Sex & Love Addictions
To begin with, Gladstones wishes to emphasize how seriously we treat patient confidentiality and privacy. However, we are also able to take privacy and confidentiality to even more stringent levels should a client require us to do so. By this we mean that it is possible to restrict information as to the nature of a client’s addiction, even from other staff members, and counselling sessions can be structured as one-to-one meetings (day or evening), avoiding group sessions and contact with other clients and staff, either completely, or as much as possible.
Sex addiction is a complicated problem to treat, due to the intense and often conflicting feelings that are involved in causing the addiction to occur and manifest. As with many other types of addictions, it is characterised by a loss of control, in this case over one’s sexual urges and behaviours. Sex addicts often don’t realise they have a problem as they see sex as an act of pleasure, a harmless way to relieve stress and a means of escape from the sometimes harsh reality of their lives. Left untreated it can destroy intimate relationships, self-respect, finances, careers, health, relationships and trust with family and friends.
It is also possible to be addicted to porn, or have a masturbation addiction which operates independently to sex addiction. Whatever your specific sexual addiction, Gladstones’ experienced sex addiction and pornography treatment team will be able to identify the issues causing your specific addiction and devise an appropriate programme designed just for you to help you get your life back into balance.
A person who suffers from co-dependency is obsessed with assisting other people, and will tend to seek relationships with people who have a lot of problems. They may spend much of their own time, money, and energy helping other people with their issues, whilst ignoring the problems in their own life.
The co-dependent person often suffers from a deep sense of worthlessness and poor self esteem and they believe that by rescuing others they will derive a sense of self worth.
This behaviour can lead to exhaustion, financial distress, anxiety, health problems and actually enabling a loved one to maintain an addiction.
Our team at Gladstones can help you to recover from co-dependency, help you to establish boundaries in your life and address the deep seated reasons and feelings underlying your compulsion to help others regardless of the harm you may be doing to yourself or other people that love you.
Love addicts lives revolve around their lover, they become obsessed with them to the point that they feel powerless to end the relationship, no matter how poorly their lover may treat them. The relationships they involve themselves in are usually one-sided in the respects of give and take, with the object of their obsession doing the taking and themselves doing the giving.
Having one person as their sole source of happiness and meaning in life only makes them feel unstable, anxious, powerless, and empty.
Love addiction, sex addiction and co-dependency fortunately are treatable conditions.
If you suspect you or someone you know is suffering from one of these afflictions, please don’t hesitate to call Gladstones’ confidential and supportive team on the number below.
