Sexual Addiction, Online Conference Transcript

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Phillip Sharp Ph.D. has spent the past 5 years developing a specialty in the field of Sexual Addiction counseling, including incest and sexual perpetration issues. He works with sex addicts, their spouses or partners, and families. Dr. Sharp is our guest speaker tonight.

David is the HealthyPlace.com moderator.

The people in blue are audience members.

David: Good evening everyone. I'm David Roberts. I'm the moderator for tonight's conference. I want to welcome everyone to HealthyPlace.com. Our topic tonight is "Sexual Addiction". Our guest is psychologist, Dr. Phillip Sharp, who is a specialist in the field of sexual addiction counseling. Dr. Phillip Sharp's early training included work with families dealing with incest and sexual perpetration issues. Over the past 5 years, Dr. Sharp has developed a specialty in the field of Sexual Addiction counseling, working with sex addicts, their spouses or partners and families. We'll be talking about treatments for sexual addiction as well as the impact it has on family members -- and more importantly, what can be done to help.

Good Evening, Dr. Sharp and welcome to HealthyPlace.com. We appreciate you being here tonight. I know our audience members have different levels of understanding, so briefly, can you define sexual addiction. Then we'll get into deeper issues.

Dr. Sharp: The definition varies depending upon what expert you talk to. Generally, it is a pathological relationship with a mood altering experience. In this case - sex.

David: How does a person develop sexual addiction?

Dr. Sharp: There are various paths by which a person can progress down the road of sexual addiction. Most people have some pain or injury that they seek to heal, numb or medicate. The sexual behavior becomes their primary coping mechanism.

David: And just so everyone knows, does sexual addiction only involve sex with other individuals, or does it cover pornography and other sexual activities?

Dr. Sharp: It covers any activities related to the theme of sex. It is not simply acting out with another person. It includes, pornography, fantasy, masturbation, 900 numbers, etc. The important point to remember is that it is a pathological relationship. Out of the ordinary.

David: When you spoke of "pain" or "injury" a moment ago, I'm assuming you are talking about emotional or psychological pain. Can you explain further?

Dr. Sharp: Yes. The pain usually has to do with some experienced or perceived injury, which the person may or may not be consciously aware of. It can include things such as emotional neglect in the family of origin, rejection from peers or even childhood abuse.

David: What kind of treatment is involved in dealing with sexual addiction?

Dr. Sharp: It depends on the persons underlying issues (pain) and the level of their addiction. Some folks can do fine in a general weekly therapy session with an appropriately trained professional. The therapy will likely need to be supplemented by participation in a 12-step recovery group. Other folks who have a deeper level of addiction may need to go away to an inpatient treatment center.

David: Does a person who has a sexual addiction usually have other addictions (drug, alcohol) as well?

Dr. Sharp: That is often the case. I would say it is more the norm that they will either have another addiction or abuse some other substance or process.

David: We have a few audience questions Dr. Sharp:

lostforwords: Can depression/anxiety bring on sexual addiction?

Dr. Sharp: It can help to trigger it. Usually, depression and anxiety are due to other underlying issues. The underlying issues, such as unresolved trauma often fuel both the sex addiction and the depressions/anxiety.

David: Like other addictions, I imagine there is "no cure," but rather sexual addiction is managed on a day-by-day basis. Is that true?

Dr. Sharp: Yes, that is true. A person is typically in recovery for the rest of their lives.

David: And what about the ability of a sex addict to have close personal relationships?

Dr. Sharp: When the sexual addiction is active, it usually severely hampers and disturbs truly intimate relationships. It is hard to spend all of the time that the addict puts into their acting out behaviors and still maintain the level of attention that a personal and close relationship requires. In recovery, the person has the best chance of maintaining close relationships.

David: Here's another audience question:

iaacogca: I have heard it said that not all love addicts are sex addicts but all sex addicts are love addicts. Comments?

Dr. Sharp: I disagree. Sex addiction has nothing to do with love really. It's really about loneliness, the inability to connect intimately and an attempt to deal with the pain of the real loneliness. At the heart of it, sex addicts, although some are extremely sociable and outgoing, are truly lonely people who feel disconnected.

mrlmonroe: Being new to this, what is "acting out". In other words, what types of behaviors would be considered acting out - besides the obvious?

Dr. Sharp: A person can act out or act in. Acting out refers to behaviors external to the self, such as careless and senseless sex, masturbation, pornography, chat rooms and 900 numbers. A person can act in with fantasy and distorted perception of reality.