are have a *** problem. I think when you can''''t get *** or you don''''t want *** you have a *** problem.

Posted by sillywilly4 at 12:27 PM : Sep 02, 2008


And your identification with feline sexuality is not a problem because?

[culturechang]

"Why in the article you can say $ex but in the comments you can''''t?"

An obvious double standard....one of many.

[davewrite1]

What could be stronger or more addictive than the rapture of great love-making with an attractive and intelligent partner? And it''s not just the ***, it''s the entire pas de deux, from gazing in your lover''s eyes, to the first electrifying touch, to the talking, laughing, and poetry, to the thrilling sight and feel of naked flesh. And then it gets good. Kicked out of school at age 15, but attractive and intelligent, I spent much of my teens in the sack with the loveliest of girls -- sometimes two or three in a day. My show-biz wife died, age 46, when I was only 55, so I became sexually active again. At 62, I was living with a Vietnamese girl, 22 and unblemished. Was I addicted, obsessed, totally dedicated to this natural gift? Hell yes!

[davewrite1]

What could be stronger or more addictive than the rapture of great love-making with an attractive and intelligent partner? And it''s not just the ***, it''s the entire pas de deux, from gazing in your prospective partner''s eyes, to the first electrifying touch, to the talking, laughing, and poetry, to the thrilling sight and feel of naked flush. And then it gets good. Kicked out of school at age 15, but attractive and intelligent, I spent much of my teens in the sack with the lovliest of girls -- sometimes two or three in a day. My show-biz wife died, age 46, when I was only 55, so I became sexually active again. At 62, I was living with a Vietnamese girl, 22 and unblemished. Was I addicted, obsessed, totally dedicated to this natural gift? Hell yes!

[xxunknown]

How do you detox from ***?

[ajaxtheleast]

I''m for winging it.!!

Fly by the seat of where your pants were.!!!

[tmittelstaed]

"$ex addition to me?" In your dreams, fella. If your X''s had control issues that''s one thing - lots of women do. But they were no more addicted to *** with you than they were addicted to *** with a hot dog. These are control freaks, not addicts.
There isn''t any such thing as *** addiction. The problem here is that when the scientists finally proved conclusively that marijuana was not physically addicting, the ultra right and the ultra left created this unholy alliance where they legitimized the term "psychological addiction" and the ultra right got to apply it to pot so they could keep pot illegal, and the ultra left got to apply it to *** so they could justify the idea that drunks don''t kill people, alcohol kills people, and that nobody is really responsible for anything.

[questionnews]

So, what treatment to they put men through to get them to not want s.e.x with women?

Strapped in a chair & while Rosie O''Donnell give you a lap dance?

[blackyowe]

$ex and food are allot the same. They both are satisfying but it that is all you think of you have a problem. Maybe these folks need to take up the French horn or join the peace corps!

[mjvw2]

don''t tell me I have to be treated!!!

[jamesetling]

The last four women I have dated acquired sexual addictions to me. In each relationshop I didn''t sense anything unusual was going on other than that they wanted it everyday if my schedule allowed. But in each case as they sabotaged the relationship with excessive control issues, I found that after I ended the relationship, I couldn''t get them to leave me alone. I never gave much thought to the concept of stalking until I became the stalking victim of 4 different women with intense sexual addictions. So this stuff is very real and not just in movies.

[drputt45]

Does once a year for your birthday count as an addiction?

[blackyowe]

*** "addiction" is just people with no self control who get a rush from breaking the rules. That is not a disease it''s a lack or morals. Calling things like this a disease is a convenient way to avoid taking responsibility for ones own actions.

[dogsoul]

"So, I think we can definitely say that sexually compulsive behavior is a very real problem for millions of people."

yeah... it''s called being g*y

snnnnnnnnnnAP!

[culturechang]

The *** addict thing is nonsense created by councilors and the media to berate the gender most instinctually driven to ***.....men. Men have to stand up for thier natural instincts. Women''s perspective is not the only perspective that should be used to decide what is normal.

[pensacola98]

The gratification of feeding any addiction is temporary. Abusers moving from one feeding cycle to the next, try to substitute happiness with gratification.

Pursuading an addict of gratification, whether from S-E-X, narcotics, or alchohol, requires education and changes that most are incapable of doing alone.

Jails are full of repeat offenders, who may have tried and failed. Courts are supervising thousands of probations for offenders with addiction disorders.

Some addicts are bright, intelligent, and study at colleges and universities, or have good jobs.

Most are disconnected from a community of good influences of either family or friends.

Most will live to protect their addictions and defend their rights to gratification.

Our country does little to offer mental health treatment for those with anxiety, stress, depression and treat the addictions that are spawned from it.

[deacon20081]

"One common way would be -- if you have the money, the time, and the ability -- to check into rehab. The reason David probably did that is because he needs to detox."

*** is toxic now? DETOX? STD''s not with standing I don''t recall anyone except an old guy with a young wife having a heart attack, qualifying the term toxic.