Substance/Sex Addiction: Essential Tasks in Early Recovery –

Dr. David Fawcett

If you use sex drugs, it’s important to address and stabilize any emergencies you may have. You must ensure that you are safe and that your health and life are not put at risk. This may mean visiting your doctor for a physical or the emergency room if you have a medical emergency. If you can’t stop using or don’t do well, it may also mean hospitalization or intensive outpatient treatment. If your substance of choice is a stimulant drug, you may experience paranoia and other psychotic symptoms that will require evaluation and stabilization.

In addition to the obvious and immediate measures, you should:

• Practice self-care.
• Learn to manage triggers and cravings.
• Learn to regulate your emotions without falling into addiction.
• Build a support network.

In this post, I’ll discuss the last task: building a support network that you can turn to when you’re stuck.

Many addicts often begin to cut ties with people who may judge their behavior or interfere with the time they spend with their addiction. Shame, isolation, and greatly weakened support networks are hallmarks of active addiction and early recovery. After years of denial and gaslighting, and staying away from people who might tell them the truth, addicts may find that they no longer have a clear picture of their reality. This is why involvement with other people, especially other people in recovery, is an important aspect of recovery. Others in 12-step recovery meetings, group therapy, and other recovery settings become mirrors, reflecting back to the addict a side of themselves that they cannot see.

Be sure to make time to nurture and actively participate in your relationships and community. As Daniel Siegel writes in ” Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation, “The neural network around The heart and entire body are closely intertwined with resonant circuits in the brain – so when we are “felt” (heard, understood, emotionally connected) by another person, it also helps us develop ourselves The inner strength of conditioning to become focused, thoughtful, and resourceful. “^[i]

The key here is to be proactive and reach out because we all have important belonging needs. You can attend 12-step meetings and share. You can also hang out with or call a trusted friend, new friend, coworker, mentor, sponsor, family member, or someone who is struggling and needs a shoulder, a hug, and an ear. Reaching out can make a big difference in your day and the day of others.

Is it possible to recover by attending 12-step or other recovery-focused meetings? Yes, of course it is. However, experience shows that the recovery process can be accelerated to a large extent by obtaining professional help. This can occur at many different levels of intensity, from inpatient care to outpatient individual and group therapy. It’s important to note that the 12-step program is not a cure. They are social supports for addiction. Over the years, I have found that a combination of therapy and social support produces the best outcomes for substance/sex addicts.

Finding the right therapist may take some trial and error. Not every therapist is right for every client. Personality, training, experience, gender and age are all important factors in this process. Professionals with the expertise needed to treat drug addiction have a variety of training and certifications. They may be certified addiction professionals, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Many are certified in trauma work, sex therapy, and various clinical approaches. One credential that is extremely important for sex addicts is the CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) designation. In fact, I would suggest that a CSAT therapist is almost a must-have for substance/sex addicts.

Some therapists offer introductory counseling. This is a great opportunity to get to know them, their style, and their potential fit with you. Follow your intuition when choosing a therapist. Choosing the right clinician for you is an important decision.

[i] Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation. Bantam.

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If you or a loved one is struggling with sex, porn, or substance/sex addiction, Seeking Integrity can help. In addition to residential rehab, we offer low-cost online workgroups for male sex addicts and male porn addicts new to recovery. Click here to learn about our Sex Addiction Task Force. Click here to learn about our Porn Addiction Task Force.