If the addict is ready to make a commitment to his own recovery there is hope for him or her. As a result of decades of clinical experience, research with recovering addicts and new findings from brain science, we can help addicts design individualized treatment programs that work. We know what they must do to regain wellness and that it is possible because many have made the journey before them.
When I work with sex addicts who are considering recovery, I often ask them this question: “You are willing to risk everything for a “fix; would you be willing to do what ever it takes to get well?” If the addict is ready to make recovery the first priority, he can get his life back and regain the ability to have healthy relationships. He must accept that he is out of control and that he needs the help and guidance from others — two huge stumbling blocks for addicts.
STARPRO, my outpatient program for sex addiction, is an example of many treatment programs that are available. It begins with a sex addiction assessment and evaluation of underlying issues such as depression or trauma. It includes individual therapy, sexual sobriety group, 12-step work and other components. By actively committing himself to the treatment the addict can stop using, come out of denial, understand the brain disorder of sex addiction, recognize the negative core beliefs and irrational thinking that keeps him trapped in self-destructive patterns and develop more adaptive and mature responses to emotions and life challenges.
The addict can regain his or her authentic self — the basis of healthy self esteem and healthy relationships with friends, family and partner. In the words of Alice Miller “Where there had been a fearful emptiness…there is now unfolding a wealth of vitality. It is not a homecoming since this home had never before existed. It is the discovery of home.”
Sex Addiction Overview
