How do you rehab for sex addiction?

I just read David Duchovny got out of rehab for sex addiction, and the first thing that crossed my mind is how do you rehab for sex addiction?

Are there withdrawals? Do they bind your hands behind your back? Do they shock you while making you watch pron?

Serious question.....honest! (please keep it clean )

Peace

[edit on 10-10-2008 by Dr Love]

Sex Addiction Treatment

Treatment of sex addiction

Overcoming sexual compulsivity and addiction starts with recognizing that you are out of control sexually. Getting to that point requires taking a hard look at yourself and the problems - emotional, physical, financial, or legal - caused by your sexual behavior. Is your life un-manageable because of your sexual behavior?

Treatment focus

Treatment will focus on two main issues. The first is the logistical concerns of separating you from harmful sexual behavior in the same way drug addicts need to be separated from drugs.

Accomplishing this might require inpatient or residential treatment for several weeks. An inpatient setting protects you from the abundance of sexual images and specific situations or people that trigger compulsive sexual behavior. It's simply harder to relapse in a structured and tightly controlled setting. Sometimes, you can succeed in an outpatient setting with adequate social, family and spiritual support.

The second and most difficult issue involves facing the guilt, shame and depression associated with this illness. It takes trust and time with a competent therapist to work through these emotions. If you are very depressed, the best treatment might be an inpatient residential setting where professionals can monitor and properly manage your symptoms.

12-Step Programs
Twelve-step programs, such as Sexaholics Anonymous, apply principles similar to those used in other addiction programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. However, unlike AA, where the goal is complete abstinence from all alcohol, SA pursues abstinence only from compulsive, destructive sexual behavior. By admitting powerlessness over their addictions, seeking the help of God or a higher power, following the required steps, seeking a sponsor and regularly attending meetings, many addicts have been able to regain intimacy in their personal relationships.

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
This approach looks at what triggers and reinforces actions related to sexual addiction and looks for methods of short-circuiting the process. Treatment approaches include teaching addicts to stop sexual thoughts by thinking about something else; substituting sexual behavior with some other behavior, such as exercising or working out; and preventing the relapse of addictive behavior.

Interpersonal Therapy
People addicted to sex often have significant emotional baggage from their early lives. Traditional "talk therapy" can be helpful in increasing self control and in treating related mood disorders and effects of past trauma.

Group Therapy
Group therapy typically consists of a healthcare professional working with a group of between six and 10 patients. Working with other addicts allows you to see that your problem is not unique. It also enables you to learn about what works and what doesn't from others' experiences, and draw on others' strengths and hopes. A group format is ideal for confronting the denial and rationalizations common among addicts. Such confrontation from other addicts is powerful not only for the addict being confronted, but also for the person doing the confronting, who learns how personal denial and rationalization sustained addiction.

Medication
Recent research suggests that certain psychiatric medications -- namely 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.

Hmmmm.....Sounds to me like isolation therapy to a degree. Along with airing out dirty laundry in group therapy and medication. The medication, antidepressants, can really lower sex drive.

I guess isolation, quasi-humiliation, and medicating one to reduce the chance of sexual pleasure could work.....

[edit on 10/10/2008 by skeptic1]

Originally posted by Dr Love
How do you rehab for sex addiction?

1. marry my wife
2. hypnotize you to think you are married to my wife
3. subliminal messages that tell you that you are in a unbearable situation as result of your being MARRIED TO MY WIFE


seriously, I would imagine the best cure of sex addiction would be to marry my wife.

ok, I think I got it out of my system.

I guess you get counselling to try and come to terms with the concept of monogamy and curbing your desires. some kind of reprogramming that causes you to think about your actions and think about the people around you and how your actions will hurt them and hurt you and I guess you try to get a handle on your emotions and your desires.

sex addiction is, in my mind, a pathetic attempt to get out of trouble for being caught cheating. drug and alcohol addiction is rather simple. body needs the chemical alteration provided by booze or drugs. walk into a bar, buy a drink or do what you need to get your drugs and take them. sex addicition is a rather lengthy process for procuring said contraband and, unless you're David Duchoveny or me, getting a willing participant isn't a sure thing so you should really be able to fight the urge. It's not like you just walk into a room and grab someone and say "c'mon, I need a fix."

well, I can do that and Duchoveny probably can.

if someone really couldn't control their need for sex and they were constantly acting on the need, the treatment is actually rather simple.

snip snip, castrate em

Originally posted by Crakeur

...just walk into a room and grab someone and say "c'mon, I need a fix."

well, I can do that and Duchoveny probably can...

Oh, you're very sure of yourself, I see *LOL* :-)

I think that sex addiction is a real anankasm, a psychic desease and not so easy to handle. The same like alcohol or drug addiction. Not that it concerns me, I never had any addictions, but I know somebody who is addicted to alcohol. He didn't drink for over 20 years now, but he is still battling against it... I know him very well and so I know how hard this is. And I admire everyone who did manage it to stop drinking or doing drugs.

Sex addiction cannot be equated to alcohol or drug addiction in my mind. With alcohol and drugs, you are putting chemicals into your body that change you and your body chemistry on physical and mental/emotional levels.

With sex addiction you are putting....well, it's pretty obvious what you are putting your body into or having put in your body. And, while sex is fun (and it can be great fun) it doesn't change the makeup of your body or mind.

So, where treatment may be similar, the "addictions" themselves are quite different.

reply to post by skeptic1


Well, sex addiction is more an anankasm. You don't put any chemicals into your body, that's right, but your brain discharges endorphins in answer to it, and this is the same what happens by doing any drugs.

I guess that's the reason why the treatments are similar :-)

reply to post by Kimba


Well, that being the case, I can see wanting that rush of endorphines, but I can't see someone physically needing that rush to avoid horrible physical withdrawels. I guess that is why I draw the distinction between chemical addiction and addictions to shopping or gambling or sex.

Why would someone want rehab for sexual addiction? Isn't it a good thing?