Drugs and Sex Addictions, Part 2

Secrecy:

Because with both drug addiction and sex addiction concealment and secrecy are critical behaviors, it is not easy to identify someone having these problems. Keeping family and friends from the awareness of having these problems is a major motivation for those suffering from them. Often, in fact, those with drug and sex addictions may not even fully recognize or admit their problems to themselves.

Check yourself:

In regard to yourself, to help you to determine your own behavior in regard to these linked addictions, consider your responses to the following questions’

1. Has your drug use or preoccupation with sex interfered in one or more ways with your daily routine and/or family life?

2. Have you tried in the past to reduce or end your drug use without any significant success?

3. Has your drug use or sexual activities displaced behavioral activities or patterns that were common previously?

4. Have you encountered negative consequences, such as legal problems, as the result of your drug use or sexual behavior?

5. Has your drug use or sexual activities adversely affected your family participation and relationships?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you may have some kind of drug/sexual addiction.

Health and Safety:

Of course, most people are aware of the potential health and legal problems which can result from drug and sexual addictions, but if that knowledge has not been effective in reducing the incidence of these behaviors, then you have problems that need attention.

Sex addictive behaviors: Be aware of behaviors that could indicate sex addiction:

• Sexual activities with anonymous partners

• Sexual activities with multiple partners.

• “One-night stands” occur regularly

• Sexual activities in inappropriate times or places, such as public bathrooms

• Sexual activities with strangers that occur on the spur of the moment

• Masturbating in inappropriate places or times, such as while at work or shopping

• Multiple short-term affairs

• Unprotected or unsafe sex

• Common or excessive use of pornographic materials

• The use of phone sex or online sex

• The desire for and behavior of exhibitionism

• Voyeuristic interests and practices

• Some form of prostitution, as either the customer or the prostitute

Sex and Drugs:

Any of these sexual practices can and often are exacerbated and encouraged under the influence of drugs. Drug use may be a factor in reducing inhibitions to indulge in sexual behavior or may give the drug user the illusion of being motivated to indulge in some form of excessive sexual behavior. Thus, drug use and sexual addiction can feed each other, each contributing to the need for and desire to indulge in the other.

Your psychologist can help:

The complex matter of entwined drug and sex addiction is a condition which is treatable through a variety of psychological interventions and treatments. The first step in alleviating drug addiction or sex addiction or some combination of both is to start talking to a psychologist who will help you to identify the source of your problems and create means and methods to alleviate the need for these behaviors.