How accessible are sexual addiction treatments in Ireland
Introduction
Clients presenting for inpatient addiction treatment do not identify Sexual addiction as the primary issue on admission or during the initial assessment. It usually only emerges during the treatment episode as an issue that is far more serious with more life consequences for the client and their partner. The reason outlined by clients for not disclosing this during admission or assessment is because of the perceived stigma, shame and guilt. Sexual addiction is still very controversial and needs a lot more investigation. It is not listed in the DSM 5 as a disorder and is only referred to as hyper sexuality. I would like to find out what changes need to be made within
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There can be many triggers to sexual acting out, seductive images on television, provocative magazine covers, and feelings of loneliness (Matta, 2006). Carnes (1991) suggests sex addicts risk losing their families, jobs dignity and health and potentially destroying their lives. It does not separate by class or profession. He postulates that many of these clients may have been sexually, emotionally or physically abused as children or witnessed this behaviour in the home. Kasl 1990 states that sex is sex but when the mind and ego are involved sex becomes complicated. The desire to be sexual with a partner can demonstrate love and care for that person but equally can come from feelings of hate, anger, fear and insecurity. Sex addicts have an inability to control sexual impulses which can span from sexual fantasy to acting out behaviour. Sexual activity ultimately motivating the client to experience the sex act. The client reporting the need to act out is more severe during times of stress or when they are angry depresses or anxious (Sdock, Kaplan and Sadock 1972).
Individuals become addicted when they surrender to a substance or activity, gradually takes over their lives with the potential to destroy it if they do not choose recovery. Addiction is characterised by compulsion, impulse and dependence ( Hardiman
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It continues to outline that while the client may be gaining good insight into their history, working through transference and stabilizing a chaotic relationship it is futile if they are not getting sexually sober. Clients presenting for Sexual addiction treatment may test the limits of the treatment or the Therapists boundaries to determine their emotional safety. Sexual sobriety as a goal should be accomplished quickly, quite often by the end of the first or second session. Recovery begins when partners of sex addicts are aware that they in crisis also need help. In the recovery phase, spouses learn they are not responsible and cannot fix or change the behaviour. Once the spouse of the sex addict is in therapy getting help the relationship can be worked on as long as the sex addict is committed to the recovery
Sally Satel, author of “Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate? Wrong,” leads us down a harrowing path of the causes and effects that lead people to addiction. It can be a choice, possibly subconscious, or a condition that leads a person left fighting a lifelong battle they did not intend to sign up for. Mental and emotional health/conditions, personality traits, attitudes, values, behaviors, choices, and perceived rewards are just a few of the supposed causes of becoming an addict.
Outpatient rehab centers are on the rise because it is what most people with drug and alcohol problems are attending. The one problem with outpatient facilities is that they create the likelihood of dual relationships. A dual relationship is a situation where a counselor (usually in recovery) and client have more than one type of relationship. A good example of this is the counselor -- client relationship and the relationship they might possess in A.A. The difficult part for the drug therapist is knowing which hat to wear and
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown throughout the text as it shows addiction from a whole person's perspective. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus is on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas, the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem.
George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.
Some researchers believe sex addiction is not a disorder, but something that is excessively used. The internet has made everything so easy to access. Sex addiction is not even included in the category DSM-5. Based on the DSM-5 list of various disorders, the clinicians then decide whether an individual shows the characteristics of someone who has a psychological disorder. Maybe in the future, sexual addiction would have a chance to make it into a sub category of the DSM-5 instead of labeled in a single category alone. Sex addiction seems to become a problem when it is harming the family unit or the image of someone famous when it becomes headline news. We really do not know how many people suffer from this disorder. There has not been sufficient research about this, a situation which makes this topic very delicate. To some, the word addiction alone is without meaning. Most individuals that do suffer from this disorder do suffer from a chemical imbalance as well. A twelve-step program, self-help support groups, and individual counseling can be recommended for treatment. In recovery they will have to learn how to come to terms with their addiction and how to think differently if placed in certain scenarios. For example, they must live a life that does not put them in situations that may cause one to relapse. It is important to surround themselves around individuals that have
Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.
