Good question!
If you have contacted a therapist or counsellor wanting help for "sex addiction':
You might think you are having too much sex or want to stop or reduce the amount of sex you are having,
You might be having sex with a person other than your usual partner and without your usual partner's knowledge,
You might be taking risks with sex you would not usually take,
You might feel bad about the sex you are having,
Or perhaps several or all of these apply for you.
In other words, there is a range of situations that lead people to get an idea they may be experiencing sex addiction. There are also many reasons individuals find themselves in these situations. For every person who believes they may have a "sex addiction', there is a unique story behind their arriving at this understanding.
People are more than just machines or animals: we are meaning makers. We are constantly making meaning about our lives. And these meanings are connected to our culture and history. If we focus on sex alone as the problem, and don't explore the meanings you have and can make, we risk failing to understand what is most personally important and relevant to you. This idea of treatment for sex addiction can actually be obscuring many other details that factor into what is affecting you and what you would prefer for your life. Furthermore, the idea of "sex addiction' probably has you believing any problem (whatever it may be) exists in you, instead of in a particular circumstance or relationship you are involved with.
How Can Narrative Therapy Help?
