Internet Sex Addiction

The darker side of the World Wide Web

Defining Internet Sex Addiction

The internet plays a sizeable role in the lives of many of us today, something that was incomprehensible just several decades ago. With all the technological progress we’ve made, we’ve also opened ourselves up to some tech-driven dangers. Being online 24-7 has led to an increase in internet sex addiction, also commonly referred to as cybersex addiction, a sexual addiction characterized by virtual Internet sexual activity that causes serious negative physical, emotional, relational, or financial, consequences.

WHEN TECHNOLOGY BECOMES DANGEROUS

The Internet has introduced a new platform for men who struggle with sex addiction issues. The easy access and affordability allow those addicted to internet sex to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in sexual activity while remaining anonymous behind a screen.

Today, more 70% of sex addicts report having problematic online sexual behavior. Two-thirds of those engaged have such despair over their internet activities that have had suicidal thoughts. Sexual acting out online has been shown to manifest in similar off-line behavior. People who already were sex addicts find the internet accelerates their problem, while those who get caught up in online sexual behavior quickly begin acting out in new ways offline. Quite often, men dealing with Internet sex addiction will get caught looking at pornography at work or by their families because of their inability to exhibit self-control. This results in negative consequences and feelings of deep shame.

Internet sexual addiction can be identified by three criteria:

  • Failure of making a decision about engaging in the behavior
  • Obsession with the behavior
  • The inability to stop the behavior despite negative consequences

Our Approach to CyberSexual Addiction

In his book In the Shadows of the Net, Dr. Patrick Carnes explains that compulsive viewing of cyberpornography, a subgroup of sexual addiction, has a recognizable behavior pattern that is similar to other addictions. This shared progressive nature means sex addicts will take ever greater risks to engage in sexual activity online as their addiction progresses.

The Internet can cause men to become disconnected from the world around them, as well as other people. When this type of behavior develops into something more extreme, this detachment can introduce problems related to developing relationships with other people, difficulties in relationships, and intimacy issues. The experts at Gentle Path are trained to help with issues like internet sex addiction and get to the root causes before more damage is done.

woman shocked at phone

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Exhibitionism existed centuries before the creepy guy in a trench coat was a thing. “Indecent exposure” became a legal term as early as 1820. In fact, it may well date back to discovery of the penis itself, as there is some biological hard-wiring involved. So we really can’t blame the smart phone or social media for what is just our culture’s newest form of exhibitionism.

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Change Your Story

Gentle Path is a safe, nurturing community composed of peers where your journey of recovery will include not just dealing with outward behaviors but examining the underlying causes. The goal is to gain the courage to face difficult issues (including grief and loss), heal from emotional trauma, and become accountable for your feelings, behaviors, and recovery.

 

Taking that first step is hard, but there’s a new life of health and hope just waiting for you. The next chapter of your life can begin now, but only you can change your story.

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