Partners of Sex Addicts

Sexual addiction is a very real, very common struggle that can affect a person’s day to day life emotionally, physically, and mentally. But one of the biggest issues with sex addiction is how much it can hurt other people. Sex addiction, when it occurs in any relationship, almost always causes significant pain and distress in the partners of sex addicts, and dealing with those issues can be a tremendous challenge.

Are You the Partner of a Sex Addict?

Relationships with sex addicts can be immensely damaging, and cause a considerable amount of pain in ways that are very hard to recover from on their own. Being married or in a relationship with a sex addict causes:

• Low Self-Esteem – One of the number one problems for partners of sex addicts is damage to their self-esteem, which occurs when another partner is addicted to sexual encounters with others. There is a tendency to wonder why they need to seek out those encounters, and why they aren’t getting what they need from you.
• Broken Trust – Broken trust isn’t just an issue within relationships. When someone hurts your trust that significantly, the effects can be shattering to the way you see the entire world, and that can cause depression, anxiety, and more.
• Abuse/Physical Hurt – Those that are partners with sex addicts may have been the victim of abuse, sometimes without even realizing it. If your partner got more and more aggressive sexually, for example, or you were put at risk for STDs, those affects can have you fearing for your health and future.

There is also the issue of guilt, as many of those that are partners with people struggling with sexual abuse feel guilty that they still want their relationships to last. In addition, if you are considering ending your relationship, you may feel guilty wondering if the person was simply an addict.

No matter what you’re feeling, being in a relationship with a sex addict is a constant struggle, which is why it is always good to talk to someone that has experience working with both sex addicts and their partners providing mental health services and therapy that gives you a better understanding of the addiction and its effects.

At CALGARY SEX ADDICTION COUNSELLING, we work with many male and female partners of sex addictions, helping you recover emotionally and psychologically. If you believe that your partner is a sex addict, or they have already been diagnosed and you simply need someone to talk to, call us today at 403-879-2503 for our sex therapy services, and learn more about the recovery process.