Sexual Addiction:strength/hope/recovery

The terms “sex” and “love/relationship” addiction are being over used, yet undertreated. The major reasons that these toxic relationships are not being fully addressed are lack of education and limited time of treatment. Sex and love are often referred to as the “less serious” addictions, when in actuality the consequences of these relational addictions affect every area of a person’s life, just as severely as an alcohol or drug addiction. Often the signs of sex and love/relationship issues go unnoticed when addressing the targeted addiction, especially if past and present relationships are not explored throughout treatment. It is critical to look at all behaviors that might be serving the same purpose of avoiding the underlying issues the behaviors provide relief from. Sex and love/relationship addiction often occur as a co-occurring or cross addiction. This leads to a high risk for relapse in the primary addiction or as an alternative to the “quick fix” another addiction provided. Just as the criteria for s