What are compulsive sexual behaviours?

• When I say, “compulsive sexual behaviours,” I’m referring to sexual addiction.

• It’s important to understand that sexual addiction is often used as an umbrella term.

• Compulsive sexual behaviours, or sexual addiction, are characterized by a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges, resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour over an extended period (6 months or more) that causes marked distress or impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

What is compulsive porn use?

• Compulsive porn use, or porn addiction, is a sexual addiction, where the primary compulsive sexual behaviour is through digital media.

  What are compulsive relational behaviours?

• Compulsive relational behaviours, or sometimes referred to as love addiction, is when relationships are used in an attempt to cope, self-sooth, or regulate uncomfortable or intolerable experiences and emotional states. This differs from healthy co-regulation

• You may find yourself in a pattern of relationships that are chaotic and unstable, causing more affective dysregulation.

  What approach do you use?

• Like most areas of my practice, I use an eclectic approach. Specifically with compulsive sexual and relational behaviours, I use the 30-Task Model with aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, family systems therapy, and attachment therapy with a trauma-informed, psychosocial, harm reduction, and neurobiological lens.

• Once folks have reached a period of recovery, we often focus on the deeper trauma work that compulsive sexual and relational behaviours are typically rooted in. This may include EMDR, inner child healing, shadow work, etc.

“I don’t really think I have an issue with addiction, but others do.”

• Perhaps you’d consider an addiction and trauma assessment.