Summary: <p>Only recently have we begun to identify the huge impact that sex and pornography addiction have on people and their relationships. Like food addiction sex is something for which total abstinence may not be an appropriate goal. In this episode we will discuss how and why sex and /or pornography can develop into an addiction, explore interventions and identify other resources for people who are wanting to break their addiction.</p> <p>CEs available here:<a href="https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/333/c/"> https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/333/c/</a></p> <h3>Show Notes</h3> <p>Objectives<br> Define Sex Addiction<br> Discuss Similarities and Differences Between Drug Addiction and Sex Addiction<br> Explore Interventions for Sex Addiction<br> Addiction<br> A person, activity or substance used to escape from negative feelings (physical or emotional) despite experiencing negative consequences<br> Sex Addiction<br> Similar to Other Addictions<br> Dopamine surge/High<br> Cravings<br> Triggers/Conditioned Stimuli<br> Brain changes (Worse with younger age)<br> May start as recreational<br> Relationship, Financial, Emotional Problems</p> <p>Sex Addiction<br> Differs from other addictions<br> Biologically driven urge<br> Eat, Sleep, Procreate Survive<br> Coolidge Effect<br> Cannot abstain forever<br> “Socially sanctioned”</p> <p>Symptoms<br> Needing more of the same substance to get the same high<br> Tolerance<br> Dopamine system self-regulating<br> Coolidge Effect<br> In response to worsening problems<br> Symptoms cont…<br> Using more or for longer than intended<br> Online porn sites, dating apps Novelty<br> Unsuccessful efforts to cut down<br> Biologically driven urge for stimulation as well as procreation<br> Symptoms cont…<br> Spending significant time and/or resources (i.e. money) thinking about, preparing for, acquiring, using and/or recovering from use</p> <p>Symptoms cont…<br> Continued use despite negative consequences in one or more areas of life due to the addiction<br> Relationship<br> Financial<br> Work<br> Emotional (Anxiety, Motivation, Depression)<br> Characteristics<br> Driven by survival mechanisms<br> Reduce pain (emotional, physical)<br> Safety (Eliminate threats)<br> Food/water<br> Maintained by positive and negative reinforcement<br> Solutions: Reboot<br> Give your brain a rest from the rush<br> Take care of yourself to allow your brain to recover<br> Sleep<br> Nutrition<br> Exercise<br> Consider pharmacological interventions<br> Identify other things that make you (or used to make you) happy<br> Find activities to occupy your time<br> Solution: Rewire<br> Identify and eliminate or recondition things that trigger your cravings<br> People, places, things (including TV shows), emotions, times of day<br> Engage in competing behaviors<br> Identify the function of your behavior and develop alternatives.<br> Rewire cont…<br> Only allow yourself to experience sexual pleasure with a single other person in a monogamous relationship.<br> Understand that during the rewire, there may be a period when you cannot get aroused.<br> Procreation is genetically programmed, once your brain recovers, arousal will be possible again.</p> <p>Solutions for Motivation<br> Address loss of motivation through<br> Goal setting<br> Decisional balance exercises<br> Rewards<br> Remember that as the dopamine system recovers motivation will return</p> <p>Mindfulness Skills<br> Live in the present instead of the past /future<br> Observing/Awareness<br> External and Internal<br> Vulnerabilities and Assets<br> Describing<br> Accept without judgment<br> Act with Awareness / Purposeful Action<br> Distress Tolerance<br> Cope with crisis situations/urges in healthier, less self-destructive ways<br> Examples:<br> Urge Surfing<br> Alternate activities<br> Less p</p>
