Category: United Kingdom

sexual addiction

Sexual Addiction – It Is Real, and It Can Be Devastating

Articles, Australia, Education, International, LGBTQ, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Sexual Addiction – When you talk about addiction, the first things that come to mind are coke, heroin, gambling, alcohol, etc. In the back of their minds, people know that sex can be addictive, but often they like to laugh about it. As harmless as it may sound to some on the surface, sex addiction is a real, and it can be devastating for those who suffer from it. Just like an addiction to certain drugs and psychoactive chemicals, sexual addiction has its signs and withdrawal symptoms. It can ruin the life of a person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

When a person is addicted to sex, they can’t withdraw from it. They have sexual thoughts and fantasies that are not under their control. Under the influence of these thoughts, they participate in sexual activities while fully aware of the consequences of doing so. A telling sign that a person is addicted to sex is when they try to withdraw from it but cannot. A sex addict might involuntary participate in sexual intercourse or some other form of sexual activity. Keeping themselves from involving in sexual activities can result in anxiety, uneasy sensations in the body, confusion and eventually compulsive behavior.

Here are some forms of sex addictions.

  • Uncontrolled use of pornography
  • Cybersex
  • Voyeurism
  • Exhibitionism
  • Uncontrolled masturbation
  • Adultery
  • Prostitution
  • Several affairs involving sex

Sexual addiction can make a person reach a point where the obsession with sex overshadows their relations, personal life, career, friends, self-esteem, and sense of well-being.

Sexual Addiction Reasons.

There can be many reasons why a person becomes a sex addict. A person who gets neglected during childhood can often end up as an addict. Among other types of addiction, they can become sex addicts too. On other occasions, it could be the environment in the house that doesn’t provide the right nurturing to the person to give more weight to the consequences of uncontrolled sex over desires to have it. Sometimes, a person is exposed to sex at a very early age, and this could lead to their hypersexuality.

An important thing to keep in mind here is that a person who is married to someone and has more than regular sex with their life partner is not classified as a sex addict. In fact, a sex addict is not interested in their life partner and rather seeks relief outside the relationship. They are addicted to being sexually involved and aroused by new people every time, hence the birth of exhibitionism, voyeurism, prostitution, and relationships besides a legal one.

While there is no set solution or medicine to cure this type of addiction, there are rehab programs that can certainly help. The most important part of the rehab for a sex addict is to identify the elements that trigger sexual thoughts and desires in the patient’s mind. The specialists at a rehab might also spend the first few days screening the patient to know that there isn’t a drug, medication or some other physical condition that’s causing sex addiction. One of the drugs that have proven to be very impressive in treating sex addiction is Naltrexone.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Sex Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Attitude of Gratitude

An Attitude of Gratitude

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Gratitude is defined as an acknowledgment of a benefit that an individual has received. Gratitude is an important part of recovery both in the early stages and throughout. Gratitude is not what someone has or does not have in life, it is a mental attitude. Having an attitude of gratitude is much more than a cliché, it can become a way of life.

Attitude of Gratitude.

An attitude of gratitude is gained through positive thinking. Positive thinking can increase mental and physical health. Having good mental and physical health can greatly aid the process of recovery. Just as with everything else in life, you must learn to practice an attitude of gratitude. This begins with small things. If you woke up alive be grateful your addiction has not taken your life, it has not spared everyone. Even in the most difficult of times you are alive and have the opportunity to change the way life is going. Try the following exercise.

Be Grateful.

Spend an entire day being grateful. Each hour take time to write down something you are grateful at that time. Whether you are grateful for something small like a beautiful flower that is just blooming or an hour spent playing with your children, write it down or share it with someone you trust. Do this for an entire day, each hour you are awake. Make sure that each thing you are grateful for is different. If negative thoughts enter your mind, turn them into a grateful moment by changing your perception.

Even something as negative as getting fired can be turned into a positive. Losing one’s job allows for time to find a new job and purpose in life. Perhaps it is an opportunity to follow your true passion or find something better. Keep the list you make and when you are feeling down or negative review it and add a new item.

Share.

