Dr. Sex Column #5 09-06-06

QUESTION: Are you saying that there is not such thing as sexual addiction?

ANSWER: I ended the column before last with that suggestion. Let's put this one to rest. Sexual addiction is a specious diagnosis! No if, ands, or buts about it.

Dr. Charles Moser says, "Addiction is a physiological dependence. When alcoholics stop drinking, they get the sweats, their heart rates goes up, their reflexes increase, etc....Heroin addicts have their own withdrawal syndrome, but again it involves physiological changes (I do not mean to imply that there are not psychological changes as well.). If 'sex addicts' are denied sex, they may have all sorts of psychological problems, but they do not go into a physiological withdrawal."

Addiction has to do with physiological dependence and withdrawal symptoms.

For a longer and more detailed answer, please read Dr. Marty Klein's excellent article, "The Myth of Sex Addiction" at: http://www.sexualintelligence.org/newsletters/issue01.html#myth. I can't say it any better than that. He speaks my voice.

I think Dr. Klein's summary says it all... "Virtually no one in the field of sexology believes in the concept of 'sex addiction.' All clinicians and thoughtful people should reject any model suggesting that men and women must spend their lives 1) fearing sexuality's destructive power; 2) being powerless about sexuality; 3) lacking the tools to relax and let sex take over when appropriate. In these terrible anti-sex times, one of our most important tasks is to reaffirm that sex, though complex, is precious, not dangerous."

Let's stop putting the word "addiction" to every personal choice that doesn't work out.

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