~ sex addiction defined ~
The Sex Addicted Brain...
From its very emergence in the public vernacular up through the present, there has been an unfortunate confluence of misinformation and misunderstanding in the scientific methodology, definitive diagnosis, and ultimately, clinical treatment for sex addiction and those that are affected by those that have it. Our collective understanding of both traumatic stress and addiction from the fields of neuroscience, medicine, and psychology, has increased substantially, and important discoveries have been made along the way. But, with all of the advances in diagnostics and treatment, and the availability of social media to spread the word, there remains a fundamental lack of cohesive, rigorously researched and evidence-based information available to, and disseminated for, public consumption.
Nosologically, sexual addiction has not in the past been able to rise to the level of ‘disease’, defined as an abnormal and deleterious bodily condition that is injurious to one’s health, and generally having an organic component. This is an important distinction. The later helps erase the specter of something psychosomatic at best, something that does not have a biological basis, and therefore cannot be treated in a similar manner that one would treat a disease. In turn, this translates into a lack of or limited treatment options, no or few pharmacological alternatives, and no standardized means to assess its progression or manifestation, since it cannot be attributable to a specific disease and hence, a biological cause. Original research by Dr Ullman from 2006 put an end to the speculation, demonstrating that this thing we call sex addiction does indeed have a neurological component. This website is devoted to addressing the issue of sexual addiction for what it is; a neurological disorder borne out of early childhood trauma.
SA is a brain impairment that acts like a disease process in that it is progress, is a subset of the personality disorder known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and if left untreated, can effect the immune system, and the areas of the brain collectively referred to as executive functioning that control impulses, decision-making, judgment, arousal, and a host of other important cognitive abilities and behaviors. SA produces psychological difficulties in attachment and intimacy, leaving the SA adult with the inability to regulate their mood or emotions appropriately. With rare exception, SA has its deep-seated roots in childhood sexual trauma whereby the development of certain areas of the brain have been altered. There is a subset of individuals with NPD that also have a sexual addiction, and while individuals with NPD do not necessarily have a sexual addiction, those that have a sexual addiction do have NPD. In sum, SA is a serious disorder that effects not just the individual, but those in their inner circle, as well as society. In addition to the individual and their loved ones, SA also has a significant impact on society.
From its very emergence in the public vernacular up through the present, there has been an unfortunate confluence of misinformation and misunderstanding in the scientific methodology, definitive diagnosis, and ultimately, clinical treatment for sex addiction and those that are affected by those that have it. Our collective understanding of both traumatic stress and addiction from the fields of neuroscience, medicine, and psychology, has increased substantially, and important discoveries have been made along the way. But, with all of the advances in diagnostics and treatment, and the availability of social media to spread the word, there remains a fundamental lack of cohesive, rigorously researched and evidence-based information available to, and disseminated for, public consumption.
Nosologically, sexual addiction has not in the past been able to rise to the level of ‘disease’, defined as an abnormal and deleterious bodily condition that is injurious to one’s health, and generally having an organic component. This is an important distinction. The later helps erase the specter of something psychosomatic at best, something that does not have a biological basis, and therefore cannot be treated in a similar manner that one would treat a disease. In turn, this translates into a lack of or limited treatment options, no or few pharmacological alternatives, and no standardized means to assess its progression or manifestation, since it cannot be attributable to a specific disease and hence, a biological cause. Original research by Dr Ullman from 2006 put an end to the speculation, demonstrating that this thing we call sex addiction does indeed have a neurological component. This website is devoted to addressing the issue of sexual addiction for what it is; a neurological disorder borne out of early childhood trauma.
SA is a brain impairment that acts like a disease process in that it is progress, is a subset of the personality disorder known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and if left untreated, can effect the immune system, and the areas of the brain collectively referred to as executive functioning that control impulses, decision-making, judgment, arousal, and a host of other important cognitive abilities and behaviors. SA produces psychological difficulties in attachment and intimacy, leaving the SA adult with the inability to regulate their mood or emotions appropriately. With rare exception, SA has its deep-seated roots in childhood sexual trauma whereby the development of certain areas of the brain have been altered. There is a subset of individuals with NPD that also have a sexual addiction, and while individuals with NPD do not necessarily have a sexual addiction, those that have a sexual addiction do have NPD. In sum, SA is a serious disorder that effects not just the individual, but those in their inner circle, as well as society. In addition to the individual and their loved ones, SA also has a significant impact on society.
