Rehab for Sex & Love Addiction

Sex addiction

Sex is an essential part of a healthy, loving relationship. However, because it floods the brain with feel-good chemicals, it has the potential to become addictive. Sex addiction is characterised as the compulsive need to perform sexual acts to achieve the same kind of ‘fix’ as those with a substance abuse dependency.

Symptoms of sex addiction include:

• Inability to reduce or stop unhealthy sexual activities despite wanting to.
• Sexual activity continues despite the potential for emotional or physical harm it may cause to both the individual and other people.
• Excessive use of pornography, sex chat lines or webcams.
• Unhealthy sexual activities as a response to boredom, anxiety, stress, or depression.
• The time spent in sexual activities or fantasies interferes with work, social activities, or commitments to loved ones.

Sexual anorexia

If someone is suffering from sexual anorexia, we compulsively avoid giving or receiving sexual/emotional nourishment. Unlike someone who is asexual, someone with sexual anorexia will avoid sexual or emotional intimacy due to a fear of sexuality rather than a general dislike or disinterest.

Symptoms of sexual anorexia include:

• A dread of sexual pleasure.
• Distortions of body appearance and loathing of body functions.
• Obsessional self-doubt about sexual adequacy.
• Shame and self-loathing over sexual experiences.
• Self-destructive behaviour to limit or avoid sex.

Love addiction

Individuals who suffer from love addiction struggle to form an identity outside of their relationships and idolise their romantic partner as the person/object that will ‘fix’ them. They will suddenly enter into a relationship, often avoiding pain or responsibility in other areas of their lives.

Symptoms of love addiction include:

• Committing to and falling in love with a partner without really knowing them.
• Never feeling satisfied within a relationship but feeling empty when they are alone.
• Idealising and pursuing others, then blaming them for not fulfilling their fantasies of perfection.
• Using emotional dependency as a substitute for authentic care.
• Using sex and emotional involvement to manipulate and control other people.
• Associating loneliness with abandonment leads individuals to either stay in highly abusive relationships or sometimes simultaneously engage in numerous sexual/emotional relationships.

Love avoidance 

We experience love avoidance when we have an aversion to intimate relationships with other people. People with love avoidance can struggle to trust others and often destroy a relationship when there’s a danger of intimacy.

Symptoms of love avoidance include:

• Using anger, abuse or criticism to keep people at a comfortable distance.
• Finding yourself angry and avoidant with people when they show concern for you.
• Need constant validation from friends and family members.
• Avoiding vulnerability or intensity in a relationship but finding it in substance abuse or behavioural addictions.
• Frequently engaging in casual sex but becoming distant when the relationship turns serious.

If you recognise yourself in any of these symptoms, we can guide you toward recovery.