Treating a Sex Addict Through Marital Sex Therapy
The treatment of sexual addiction can be viewed within the context of addiction and family therapy. A case of sexual addiction is presented and an intervention model is explicated. The application of the model emphasizes the importance of family participation in the treatment. This article describes the family treatment of a "sex addict." This term was popularized by Patrick Carnes in his highly-publicized book Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction (Carnes, 1983). Whether or not one can precisely define addictive sex, it is clear some people admit they cannot control their sexual behavior to the point it seriously interferes with their lives in terms of health, occupation, or family (Edwards, 1986). Others prefer to label these behavioral patterns as sexual compulsions (Quadland, 1985) or simply as problems of sexual control (Coleman, 1986). Some authorities are concerned the term is too value-laden, nonspecific, and assumes falsely that there is an accepted definition of normal sexual behavior (Coleman, 1986; Edwards, 1986). Carnes (1986) responds by saying people label themselves: "The fact remains that a significant number of people have identified themselves as sexual addicts: people whose sexual behavior has become 'unstoppable' despite serious consequences" (p. 4). Before describing a particular case, the author will make a few remarks about the interface of family therapy and the addiction field generally and about the etiology of sexual addiction specifically.