sex addicts
Intimacy-obsessed individuals
Sex addicts is the plural of sex addict—someone who compulsively engages in sexual behavior despite negative consequences.
The term frames excessive sexual activity as an addiction comparable to alcoholism or drug dependency, though its validity as a clinical diagnosis remains debated.
The support group was for sex addicts and their partners.
Often used self-deprecatingly or as an excuse for infidelity.
Powerful urge to have
- urgeStrong inner drive
- impulseSudden urge to act
- driveOperate a vehicle
- compulsive behaviorUncontrollable repetitive action pattern
acting out · uncontrollable · ritualistic · escalation · tolerance · loss of control · preoccupation · hypersexuality
Painful awareness of failure
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- denialRefusal to accept reality
hiding · judgment · misconception · stereotype · weakness · perversion · dirty · deviant
Recovery from injury/addiction
- sobrietyUnimpaired mental state
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- 12-stepAddiction recovery framework
- sponsorFunder of activities
meetings · support groups · accountability · boundaries · relapse prevention · triggers · withdrawal · white-knuckling
Breaking of trust
- infidelityDisloyalty to a partner
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- partnersJoint venture participants
- disclosureAct of revealing information
boundaries · codependency · enabling · impact · rebuilding · couples therapy · hurt · lying
Curative mental treatment
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- attachmentConnection or fondness
objectification · fantasy · dissociation · emotional regulation · cognitive-behavioral · self-medication · numbing · escapism
craving
Powerful urge to have
compulsive behavior · acting out · uncontrollable · ritualistic · escalation · tolerance · loss of control · preoccupation · hypersexuality · pornography
shame
Painful awareness of failure
denial · hiding · judgment · misconception · stereotype · weakness · perversion · dirty · deviant · disclosure
rehabilitation
Recovery from injury/addiction
- sobrietyUnimpaired mental state
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- 12-stepAddiction recovery framework
sponsor · meetings · support groups · accountability · boundaries · relapse prevention · triggers · withdrawal · white-knuckling · slips
betrayal
Breaking of trust
- infidelityDisloyalty to a partner
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- partnersJoint venture participants
disclosure · boundaries · codependency · enabling · impact · rebuilding · couples therapy · hurt · lying · gaslighting
therapy
Curative mental treatment
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- traumaLasting psychological wound
attachment · objectification · fantasy · dissociation · emotional regulation · cognitive-behavioral · self-medication · numbing · escapism · dopamine