In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the Psychoanalytic formulations of addiction and the Cognitive models of addiction. According to Dennis L. Thombs, “people tend to get psychoanalysis and psychotherapy mixed up. Psychotherapy is a more general term describing professional services aimed at helping individuals or groups overcome emotional, behavioral or relationship problem” (119). According to Thombs and Osborn, “Cognitive refers to the covert mental process that are described by a number of diverse terms, including thinking, self-talk, internal dialogue, expectations , beliefs, schemas and so much more” (160). I believe these two factors play a major part in an individual’s life that has an addiction.
A summary of the article “Addiction: Choice or Compulsion” will explain the theories and models of addictive behavior. The moral model shows addiction as a voluntary act, which the addict can control. The medical model portrays addiction as a disease and compulsive behavior that the addict has no control over. The introduction of the third model will suggest that it is neither compulsive nor voluntary (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013).
Main Point: The effects on a person after they become addicted to something can be small, or they can be great, depending on the length of time they are exposed to the addictive behavior or substance and what caused it. The addiction affects the addict’s health, career and relationships. I can tell you from personal experience with having family members who were addicts, that I was traumatized growing up. (Personal story about couple arguing here.) According to Roxanne Edwards of Medicine.net, “In terms of effects on the body, intoxication with a substance can cause physical effects that range from marked sleepiness and slowed breathing …to the rapid heart rate...” In addition, psychologically they can have suicidal thoughts or elation depending on the addictive substance or behavior. This is why it is important for the addict to seek help because they cannot get rid of the issue on their own. Most of the time, addicts go through some sort of rehab treatment and when they are released they are instructed to go to meetings that help with the aftermath of addiction. Just a few of these groups are places like Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous, or even Celebrate Recovery. Although some places believe that these programs do not work, it is well worth mentioning that the success rates depend on the want to of the person working them. They have to want to remain sober or free from the addiction or they will go right back to it. Alcohol Rehab.com puts it this way, “Failure to
Sex addiction is a behavioral addiction that could be hard for a clinician to diagnose because of lack of tools and instruments needed. Also, it could it could be tough to identify them to identify the frequency and quantity of sexual activity that has or is taking place (Benbir, Poyraz, & Apaydin, 2014). It is hard to find this information because the therapist has difficulty getting addiction-related features and seeing that there is currently only one screening test to test someone with a sexual addiction, this makes it even more challenging. The sexual addiction screening test helps provides hints to the clinician that a symptom of sexual addiction is present (Benbir, Poyraz, & Apaydin, 2014). Since it may be hard to identify a sexual addiction,
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
"We look at their life and determine if a substance or behavior is negatively affecting the quality of their life to the point where they need help." Sex can be addicting. Like drugs, after the user is finished getting his or her fix of the substance, whatever it may be, they instantly want more. After a while, the substance becomes more important than their job, then food, and then even their family. People who are addicted to sex can relate to those with drug addiction because their body tells them they need sex to survive.
Paraphilias are sexual impulse disorders and sexual urges that are considered deviant with respect to cultural norms. In clinical terms, paraphilia is defined as: Recurrent intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors that occur over a period of at least 6 months generally involving 1) nonhuman objects 2) the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partners or 3) children or other nonconsenting persons (Criterion A). Such behaviours sexual urges or fantasies cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social occupational or other important areas of functioning. (Criterion B) (Med J 122)
Linda Hudson, a licensed professional counselor and ex-president of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, has been treating female sex addicts for over 20 years. Together with several therapists, she published the first book which offers treatment options for specialists who work with female sex addicts: Making Advances: A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts. Elisabeth Edge, another certified sex addiction therapist from Atlanta says that “society’s belief is that women do not have sex issues”, although this has obviously changed for younger generations. For instance, the proliferation of pornography has made more and more women “visually excited” or very responsive to erotic images, a characteristic previously thought to be encountered only in men. Research on female sex addicts shows that a definition of sex and love addiction might be: a disease of loneliness, fueled by despair and shame; a powerful urge to use sexuality, romance and people to be able to feel more