The Remorse and Regret Associated with Sex Addiction for Sufferers

The Remorse and Regret Associated with Sex Addiction for Sufferers

There are lots of misconceptions surrounding sex addiction. One of the most common being that a sex addict is simply someone with a high sex drive, who thinks about sex all the time. In actual fact, sex addiction has nothing to do with a person’s sex drive, it’s a disorder that manifests from much deeper running sources. Some of these sources include genetic predisposition, underlying traumas, repetitive exposure to triggers, avoidance behavior, stress, emotional pain and even depression.

For addicts, sex is used as a coping mechanism. It makes them feel better in the moment but afterwards, they are often left with feelings of deep remorse, guilt and shame. This is the same way a drug addict experiences a crashing ‘come-down’ off a drug high. Because addicts use sex as a coping mechanism for negative emotions, the feelings of regret they experience after acting on their urges, only serves to push them further into their addiction and continue the destructive cycle.

So, what is the remedy for all of this?

It needs to start with a wider recognition that sex addiction is a disorder of the brain and not simply ‘promiscuity’. Many addicts neglect to seek help for fear of being judged in this way.

Once an addict has been brave enough to seek help from a sex addiction therapist, they will need to discover the real, underlying reason they are self-medicating with sex. Revisiting painful or traumatic events is an uncomfortable but necessary aspect of sex addiction therapy. If you are considering seeking help for your addiction, rest assured, a sex addiction specialist will help guide you through the process.

Take the sex addiction test here and contact our Sydney based therapists to get the help you need today.