Sexual Recovery is a five-day workshop that examines sexual compulsive issues and behaviors. Often we do not talk about our sexual experiences because the subject carries too much shame. This workshop helps to lift the shame and resolve sexual dilemmas and self-destructive behaviors. Chief among these compulsive behaviors are:

• Sexual obsession and intrigue
• Compulsive masturbation with or without pornography
• Compulsive use of cybersex
• Use of prostitutes, strip clubs, peeping or sex bookstores
• Exposing oneself
• Multiple or serial relationships

The Sexual Recovery workshop is best for those who want to

• Jumpstart their recovery process
• Prevent relapse
• Acquire tools to support continuing recovery

These workshops are scheduled as “men only” and “woman only” and are offered periodically throughout 2010. More detailed information about the Sexual Recovery workshop is available by visiting our website or by emailing our Intake Department.

And for commentary on the topic of Sexual Addiction, please visit Maureen Canning’s blog on the subject.

On a related note, the work of The Meadows Senior Clinical Advisor Pia Mellody was described in an article on love addiction on Albany.com. The article outlines Mellody’s book Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love , and describes the symptoms, causes, and steps to overcome love addiction.

For more information on the treatment of sexual addiction, visit The Meadows,  The Meadows Dakota or Maureen Canning’s Sexual Addiction Blog.

• How sexual addiction differs from other addictions
• The cycle of sexual addiction
• The ideology of sexual disorders
• How shame and avoidance impede intervention
• The driving forces behind sexual addiction
• Whether people who have other addictions are more likely to become sex addicted
• Some underlying causes of sexual addiction
• Clues and symptoms of a potential sexual addiction

To listen to or read a transcript of the interview, visit the Behavioral Health Central website. To learn more about inpatient treatment for sexual compulsivity, visit www.themeadows.org, or for information on extended care for sexual recovery, visit www.themeadowsdakota.com.

Sex is one of the most powerful forces in the human condition. It can drive individuals to the pinnacle of emotional and physical ecstasy or, conversely, spiral other people into depths of despair and anguish. The power of sexual energy and expression exists because our sexuality is tied, or connected, to the core of who we are; it is our essence, our life force, our creativity, and our passion.

A sense of self means an inner knowing, a clarity of our true nature or authenticity. In healthy sexual expression, there is desire, connection, and a sense of well-being. The act of expressing one’s self sexually results in a positive, life-enhancing experience; it is an expression of love, an exchange of mutual pleasuring and respect that leads to an intimate connection.

The sexual compulsive person may think this is what he or she is experiencing. However, the opposite is true. Sex for the addict is about intensity, danger, power, and control. It is about emotional numbing, conquering, and getting high. Sex becomes a commodity to be manipulated, a means to a selfdefeating end. Sex and love become a game to play, an avoidance, a push/pull, or a hunger so powerful that the addict will risk everything to reach that sexual high.

No risk or consequence has stopped the addict: disease, financial ruin, lost relationships, legal injunctions, career setbacks, or self-respect. The addict is caught in an intoxicating dance that
has induced a delusional reality.

This is the cycle of sex addiction, and it is deadly—not always in physical form, but most assuredly in emotional experience. This “soul” death is temporarily allayed when the addict is on the “hunt” for sex or, at the other extreme, is avoiding sex at all costs. At either end of the spectrum, the addict feels in control and powerful. This is the high, a chemical release that is as addicting as any drug. When these chemicals—or the high— are induced, euphoria washes over the addict, creating the illusion
of complete immunity to the realities of his or her internal ache.

Sexual addiction is not a moral issue; it is a coping mechanism born out of the addict’s wounding. The types of wounding can be as diverse as the addicts themselves. Not all addicts are aware of their “wounding,” as abuse or trauma is often covert. When a person is wounded or traumatized, he or she must learn to cope, often without understanding or support. In order to cope or escape their painful realities, addicts may use drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, staying busy, controlling others, or work. Sex addicts escape through sex.

The second half of this book excerpt is available in the September issue of The Cutting Edge.