Sexual Addiction Treatment and Assessment 1
Assessment
Many addiction treatment professionals limit the concept of addictive disorders to substance- induced disorders. This view advocates that an addictive disorder is caused by the effect on the brain of a drug ingested by mouth, injected with a needle, or inhaled mood-altering chem- icals. Addictive behaviors do not just consist of substances but also excessive, compulsive, out-of-control behavior such as compulsive gambling, compulsive overeating, or compulsive sexual behavior, cannot possibly be an addiction because no chemical is being consumed. The debate comes into question when the behavior becomes a problem, or when excessive or com- pulsive behavior occurs, or even mania
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Because it is overlooked due to the chemical dependency it also contributes greatly to the spread of HIV.
The compulsive behavior associated with individuals whom suffer from sexual addiction causes behavior among sex addicts to have multiple sex partners. This behavior also causes individuals suffering from the addiction not to practice safe sex and if they are addicted to a chemical sub- stance too, they may exchange sex for drugs. We know that substance abuse dependence is de- fined as a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication, mark- edly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance, withdrawal a- long with the need to relieve by taking more of the drug, and a desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control the substance. These are a few characteristics needed in a twelve month period to show you are addicted to a chemical substance. Sexual Addiction Assessment and Treatment 2
To determine if you are addicted to a sexual behavior there will be compulsivity which is loss of ability to choose freely whether to stop or continue a behavior, along with a continuation
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Ultimately it causes them to deal with their true feelings. Psychotherapy which gives the addict ways to deal with shame, child- hood trauma, and false beliefs, which has caused them to act out. Followed by sex therapy, which set boundaries on certain behaviors. This could keep the individual from falling back into the sex addiction cycle and cause them to relapse. If they are married or in a relationship there may be a need for couple counseling to attempt to save the relationship that has been fractured by the addiction and pursuit to satisfy it no matter what the cost. Sexual Addiction Assessment and Treatment 4
Drug therapies are a major treatment in the addiction of sexual disorders. SSRI’s such as flux- xetine, sertraline, paroxetine, and fluvoxamine to inhibit orgasm is a benefit in treating some sex addicts. It has been reported that SSRI’s modulate the intensity of their sexual preoccupation and suppress compulsive fantasies, allowing them to become more fully engaged in treatments and self-help groups. Other clinicians report relief of sexual obsessions with imipramine
don’t believe they have an addiction problem Avoid generalizations. Negative consequences are very precise in
And in the long run, I don’t think that it’s worth it to showcase needle exchange as the top preventer of the transmission of HIV. I am all for methadone treatment because of the fact that opiates are extremely hard to get off and in this way it is proven that the addicts can at least try to assimilate themselves back into normal living if that is their wish.
Hyper Sexual addiction is a disorder that can be defined as a person having a habitually elevated sex drive, fantasies, and urges. Nevertheless, compared to other sexual addictions, this could be known as one of the most riskiest and dangerous addiction. Hyper Sexual Addiction has become more prevalent because of the infidelities amongst some celebrities and political figures. Sexual addiction has always existed, but because of technology and social media, people have become more aware of it. People who suffer from this disorder are like drug addicts that crave drugs; they think they can stop, but the urges are constantly there. According to An Elements Behavioral Health article (2016), for the sex addict, sexual activity provides an intense,
Medicalization describes the shift in authority concerning abnormal human conditions. Quirks previously seen as by-products of maturation began to see heavy examination and were classified under medical terms. As a result, the past few decades have seen an obscene number of compulsions and disorders deemed medical conditions, further exacerbating the unnecessary institutionalization of many harmless irregularities. This string coincides with the growing popularity of sex addiction and the debate over its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The mere thought of such a neurotic desire potentially joining the DSM alongside major mental and learning disorders epitomizes the depths to which society has sunk in recognition of truly straining abnormalities. The medicalization of sex addiction demonstrates the lengths at which medical authority will go to inject another fabricated disease into the blood of society.
