The Six Types of Sex Addicts

Introduction

• Speaker: Dr. Doug Weiss, President of the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy
• Purpose: To explain the six types of sex addicts, which is important for identifying and treating different forms of sex addiction

1. Biological Sex Addicts

• Concept: Based on neuroscience, involves physiological attachment to sexual images or encounters
• Mechanism: Endogenous opiates hit the prefrontal cortex during sexual encounters
• Symptoms:
  • Glued to pornography
  • Needs to fantasize during sexual encounters
  • Thousands of past encounters create a neurological addiction to object world rather than people

2. Psychological Sex Addicts

• Prevalence: 80% of sexual addicts (male or female)
• Causes:
  • Abuse and neglect
  • Lack of love, importance, or unmet needs in family life
  • Finding solace in fantasy world where one feels loved and unconditionally wanted
• Mechanism: Chemical rewards from the fantasy world resulting in addiction

3. Spiritual Sex Addicts

• Concept: Absence of spirituality or spiritual fulfillment filled with sexual behavior
• Symptoms:
  • Use of sexuality, pornography, or relationships to fill a spiritual void
  • Continues to feel empty despite years of addictive behavior
• Recovery: Spiritual growth often helps in recovery

4. Sexually Abused Sex Addicts

• Prevalence: 80% or more of sex addicts have a history of sexual abuse
• Impact:
  • Sexuality injured, leading to compulsive or addictive behavior
  • Possible fantasizing about the sexual abuse encounter
• **Behavior Patterns: **
  • Relating to significantly older partners (victim role)
  • Engaging in behaviors similar to the perpetrator (perpetrator role)
• Recovery: Requires disclosing and addressing the history of sexual abuse for healing

5. Intimacy Anorexia and Sex Addiction

• Concept: Co-occurrence of sex addiction and intimacy anorexia
• **Symptoms of Intimacy Anorexia: **
  • Withholding love, praise, or spiritual connection
  • Blaming, using anger and silence to control
  • Spouse complains of feeling alone or like a roommate
• Recovery: Both conditions must be treated together for effective recovery

6. Mood Disorder Sex Addicts

• Concept: Sex addiction fueled by a chemical imbalance (e.g., bipolar disorder, depression)
• Mechanism: Sexual release provides temporary relief from mood disorders
• Impact: Long-term use of sex as a medication leads to addiction without solving the mood disorder
• Recovery: Requires psychiatric help for the mood disorder and a sexual recovery program

Conclusion

• Multiplicity: Most individuals have more than one type of sex addiction
• Treatment: Work with a trained professional to identify the type(s) of sex addiction and tailor recovery accordingly