Comparison of Approaches

A Treatment Center
When you check into a treatment center you remain there 3 to 6 months for addiction “treatment“. You are removed from all your stresses and worries of your life. You are treated lavishly. You usually don’t act addictively. When you leave the clinic you usually feel good. They charge you from $8,000 to $15,000. When you get back home all the stresses and worries of your life you avoided for the past 3 months to 6 months are back in your life which you are not prepared to deal with and back you go to your addiction.

Conventional, Licensed Therapists
Behavior modification is the standard advice given by conventional, licensed therapists. Sexually addicted people are told to have sex with their partner instead of using porn, masturbating, or going to a prostitute. What you don’t know is that your partner can not replace the empty high of your addictive behavior. Substituting your partner only cheapens the love making between you and your partner. You are also told to cut off access to the Internet or use porn blocking software while on the Internet. Removing all access to pornography. Getting rid of cable TV.  Removing anything that might tempt the person to act sexually addictive. Avoid any sexual addictive situations; avoid movie, book, magazine, poster that might be sexually arousing. Avoid stress. Avoid being alone. Conventional therapists charge from $100-$200 per hour. Because behavior modification makes a healthy, happy life impossible, no one consistently applies it, hence you go back to your addiction.

Twelve Step Program
The Twelve Step Program relies on Higher Power to overcome addiction. It states that you must turn your will over to a Higher Power and ask the Higher Power to release you from your addictive desires. The Higher Power might or might not grant your request. No reason is given why the Higher Power might turn your request down. According to the Twelve Step program, if the Higher Power does not release you from your addictive desires, you are helpless. From an addict's point of view: "I turned myself over to the Higher Power. I did everything I was asked to do. But the Higher Power didn't stop me." If you want to stop your sex addiction don't expect Twelve Step program's Higher Power approach to remove a desire that you know is going to return anyway.

My Approach
To successfully overcome addiction you need an approach you can consistently rely on under any circumstances, at any time, and any place. In my counseling, behavior modification techniques are not advised which means no substitutes, no avoidances. You do not have to attend meetings, rely on support groups, get anrgy at yourself or anyone else, or get on your knees and pray. You can face all your stresses, worries of your life and still be able to stop acting addictively by relying on your own self and actually feel good about it. You overcome your addiction correctly and move on with your life. You get to the point where your addiction feels like a faded memory.