Other ways to build an attitude of gratitude are to share what you are grateful for in life. Find a trusted friend to call, text, or otherwise share with the things you are grateful for each hour or day. Seek out opportunities to share your gratefulness. Sometimes simply sharing something joyful with someone else will help you and that person. So share your gratefulness. Finally, meditate on the good things in your life. If you focus on the good, there will be no time for the negative in life. This is a great way to get through the hard times in recovery.

Learn.

Learning to be grateful will take time. Addiction often closes off the ability to feel happy or grateful for anything. Our minds simply want the next fix and cannot focus on much else. This means you may need to practice mindful gratefulness every hour for a while, but it will become a positive habit in time. Will you take time to be grateful today? What are you grateful for at this moment? Waste no more time being stuck in the negative cycle of addiction and self hatred. Enjoy your life and what you can make of it with the right attitude.
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Triggers in Recovery

Triggers in Recovery

Articles, Australia, International, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Triggers in Recovery – Recovery from an active addiction is a life long process. Once you have decided to enter treatment or otherwise have your addiction treated then you must prepare yourself for going back out into the real world. Once you move out of treatment and back into the everyday chaos that is life you must be prepared to face the people, places, and things that once helped fuel your addiction. This means dealing with the triggers that may have once caused you to use your drug or substance of choice. This does not mean you are destined for failure, but it does mean you must be prepared for what is to come when out on your own.

Triggers in Recovery.

Triggers are any person, place, thing, or idea that creates a feeling of needing to use. Triggers in recovery are different for each person. For some this may be a particular street where a dealer was met, while for others it could be a certain song or type of music that always played while using. The first step in overcoming these triggers is to identify them for yourself. This is as simple as creating a personalized list of what triggers you. Be honest with yourself and write out a physical list of the people, places, and things that make you feel the need to use. These people, places, and things then need to be avoided when possible. This could mean that some people will be fully cut out of your life so recovery can continue. This could also mean that certain places need to be avoided for a length of time.

Cutting people out of your life can be a difficult decision, but if recovery is important then it may be necessary. The same is true of avoiding former places that allowed you to continue using. Certain things such as drug paraphernalia will also need to be removed. There is no point in tempting yourself with items that can easily be removed from your home. Now that you have decided to identify your triggers and avoid them when possible. You must consider what will happen if avoidance is not an option.

Be Prepared.

The unexpected tends to occur in life and a plan can be helpful in dealing with these occurrences. While some things like avoiding certain places can be dealt with by finding an alternate route to places you need to be. Other things like bumping into old friends who still use will often occur. This is when a plan comes in handy. Have a plan for what you will say to someone you cannot spend time with if you plan to stay in recovery. Be honest with that person that you are no longer using. If the person does not take the hint or tries to push you into using, then make an excuse to leave right away. Practice these conversations ahead of time so you are well prepared.

Recovery Plan.

In addition to having a plan and knowing what to avoid or how to get out of a situation, take care of yourself. Practicing good self-care will allow you to be strong enough to face these triggers when the time comes. Self-care and self-awareness will help you stay in recovery long term if you practice them often.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Facing your Fears in Recovery

Facing your Fears in Recovery

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Facing your Fears in Recovery. Entering into recovery from active addiction can be a stressful and fear filled prospect. The biggest step was made the instance you chose treatment over staying in active addiction. The next steps will be tough, but with hard work and dedication your life can change for the better. One aspect of our lives that addiction seems to take is emotion or at least appropriate emotions. The emotion that often reestablishes itself first is fear.

Fear in recovery is normal.

Addiction did not happen overnight and neither will recovery. Many people fear all the changes that occur physically, mentally, and emotionally. Once we decide to face this fear head on then recovery can continue. The first step in facing this fear is to realize that reality is not something you perceive, but that is created in your mind. This means that the fear is a product of your mind and can be altered. This is a profound lesson in that you now know that no matter what life throws at you, you can deal with it and learn from the experience. How you choose to handle fear can alter the outcome. So the question becomes, how do you handle the fear tat will eventually come to light?

Facing your Fears in Recovery, to handle the fear of and in recovery, first identify it and determine the cause of the actual fear. Are you putting off treatment because of the fear of withdraw? If so, realize that withdraw does occur, but will end. This aspect cannot go on forever. Are you afraid of how many changes will need to be made in your life? Focus on how those changes can make your life better.  Are you afraid of what others will think? Be honest with those around you, it is likely that they are aware of your addiction. If these people cannot be supportive it may be someone who cannot be in your life any longer.

