Four decades of healing history, the top experts in an often-misunderstood field, and the most advanced approaches to address a wide range sexual addiction and behavioral disorders.
Our comprehensive program addresses sexual addictions, unresolved trauma, and co-occurring issues, going beyond symptoms to explore root issues and lay the groundwork for lasting healing.
Group and one-on-one therapy are just the beginning. We employ a wide range of methods and modalities, including valuable peer support, to address each person’s unique needs.
Let us help you determine if our program is right for your situation, discuss insurance coverage, payment options, and let you know what to expect upon arriving at treatment.
Change takes work, but it can’t be harder than living with unresolved addiction, trauma, and other disorders. If you or someone you love needs help, we’re ready and waiting.
By Melissa Riddle Chalos
It may seem culturally counterintuitive, but physically, emotionally — in every way that counts, really — drinking and sex make really dysfunctional bedfellows. Alcohol promises more freedom than it can deliver, and when these alcohol-fueled situations lead to sexual activity, inhibition becomes impulsive and even risky.
Alcohol promises more freedom than it can deliver, and when these alcohol-fueled situations lead to sexual activity, inhibition becomes impulsive and even risky.
It’s not rocket science that drinking can lead to some poor choices, but there is science behind it. Alcohol exerts significant physiological effects on the brain. Once consumed, it impacts the prefrontal cortex, where decision-making and rational thinking live, impairing both. Then, it stimulates dopamine release and slows down the central nervous system, intensifying sexual desires. It’s the perfect storm, in a sense, that sets a person up for making risky, uninformed choices while under the influence.
The brain may be physiologically impaired, but alcohol and risky sexual behavior goes way beyond a chemical and/or physical response. There is, in fact, an intricate relationship between alcohol use and sexual compulsivity. And these behavioral issues can feed off each in several destructive ways.
It’s a given that people who turn to alcohol and other substances often do so to escape or cope with emotional pain, stress, or trauma. In the same vein, sexual compulsivity is also a means by which people try to cope or escape from life’s challenges. These dual forms of escapism — alcohol and risky sexual behavior — can reinforce each other.
On the surface, impulses and feelings may feel like empowerment. Over time, you may develop tolerance to both substances and sexual experiences, leading to greater consumption and more extreme behaviors to achieve the same level of satisfaction or relief. This escalation feeds the cycle for both alcohol and sex addiction, making it even more difficult to break free.
Meadows Senior Fellow Bessel van der Kolk says, “We know that trauma compromises the brain area that communicates the physical, embodied feelings of being alive. Unlocking and releasing these traumatic experiences and being able to feel at home in our bodies can be key to overcoming what triggers sexual acting out.”
Some symptoms of sexual addiction, according to VerywellMind.com, include:
Alcohol abuse and sexual compulsivity often lead to negative consequences, including:
And excessive or ongoing substance or alcohol use can lead to sexual dysfunction, reports MedicalNewsToday.com. It can have a numbing effect on the genitals, decrease vaginal lubrication, and impede orgasm in women. Excessive alcohol use can also interfere with testicular function and male hormone production resulting in erectile dysfunction and infertility in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
So, what does alcohol do for sexual arousal and behavior? Certainly, research shows that drinking can have a range of effects on female arousal, desire, responsiveness, and sexual behavior. But ultimately, it is neither reality-based or healthy for women or men. The arousal is short-lived, but the guilt and shame that accompany the consequences may actually escalate compulsivity as a way to escape those feelings, perpetuating the cycle.
Alcohol use and sexual compulsivity are frequently intertwined, creating a complex web of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. In fact, both alcohol and sex addiction are often linked to co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or trauma.
Both alcohol and sex addiction are often linked to co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or trauma.
We at Gentle Path at The Meadows understand the struggle of alcohol and sex addiction and the underlying issues that lead to both. Together, we address the root causes of sexual addiction, as well as the co-occurring disorders that may be fueling your destructive behavioral choices. If you’re unsure whether or not your alcohol consumption is problematic, this questionnaire may help. If you know you are struggling, remember that seeking help is a sign of strength.
Reach out to us at Gentle Path to embark on the journey toward a healthier, more fulfilling life. With skilled guidance and support, we can help you break free from the cycle.
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