In relation to drug abuse, relapse is resuming the use of a chemical substance or drug after a period of abstinence. The term can be said to be a landmark feature of a combination of substance abuse and substance independence. The propensity for dependency, repeated use, and tendencies that take the form of the substance being used, are some of the issues that drug users’ experience. Substances that enhance most severe tendencies in users and pose high pharmacological efficacy, are those that are cleared quickly from the body, in addition to those that bring out the highest tolerance. There can be increased substance tolerance with the increasing dependency in relation to drug in question, and withdrawals and cravings when the user stops.
Sex is a beautiful thing that happens between two people, but sometimes sex can become addictive, and like with any other addiction, it can ruin lives. Patricia is in her mid-thirties, and to those who know her, she is a soccer mom with a successful career. But after her marriage ended due to her husband’s affair, Patricia became insecure, and started exploring dating sites on the internet – soon, Patricia was going on dates, sex dates - and in an interview with the Philadelphia Weekly, she admits that she is addicted to sex, and there is a problem. The American Psychiatric Association and Diagnostic (APAD) and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) don’t recognize the abuse of sex as an addiction. Although not recognize as an addiction, the abuse of sex has the same qualities as drug addiction and should be recognized as a medical condition.
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.
The Jewish Day School Agenda in the Post-WWII Period (1945-1970). Abstract One of the most significant educational changes that took place during the post-World War II period in America would be the creation of Jewish Day Schools. These schools were formed so Jewish-American students could attend and study at an all-Jewish school, rather than the public schools around them. These schools allow students to study in Hebrew and English and be surrounded by peers like themselves.
""Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" - Drug Abuse and Addiction." Web. 14 Dec. 2010.
CHAPTER TWO: WHAT IS SEXUAL ADDICTION? This chapter explores aberrant sexual behaviors that share common characteristics and consequences. The following are representative examples of the definition of sexual addiction.
Addiction, a compulsive psychological need for a habit-forming substance according to an online dictionary (p). In this instance, the substance is sex or masturbation. A sex addict needs progressively more and more explicit pornographic material in order to become aroused. Their behavior becomes centered on different sexual experiences and the desire to attain them. The person cannot control their sexual appetites resulting in severe consequences for themselves and others. Sex addiction is a lifelong problem that needs to be contained in order to avoid continued complications. Shame, secretiveness, and abusiveness in a person accompany the addiction. Treatment is available in different forms; however, because this subject is relatively new a cure is not known. An important question is arising around this subject is whether or not sex addiction results from nature or nurture.
Drug abuse dates as far back as the Biblical era, so it is not a new phenomenon. “The emotional and social damage and the devastation linked to drugs and their use is immeasurable.” The ripple of subversive and detrimental consequences from alcoholism, drug addictions, and addictive behavior is appalling. Among the long list of effects is lost productivity, anxiety, depression, increased crime rate, probable incarceration, frequent illness, and premature death. The limitless consequences include the destruction to personal development, relationships, and families (Henderson 1-2). “Understandably, Americans consider drug abuse to be one of the most serious problems” in the fabric of society. And although “addiction is the result of voluntary drug use, addiction is no longer voluntary behavior, it’s uncontrollable behavior,” says Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Torr 12-13).
The ranges of sexually addictive behaviors are various. Sexual addictive behaviors include, but are not limited to compulsive masturbation, multiple affairs, unsafe sex, sexual anorexia, multiple or anonymous partners, pornography viewing, phone or cybersex, voyeurism, and exhibitionism (National, Sex). Despite the differences in the acting out behaviors, sexual addictions all have the same common denominator in their origins and aspects in relation to their developments. Thus, the underlying causes are the same.
People have different opinions and ideas about normal or abnormal sexual behaviors. Sex is common all over the world, and all people are interested in it. The most common disorders are homosexuality, sexual dysfunctions, and sexual deviation. The only reason why these disorders are unique is due to the norm established by society, but they are not necessarily abnormal (Dombeck, 2002).