This simply means that letting go of fears is as easy as changing the way you view those fears. There will be situations that cause fear, this is an inevitable part of life and recovery. When those fears come do not make excuses of why you are afraid, approach the fear and deal with it, finding the good in each situation. Each experience we have in life is one that can offer insight to ourselves and life in general. As we learn to face our fears we also learn to create a reality in which we are no longer continually afraid. This allows those in recovery to move forward toward a better life.

Facing Your Fears In Recovery.

Whether you are just considering treatment, starting rehab, or moving toward long term recovery you have the opportunity to create your reality. What will you choose? You have the rest of your life to grow and improve if you make the decision to do so by beating your addiction. So face your fears and create a reality you can take pride in over time. The rest of your life is waiting, stop living in the fear of addiction.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Addiction to sex

Characteristics & Illegalities Of Sex Addiction

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Addiction to sex is a very real problem. Many try to hide their obsession with sex. It is something that really must be brought out into the open and attended to with the help of professional counselling. Due to the nature of this problem it is often recommended that a stay as an inpatient at an established rehab facility be taken as this is seen as an ideal way to kick-start healing.

Defining sexual addiction:

This is not an easy thing to do, but, in short, sexual addiction belongs to those who are unable to control their sexual urges. Persistent thoughts of sex affect the working and social lives of sex addicts and makes it a struggle to fulfill normal daily activities. This behaviour leads to difficulties and break-down of relationships and a far poorer quality of life.

Sex addiction is also known as: Nymphomania in females and for men the term is “Satyriasis”.

Sharing some features of substance addiction:

Addiction to sex shares some features related to substance addiction, but in the case of sex a person is addicted to an activity as opposed to alcohol or drugs.

The person concerned has an insatiable desire to fulfill their sexual needs. The deeper these obsessions become the more entrenched the addiction. Similar to those addicted to substances, sex addicts realise their intentions and actions are wrong. But, their need is of far greater consideration than conforming to any of societies norms.

This can lead to problems, a particular one being:

A paraphilic disorder:

This disorder affects a person with recurrent and intensely arousing sexual fantasies, behaviours and urges that may be acceptable to themselves but are distressing or disabling to others. It includes the use of inanimate objects, non-consenting adults or children for sexual pleasure which leaves others involved feeling humiliated or subject to potential harm.

One paraphilic disorder known to all is pedophilia, whereby those affected are sexually aroused at the thought of sex involving minors. Any man or woman with feelings of this sort must seek urgent medical attention before law enforcement seeks them.

Typical behaviour:

Those with sex addiction issues display behaviour that ranges from furtive and secretive to openly-flouting themselves. Examples being:

  • Persistent use of pornography
  • Compulsive masturbation
  • Voyeurism
  • Exhibitionism
  • Participating in extreme acts of lewd sex
  • A complete failure to resist ever-present sexual impulses
  • Multiple sexual affairs – many going on at the same time
  • Constant one-night stands with strangers
  • Practising unsafe sex in unsafe environments – this is a potential double-whammy in terms of sexually transmitted diseases and danger to the person themselves
  • Excessive time spent on cybersex
  • Either visiting or practicing prostitution
Extreme attitudes:

The deeper sex addiction becomes, the more extreme a person’s sexual motives and attitudes will increase. This includes situations such as:

  • The inability to contain their own sexual urges and to respect boundaries of those they are sexually involved with.
  • Their levels of sexual activity lead to a detachment which they find harder to emotionally satisfy
  • Obsessing sexually after others and openly displaying this fact, but quickly moving on to the next obsession
  • Feelings of guilt and shame that although recognized are not acted upon due to the pull of sex
  • An increasing and recurrent need to engage in extreme acts of lewd sex
  • Engaging in excessive sexual behaviour for longer than intended and without boundaries.
Addiction To Sex – Tried but failed to stop:

Those who have tried to control their sexual urges or have tried to cease obsessive sexual behaviour but failed must seek urgent addiction treatment. The longer you leave this much needed treatment, the greater your problems will become.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Sex Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.