The Sex Addiction Workbook

It’s a hunger never satisfied for some of us: the allure of singles’ bars and strip clubs, party lines and X-rated Internet sites that can show us whatever we want to see. An uncontrollable need for sexual gratification, just like an addiction to alcohol or drugs, can cause serious problems for anyone. If you believe you’re struggling with a serious sexual disorder or just wish you could more easily manage sexual behaviors that interfere with your life, you’ve found, in this book, a real chance to radically transform your life.

This is not a book that makes a lot of black and white, right and wrong judgments about sexual behavior. Despite what you might have heard—or even believe—it is possible to have problems with sexual self-control and still be a good person and a valuable member of your family and community. Without taking a strong moral position on all sexual behaviors, the scientifically based techniques in this book guide you to making better sexual choices that are in line with your own values. Using the book’s evaluation worksheets, assess the level of your sexual self-control problem. Utilize its exercises to modify the thoughts and behaviors associated with sexual patterns you want to change. Support your goals with relapse prevention techniques that stress self-acceptance. By following the program in this book, privately and whenever you choose, you will learn how to lead a sexually fulfilling life that still promises you security, stability, and peace of mind.

Some people use sex to medicate their feelings and to cope with stress much in the same way as others would use alcohol or drugs. Lack of sexual self-control can manifest itself in the form of excessive use of porn sites, phone sex, and strip bars; it can lead to multiple infidelities, risky sexual behavior, bankruptcy, or the loss of a job due to their out-of-control behaviors. Rooted in shame and low self-esteem, these sexual activities afford the sex addict little pleasure and rarely result in intimacy or emotional connection. This book is addressed to anyone with a lack of sexual self-control who feels their behavior is interfering with their relationship, job, and reputation.

Use this book to assess your level of sexual-self control problems. Learn relapse prevention methods and increase motivation and commitment to change. Set goals and assess your daily choices. The second section of the book delves into the cognitive restructuring necessary to produce lasting change, helping you to examine your behaviors, decision-making processes, and cognitive distortions, like the need for immediate gratification or deviant sexual fantasizing. In the third section, youíll learn to deal with the impact of your emotions on your behaviors, With your new set of self-control tools, achieve greater self-acceptance, which can increase your intimacy with your partner and promote greater balance in your life.