Four Misconceptions About Sex Addiction

The other day I sat down with Last Resort staff member Irving Najman to discuss Sex Addiction. Irving Najman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist.Sex Addiction is a problem that is becoming increasingly more common both as a dual addiction with substance abuse, as well as a primary diagnosis. During the course of our conversation Irving identified four common misconceptions regarding men and sexual issues.

  1. “It’s not a real addiction” – While sex addiction does not involve the consumption of substances, it does involve the consumption of experiences and often the visual consumption of pornographic images. Society encourages a view of men as being hypersexual creatures, which makes it much harder to identify excessive sexual behaviors as being unhealthy.
  1. “We shouldn’t talk about it” – Men and women are taught very little about sex. Parents do not bring it up because they might feel it is uncomfortable or taboo. They have fear that they will be encouraging sex and, as a result, never have an honest heart to heart about sex. Furthermore, school based sex education programs or becoming more rare and often don’t teach much beyond the mechanics of sexual activity.
  1. “Porn doesn’t hurt anyone” – Any behavior that is interfering with life functioning and relationship is damaging. Porn impacts this by separating the individuals in a relationship and preventing true intimacy. In addition, exposure to pornography during adolescences can impact the developing mind and stunt emotional maturity as well as distort views of sexual norms.
  1. “Sex = Intimacy” – Men often move towards sexual relationships quickly with the idea that emotional intimacy will develop as a result of this. However, this is not the case. There is a process to creating healthy intimate relationships. It involves an investment of time as well as a willingness to grow and learn about the other individual.

To learn more about sexual addiction and how The Last Resort can help your loved one please call: 512-750-6750