AlterNet: Too Much Sex? No Such Thing — Why Sex Addiction Is Total B.S.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 1:49 PM and filed under Health, Human Interest. Follow comments here with the RSS 2.0 feed. Skip to the end and leave a response. Trackbacks are closed.
4 Responses to “AlterNet: Too Much Sex? No Such Thing — Why Sex Addiction Is Total B.S.”
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This writer does not have the SLIGHTEST idea what he is talking about, and is doing a dangerous disservice to thousands of sex addicts.
“Addiction was originally and properly defined as a physiological dependence on a substance to which the body had grown accustomed, such as alcohol, nicotine, heroin and various other drugs. The cure was to end the dependency and abstain from further use of the substance in order to avoid a recurrence of the physiological dependency.”
WRONG! Addiction need not be to a physical substance, and need not be physiological. One can be addicted to a behavior, and the addiction can be psychological rather than physiological. Indeed, since neither cocaine, alcohol nor THC is physically addictive, the addictions to these substances are psychological, not physiological. As well, gambling is an accepted addiction, and is entirely psychologically based, since there is no “substance” to which to be addicted.
Sex addiction is a fact, and is a psychologically based addiction to either the act itself or the outcome (orgasm), or both. It has been documented in hundreds of clinical studies, and has even warranted inclusion in the “twelve-step” programs – which not only do not address issues which are not legitimate, substantiated addictions, but since they make no money, have no vested (financial) interest in treating something that is NOT an addiction.
Finally, the idea that there is some form of religious (Christian or other) “conspiracy” behind the designation and treatment of sex addiction is not just absurd, but willfully insulting, since almost every therapist I know who treats sex addiction (and as a minister who counsels re various addictions, I know many counselors and in the addiction field), few if any are Christians, or even have religious leanings.
This is among the most irresponsible articles I have ever read.
Posted on 11-Mar-10 at 9:49 am | PermalinkHaving been accused of being an ‘SA’ I can only LOL about the whole subject
Posted on 11-Mar-10 at 12:51 pm | PermalinkAlthough I know you have your tongue at least partly in your cheek, I forgot to add that there is a difference between enjoying sex (even lots of it) and being a sex “addict.” Addiction is not about “how much,” but about “why.” Alcoholism is not about how MUCH one drinks – or even how often – but about WHY they drink, and how they get when drink. I know alcoholics who have one drink a day or less, while I know people who can down a fifth of Scotch who are not alcoholics.
Similarly, sex addiction is about “why,” and “compulsion,” not about nymphomania or satyriasis.
As an aside, I also forgot to add that if the writer is intent on applying the word “addiction” only to substances, then sex addiction IS (or can be) “substance-related” – except that the substances that sex addicts are addicted to – endorphins and dopamine – are “internal” rather than external.
Posted on 11-Mar-10 at 8:38 pm | PermalinkKeep it up, my friend
Posted on 14-Mar-10 at 8:10 pm | Permalink