Sexual Addiction and Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR)

Compulsions include addictions and other unwanted but habitual behavior patterns over which a person appears to have little or no control. Fixations include chronic negative feelings and fixed ideas over which the individual similarly lacks control

obsessive-compulsive craving

Sexual addiction is strongly anchored in shame and trauma. Research conducted over the past fifteen years has consistently shown the prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse in this population

Unfortunately some addicts only stop when they are incarcerated or there is an absolute loss of opportunity to engage in the sexual behavior

Sexual addiction is believed to have the following process of progression. The initial phase is a result of sexual observances/or experiences during adolescence or early adulthood that are very intense. The outcome is that sex or sexualized behavior becomes a method of coping (Schneider, 2004). Next is the establishment phase. This is when the addictive cycle begins and the individual experiences preoccupation, ritualization, sexual acting out, despair, shame and guilt

Defining a behavioral addiction, such as a sexual addiction, needs to meet the same criteria as a substance addiction, with the behavior substituting for a substance.