There's been lots of discussion regarding Tiger Woods and his recently publicized antics. His infidelities have brought to the forefront a disturbing disorder: sex addiction. What is it, and how is it treated?
The symptoms for sexual addiction are as follows:
- Compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation)
- Multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs)
- Multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands
- Consistent use of pornography
- Unsafe sex
- Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
- Prostitution or use of prostitutes
- Exhibitionism
- Obsessive dating through personal ads
- Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
-Sexual harassment
-Molestation/rape
Like any addict, he/she places their needs in front of all else: their daily routine revolves around how to obtain what they desire without care of consequences. I know a few addicts, and have worked with some in a clinical setting. I have watched them relentlessly pursue their drug of choice. It is not unusual for them to have multiple addictions. In the case of sexual addiction, sex is their "monkey on the back," causing them to put themselves and their family in precarious positions, risking everything for that next "hit." Satisfaction is always out of reach.
The treatment for sex addiction may include:
- Controlling addictive behavior
- Helping the person develop a healthy sexuality
- Education about healthy sexuality, individual counseling, and marital and/or family therapy
- Support groups and 12 step recovery programs for people with sexual addictions
- Medications like Prozac or Anafranil which treat obsessive-compulsive aspect of this disorder
Sexual addiction is extremely hard to treat effectively, if not impossible. And like with all addictions, there is no cure. Relapses can be a possibility with any addiction.
I believe sex addiction exists, but for those to use it as an excuse for his/her infidelity is appalling! It's easy to hide behind a diagnosis rather than to admit one's human fragility.
Check yourself, Mr. Woods.
rainwriter jones
*information from http://www.medicine.net/*
Posts
Wizzy: You know what it is? Folks have put him up on a pedestal, and he was forced to act in a certain manner: not like the womanizer that he is! Unfortunately, now he can NEVER go 'round chasin' p*ssy as he gig is up. Now we can all watch the grey hairs spring up in his head! (LMBAOOOO)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the only person he should be apologizing to is his wife. But the thing is...she's already taken off her ring. She'll be filing for divorce soon enough: and asking for HALF! Maybe he should have thought twice when he decided to marry. Maybe he should have negotiated on an open marriage with wifey? (LOL)
I don't believe it's sex addiction for Tiger. Just really fat kid in the candy store!
ReplyDeleteJaycee
Mista Jaycee: I figured as much! Had to come up with SOMETHING so that his image wouldn't be soiled. Like it was out of his hands or something. (LMBAO) Now all his females will publish books about their antics with him. Maybe a baby or two will come out of this mess, too! (LOL)
ReplyDeleteMaybe he just likes banging blondes?!? Maybe there's really no such thing as sexual addiction; hell, half of those so called symptoms could apply to me and half the men in this country.
ReplyDeleteI think that more so than anything else; we're getting to the point where we blame our behavior on anything else but ourselves. It is what it is.
Hi Reggie!
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right about the fact we blame a majority of the not-so-good things we do on something outside of ourselves. Out of our control, no less. My thing with Mr. Woods is not that he had other women, but that he wasn't upfront about wanting to have sex outside of his relationship with his wife. Maybe if he was honest with her about his desire to head elsewhere, she might have been more understanding. Or not! (LOL)
But you know, she should have had the choice whether to accept his behavior, or close down the relationship. Him lying and covering was so dishonest on so many levels.
The sex addiction thing was just a cover-up for him wanting to bang blondes. But look at him now? His mojo has disappeared with his wife. :-(