Sexual addiction is a disease of the mind, body, and soul. If not dealt with quickly and directly it will have devastating consequences for the individual and those he or she loves. For the sex addict it is important to understand what type of sex addict they are because that will dictate what type of treatment is needed. In his book “Final Freedom” Dr. Douglas Weiss outlines at least six types of sex addicts.
The first type of sex addict is the Biological Sex Addict. According to Dr. Weiss, “Almost all sex addicts have a biological component.” He goes on to say this type of addict has “created the neuroconditioning cycle in a steady manner leading them to sexual addiction.” In other words, the individual has biologically created neuropathways that “pleasure glue the addict to object relationship sex (porn, fantasy, or disconnected sex with people).”
The second type of sex addict is the Psychological Sex Addict. This type of sex addict has had some type of abuse or neglect in their life. As Dr. Weiss states, “They medicate the past or the pain in their souls with acting out sexually which is their form of medicine.”
The third type of sex addict is the Spiritual Based Sex Addict. According to Dr. Weiss, “This addict is looking for a spiritual connection in all the wrong places.” They are seeking to fill their spiritual hole with sex.
The fourth type of sex addict is the Trauma Based Sex Addict. Dr. Weiss say, “The trauma based sex addict has experienced sexual trauma(s) as a child or adolescent. This trauma becomes the major repetitive behavior in this sexual addiction. If the addict has experienced a particular trauma then this trauma behavior becomes the addict’s predominant fantasy, porn selection and reenactment in their sex addiction.”
The fifth type of sex addict is the Intimacy Anorexic Sex Addict. Here there is a with holding of intimacy. Dr. Weiss states, “If you believe that five or more of the following criteria apply to you then you are probably an intimacy anorexic: Withhold love, Withholding praise or appreciation, Control by silence/anger, Criticism causing isolation, Withholding sex, Blaming partner for everything, Staying very busy to avoid partner time, Control/Shame with money issues, Unable to share feelings, and/or Withholding spiritual connection.”
The sixth type of sex addict is the Sex Addict with Mood Disorders. Here the individual has chemical imbalances that cause them some type of depression and over the years the way they medicated the chemical imbalance was through sexual acting out. In this case most these individuals will need to see a psychiatrist as part of their treatment plan.
These six types only scratch the surface of what goes into diagnosing and treating sexual addiction. If you are concerned that you have a sexual addiction don’t wait any long to get help. Your road to recovery is just around the corner. Feel free to give me a call to setup your appointment to recovery today.
Written By:
Reid Wood, MA, LPC, SRT