How to treat sex addicts
A few years ago, there was a Jesuit Catholic priest who used to offer counselling to sex addicts in Uganda. He was the most successful sex addiction therapist in the country. He has since left the country for treatment abroad.
By Oscar Bamuhigire
A few years ago, there was a Jesuit Catholic priest who used to offer counselling to sex addicts in Uganda. He was the most successful sex addiction therapist in the country. He has since left the country for treatment abroad.
Sex addicts can, however, get help from clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and addiction counsellors conversant with sex addiction, in Uganda today.
Most of these programmes approach sex addiction with the same strategies that have proven effective in treating chemical dependency.
“Unlike drug or alcohol treatment, the goal of sexual addiction treatment is not life-long abstinence,†sex addiction experts, Dr John M. Grohol, Dr Michael Herkov and Dr Mark S. Gold, explain, “But rather a termination of compulsive, unhealthy sexual behaviour. Since it is very difficult for a sex addict to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy sex, programmes usually encourage abstinence from any sexual behaviour during the first-phase of treatment.â€
Many programmes suggest a 60 to 90-day period of self-imposed abstinence. This enables the addict and the treatment team to understand the emotional cues and circumstances that trigger sexual thought and compulsive sexual behaviour. Treatment for sex addicts often focuses on two main issues. The first is the logistical concerns of separating one from harmful sexual behaviour in the same way drug addicts need to be separated from drugs. This means a sex addict may have to be put into a residential treatment centre for weeks or taken away from tempting environments. An inpatient setting protects the addict from the abundance of sexual images and specific situations or people that trigger compulsive sexual behaviour.
It is simply harder to relapse in a structured and tightly controlled setting. Sometimes, the addict can succeed in an outpatient setting with adequate social, family and spiritual support.
The second and most difficult issue concerns the emotions, which ‘haunt’ the addict – facing the guilt, shame and depression associated with this illness.
It takes trust and time with a competent therapist to work through these emotions.
Medication
Recent research suggests that certain psychiatric medications – antidepressants, may be useful in treating sexual addiction. In addition to treating mood symptoms common among sex addicts, these medications may have some benefit in reducing sexual obsessions.
Counselling will also often involve group therapy that allows couples to work on the more intimate issues of their relationship. This is important because the sex addict needs the help of his partner if he is to recover and avoid a relapse.
Because sex addiction ruins relationships, such group therapy helps the sex addict to repair his damaged relationship. A good therapist helps in the disclosure process facilitated by trained staff that understand the vulnerability of each family member and make appropriate decisions about which family members need to hear what information about the specific symptoms and behaviours.
This is essential in developing a therapeutic relationship between the patient and family. Counselling also provides education about sexual addiction and compulsiveness that clarifies misconceptions about this highly misunderstood behaviour.
Ends
A few years ago, there was a Jesuit Catholic priest who used to offer counselling to sex addicts in Uganda. He was the most successful sex addiction therapist in the country. He has since left the country for treatment abroad.
Sex addicts can, however, get help from clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and addiction counsellors conversant with sex addiction, in Uganda today.
Most of these programmes approach sex addiction with the same strategies that have proven effective in treating chemical dependency.
“Unlike drug or alcohol treatment, the goal of sexual addiction treatment is not life-long abstinence,†sex addiction experts, Dr John M. Grohol, Dr Michael Herkov and Dr Mark S. Gold, explain, “But rather a termination of compulsive, unhealthy sexual behaviour. Since it is very difficult for a sex addict to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy sex, programmes usually encourage abstinence from any sexual behaviour during the first-phase of treatment.â€
Many programmes suggest a 60 to 90-day period of self-imposed abstinence. This enables the addict and the treatment team to understand the emotional cues and circumstances that trigger sexual thought and compulsive sexual behaviour. Treatment for sex addicts often focuses on two main issues. The first is the logistical concerns of separating one from harmful sexual behaviour in the same way drug addicts need to be separated from drugs. This means a sex addict may have to be put into a residential treatment centre for weeks or taken away from tempting environments. An inpatient setting protects the addict from the abundance of sexual images and specific situations or people that trigger compulsive sexual behaviour.
It is simply harder to relapse in a structured and tightly controlled setting. Sometimes, the addict can succeed in an outpatient setting with adequate social, family and spiritual support.
The second and most difficult issue concerns the emotions, which ‘haunt’ the addict – facing the guilt, shame and depression associated with this illness.
It takes trust and time with a competent therapist to work through these emotions.
Medication
Recent research suggests that certain psychiatric medications – antidepressants, may be useful in treating sexual addiction. In addition to treating mood symptoms common among sex addicts, these medications may have some benefit in reducing sexual obsessions.
Counselling will also often involve group therapy that allows couples to work on the more intimate issues of their relationship. This is important because the sex addict needs the help of his partner if he is to recover and avoid a relapse.
Because sex addiction ruins relationships, such group therapy helps the sex addict to repair his damaged relationship. A good therapist helps in the disclosure process facilitated by trained staff that understand the vulnerability of each family member and make appropriate decisions about which family members need to hear what information about the specific symptoms and behaviours.
This is essential in developing a therapeutic relationship between the patient and family. Counselling also provides education about sexual addiction and compulsiveness that clarifies misconceptions about this highly misunderstood behaviour.
Ends