Understanding Codependency Codependency may be one of the most common yet widely misunderstood behaviors. In short, codependency means sacrificing your needs to meet the needs of someone else. But there is more to the story. An isolated act of self-sacrifice or kindness isn’t inherently codependent. Codependency isn’t a mental health diagnosis. Rather it is…
We’re all familiar with substance addiction, but what is a process addiction? While substance abuse gets a lot of attention, it isn’t the only type of addiction out there. Behavioral or process addictions can mess with people’s lives just as much as substance addiction. A process addiction is a compulsion to engage in a specific…
Sex addiction is perhaps not as familiar to most people as substance abuse disorders may be. Sex is a natural part of human behavior, and an interest in sex is completely healthy. Most of us are aware that people’s sexual appetites and proclivities vary on a wide spectrum. It isn’t always easy to recognize…
Everyone adores the feeling of falling in love—but when is it a love addiction? Over the years, we’ve written thousands of songs and poems describing these precious moments. We’ve even created a holiday for it. But not all loves are created equal. Sometimes, we can hold on to that feeling for too long, becoming…
Neil Strauss went from a dateless, lonely high schooler to the ultimate pickup artist. He literally wrote the book on seduction, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. This book spent two months on the New York Times Bestseller List. A decade later, Strauss documented his stint in a sex addiction treatment program and…
Certain changes in brain function help distinguish people with sex addiction from others not affected by this condition, according to recent findings from a group of British and American researchers.
Following an affair, the partner who was cheated on is often not the only one who is worried about future infidelities. The partner who did the cheating may feel that he has learned his lesson and feels determined to never cheat again, but he may also recognize from experience how easily it can happen, even…
When we hear stories of sex addiction in the media and even in addiction literature, we frequently hear of a particular type of sex addict—a man, usually white, probably of middle or higher income.
Addiction is often measured, in part, by the impact it makes on a person’s quality of life. In instances of substance use, it can also be measured by intensity and frequency of use. In other behaviors, such as compulsive gambling, the behavior can also be measured in the frequency of the behavior. However, without any…
Jacob likes to say that his father was the only person in his family allowed to express emotion, although the only emotion he expressed was anger. If the paperboy missed the driveway, his father raged. If the pasta was overcooked, rage. If Jacob stuttered while trying to answer his father’s demanding questions, more rage. Rage…