Relapse is a common part of any addiction whether you’re trying to overcome drugs, alcohol, gambling or sex. This should never stop you from seeking help and starting your journey to recovery however.
Establishing an effective approach is half the battle and often the reason why people fail in the first place is because of their attitude. Here are five great ways that you can free yourself from sex addiction and reduce the likelihood of relapse.
Face up to your addiction
As with any addiction, it’s hard to admit that you have a problem. Many sex addicts lie to themselves about the extent of their problem and will do everything they can to justify it. If you are half-heartedly seeking help because your partner, friends or family are making you but you don’t believe in yourself that you have a problem, chances are that you won’t succeed.
It’s not until you can be honest with yourself and you have reached the stage where you want to get better that you will be able to recover.
Understand what caused it in the first place
All addictions stem from somewhere and sex addiction is no exception to the rule. The most common causes are usually emotional trauma or feelings of social inadequacy. The people who are at the highest risk of developing dependence to sex include:
- Anyone who has been sexually, emotionally or physically abused
- Someone who has experienced trauma or the loss of a loved one
- Those with low self esteem or poor social skills
- People with perfectionist tendencies
The reason why the people mentioned above may be more at risk is because these processes are often used to numb pain, heighten emotions, punish themselves, escape reality or simply because they’re looking for a thrill. Whatever has caused your sex addiction, if the underlying issues are not acknowledged and resolved, the risk of relapse is significantly greater.
Seek help
Most sex addicts are willing to work at overcoming their addiction but if their efforts aren’t properly guided, their attempt to stop is more than likely going to fail. Unfortunately, addiction is not something that people can overcome themselves and they need help from others in order to do so. Whether you want to speak to someone on an individual basis, check into a rehab facility, attend group therapy, couples counselling or family counselling, all are great and effective methods of sexual addiction therapy. Being that most addicts are not comfortable relying on others for help, this is an especially difficult task.
Adopt healthy habits
It’s hard to stop ourselves from doing the things we enjoy even if we’re not addicted. Think about a time you have been on a diet for example. You sit around thinking about all the delicious foods you could be eating and it ends up consuming your thoughts until you break down and eat a load of junk food.
Overcoming sex addiction is no different which is why it’s crucial to find distractions during your recovery. Join the gym, see friends, take on a new hobby, , go travelling or do some volunteer work. Adopting new and healthy habits will prevent you from relapsing during weak moments or when you’re bored.
Avoid temptation
Avoid anything that could lure you back into temptation. People you had sexual relations with, certain websites, movies and television shows that you might find sexually stimulating and particular venues should all be avoided. If you’re having a weak moment, you might find any of these things too difficult to resist.
If you think that you or someone you know could be benefit from being in sex addiction recovery, please feel free to contact us in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to help. Alternatively, you can also carry out our Sexual Addiction Screening Test.
