Boundaries Are Essential for the Sex Addict

Addiction dominates the decisions of the afflicted individual, especially when that addiction is to sex. To help maintain healthy relationships and interactions, those dealing with a sexual addiction need to set good boundaries.

A Look at Transvestic Fetishism and Cross-Dressing

A fierce debate is raging both within and outside of the mental health community about whether fetishistic cross-dressing can be classed as a mental disorder or considered a form of sexual deviance. The debate is intense in part because of an alarming gender double standard: women wear stereotypically masculine garments every day with little consequence, and sometimes do so for sexual reasons, though this is not widely understood.

Alcohol Consumption and Adherence to HIV Treatment

Unlike doctors in the early days of HIV/AIDS, today’s doctors have potent medical tools to limit the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and suspend the progression toward AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The frontline tool used for this purpose, known as antiretroviral therapy or ART, involves the simultaneous use of multiple medications designed to disrupt HIV’s normal life cycle. But for ART to do its job, patients must follow a fairly complicated medication routine. HIV-positive people who consume alcohol – even at relatively moderate levels – have a decreased tendency to adhere to the guidelines of ART treatment, and therefore have increased risks for significant HIV disease progression.

Sexual Addiction as a Recognized Mental Health Disorder

Sexual addiction, or hypersexual disorder, is a form of behavioral addiction that belongs to a larger group of conditions known as process addictions. Until recently, these addictions received no official recognition from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), an organization that defines and categorizes mental health disorders in the U.S. However, this organization has now started to reassess its position on various process addictions, including hypersexual disorder. As part of this reassessment, an APA committee recently proposed a set of guidelines for making a meaningful hypersexual disorder diagnosis. A 2012 study at UCLA supports the validity of the APA’s proposed guidelines.

Women and Sex Addiction: Some Prevailing Myths

Samantha Smithstein, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical and forensic physiologist. She cofounded and directs Pathways Center for Impulse Control, a treatment center for people suffering from various impulse disorders including impulsive sexual behaviors, as well as the partners and family members of these individuals. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA), and the California Coalition On Sexual Offending (CCOSO), and as a noted expert, provides evaluations and testimony to courts.

Dr. Smithstein has written about cultural myths pertaining to women and sex addiction and how American society fails to recognize the reality of sexual addiction as a crucial problem for women. This article relies heavily on the knowledge and writings of Dr. Smithstein in the hopes to further bring balance to this issue.

Why Relocation Matters for a Sexual Assault Survivor

Sexual assault is a crime in which survivors or their loved ones have difficulty handling and working toward healing. There are a variety of reasons why this process is difficult, and the solution is very dependent upon the victim and situation. Ultimately, every survivor (and at times their family members) needs help, not only with psychological healing, but also with working out the logistics of their ‘new’ normal. For so many survivors, relocation becomes a necessary step in the healing process and offers a safety net for those whose perpetrator is still free.

Examining the Factors Leading to Risky Sexual Behaviors in Teens

The initiation of sexual activity is a concern for many parents. While there is a desire for healthy sexual development, many parents are unsettled by the thought that their child may be taking risks at a young age. Parents may struggle with recognizing signs or personality traits that may lead to an increased level of risky sexual behavior.

Study with Paper Dolls Shows Girls As Young As Six Concerned About Sexuality

A new study is highlighting the serious problem of girls as young as six sexualizing themselves and viewing themselves as sex objects.

Telling Others About Sex Addiction: Tough But Critical

It’s hard to get help for sex addiction, let alone talk about it. The condition is complex and gaining support from the mental health community, yet for laypersons, having sex addiction may seem like a person is promiscuous or making excuses for behavior choices.

Hiding Sex Addiction Can Make a Person Sick; Emotionally and Physically

Holding onto a secret that involves destructive behavior can actually cause genuine physical symptoms as well as lasting psychological effects. In the case of sexual addiction, someone who withholds knowledge of the addiction from a spouse or partner can not only deter treatment and recovery, but can become physically ill.