Should Sex Addiction Have a Treatment?

[Dyeva]

I don't know if I fully know what the 'right' answer would be, but I do know that I have my say on the matter. My sister, although she is a stepsister, is probably one of the best friends I've ever had. I say had because we've grown apart over the last few months actually. She's 10 months younger then me but has a problem much larger then she should have to handle at her age. She has slept with at least 14 men that she has admitted to and she doesn't seem to want to stop. It's so hard to watch her think she's falling for a guy and then just turn out to be used again. I hate it, it's one of the most difficult things I've ever had to go through.

I mean I feel like I have to be with her all the time to act as her conscience of sorts, but I know that I can't. I have work and a life of my own with its own problems. I can't take on hers as well.

The thing that makes it even harder is that we know there's not really a good treatment place for this. I mean on television you see all sorts of intervention type programs for alcohol, drugs, abuse and things of that nature but there really is nothing that my family can do to help out one of our loved ones.

Just read this I guess and let me know what you think about what I/we can do to help her out.

[freud]

I do not believe that sex can be addicting. As a matter of fact I do not believe in the majority of "addictions." By definition, an addiction is: "a state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning."  Well someone can survive and a body can survive without sex. The same guys with nicotine, alcohol and all other drugs. Yes drugs can form a behavioral want, however they never become so that you will die or your body will simply cease to function if they are taken away.

[viv.brav]

I agree with freud. Actually, its the state of mind that makes it to become an addiction. And when it comes to your sister, who knows what is going on in her mind. Its easy to point a finger at anyone without knowing their side of the story. If possible talk to her and try to know what is the actual things that has made her this way.  And i m sure you will find out the real pain in her life, which is leading her to this.

[Honesty]

Sometimes medication can support the treatment of a sex addiction, but:

1.Medication should always be a choice that you make in consultation with your doctor or a therapist.
2.Try medication for at least a month to find out if it has a chance of success.
3.Sometimes medication is simply necessary to support recuperation.
4.Medication brings rest and structure and can be supportive in that sense.
5.Usually, in the case of psychopharmaca, everybody should find out which medicine works best for him/her; there is not a standard medicine that works for each sex addict. So be prepared for the possibility that you will not have success immediately or have to search some time for the right medicine and dose.
6.Medication is your choice; it is not a 'must'. Enough sex addicts have been cured without medication.
The term "sexual addiction" is used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex. Sex and the thought of sex tend to dominate the sex addict's thinking, making it difficult to work or engage in healthy personal relationships.

Sex addicts engage in distorted thinking, often rationalizing and justifying their behavior and blaming others for problems. They generally deny they have a problem and make excuses for their actions.

Sexual addiction also is associated with risk-taking. A person with a sex addiction engages in various forms of sexual activity, despite the potential for negative and/or dangerous consequences. In addition to damaging the addict's relationships and interfering with his or her work and social life, a sexual addiction also puts the person at risk for emotional and physical injury.

[SWM]

to the op, there are already treatments for sex addictition finding the right sort of treatment is another matter.

about your step-sister, i am not convinced she has a problem, possibley the problem is with yourself. sleeping with 14 men is not alot of men. she is still only young and possibley enjoys having sex but enjoying sex and sleeping around does not mean she has a sex addiction, it means she is healthy. you said that she does not seem to want to stop, so what would be the point of finding a treatment, she would not make any change in her behaviour any way because she is doing what she enjoys.

[watson]

to the op, there are already treatments for sex addictition finding the right sort of treatment is another matter.

about your step-sister, i am not convinced she has a problem, possibley the problem is with yourself. sleeping with 14 men is not alot of men. she is still only young and possibley enjoys having sex but enjoying sex and sleeping around does not mean she has a sex addiction, it means she is healthy. you said that she does not seem to want to stop, so what would be the point of finding a treatment, she would not make any change in her behaviour any way because she is doing what she enjoys.

Sleeping with 14 men is indeed a problem. It may not be psychological, bot socially, yes. A word to sum it up is "whore."

However, sex is not addicting, it is behaviorally rewarding. It makes an individual feel good and satisfied and gets reinforced into their head as a good thing to do. But the body never builds up a dependence on it, therefore it is not addicting.