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Sexual addictions can cause a wealth of pain and suffering for both the individual who is addicted and for the spouse or loved ones of the individual. Sex addiction treatment, though widely available, is no always easy to choose because of the simple fact that many therapists who are trained to treat sex addiction were trained so long ago that many of the techniques that they use could be more harmful than they are good. Before you choose sex addiction treatment for yourself or a loved one, consider the following factors:
- Educational background of the therapist
- Involvement of your spouse in treatment
- Cost of the treatment
- Length of treatment
- Methods of treatment used
Education
Sex addiction treatment should be carefully chosen!
Sex addiction treatment is not like treating alcoholism or drug addiction, therefore your therapist should have educational background in sex addiction not only in the treatment of substance abuse or related problems. It is possible that you will choose a therapist who is educated in both the treatment of sex addiction and the treatment of substance abuse and this could be a good idea, especially if you use drugs or alcohol too.
Spouse Involvement in Treatment
Your spouse is deeply affected by sex addiction and should be involved in the treatment and recovery process. The level of involvement that you souse has with your treatment can lead to improved relations and may reduce the impact that your sexual addiction has on your marriage or your relationship. Not all sex addiction treatment programs include the spouse in the process of recovery but the most effective programs will definitely have a spot for your loved one when it comes to helping you to heal.
Cost
It’s important to choose a sex addiction treatment program that is affordable but also effective. Cost isn’t everything but it will play a key role in your decision to choose a particular program. If you are tight on a budget, consider choosing a sex addiction treatment program that may accept your insurance. In many cases, treatment centers will accept health insurance and you may be surprised to find out that you insurance will cover much of the cost of counseling and therapy. When considering the overall cost of a particular treatment program, look into all of your options including insurance coverage, sliding fee scales and other money saving opportunities to ensure that you find a program that will provide you with quality treatment and care at a cost that you can afford.
Program Length
Sex addiction treatment should take place for a period of at least 90 days in order to provide you with the best chance of recovering from the addiction. The program that you choose should be no shorter than 90 days and in many cases will require more extensive counseling and therapy that lasts 6 months or more. Studies show that it takes 90 days to break bad habits so you’ll want to make sure that you choose a sex addiction treatment program that will provide at least three months of treatment, preferably more.
Methods of Treatment Used
According to the US National Library of Medicine, many different methods of treatment are used to help those who suffer from sex addiction. The primary focus of treatment will likely be on counseling and therapy but you may also find that support groups and other methods of treatment also help to reduce the risk of relapse and ease your recovery. Counseling is recommended on an individual, spousal and group level. Support groups can also help.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is also a common method of treatment to be used when sex addiction is a problem. This method of treatment focuses on helping the individual to learn how to recognize the situations that cause them to have sexual urges and how to change the way that they react to such situations. Most often, CBT is paired with other methods of treatment to provide effective solutions for those in recovery from sex addiction.