ADDICTION AND OBSESSION (Research Paper Sample)

ADDICTION AND OBSESSION Name: Institution: Professor: Course: Date: ADDICTION AND OBSESSION Addiction can loosely be defined to mean dependence on something or someone whereas obsession is a preoccupation which is given great preference and that negatively affects an individual in most ways. This is because their withdrawal leads to undesired, both physiological and psychological, problems (Carnes, 2001). Sex obsession, therefore, is a preoccupation that inclines an individual to sexual feelings and dependencies that makes one addicted to sexual activities such as engaging in sex acts and subscribing pornographic materials like videos and magazines (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004). Several indicators can be used to show that one is addicted and/or obsessed to sex. These can be emotional or physical depending on the origin and effects of the addiction. People addicted to sex always have some sense of euphoria which can even go beyond that which has been reported by most people (Carnes, 1991). Sex addiction can also be traced to one’s family of origin since most sex addicts come from dysfunctional families. Also, most of the sex addicts have been reported to be people who had been once been sexually abused as children. Moreover, addiction to sex can be influenced by one’s peers. A company one maintains will greatly affect aspects of his/her sexuality, including addiction and obsession to pornography (Collins and Adleman, 2011). Sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes and HIV are common among sex addicts. This greatly affects the children in most of the families since HIV is one of the killer diseases today (Laasar, 2004). Children can be left orphaned at tender ages which also expose them to greater risks since they can be sexually abused by other sexual predators. Children are mostly affected by quarrels between their parents due to the addiction. They are also able to observe and tell the parent who is contributing the most to their well-being. That way, they may develop negative attitude towards the one recovering from sex addiction (Canning, 2010). An environment of disarray therefore surrounds the child. This can cause abandonment and low self –esteem among the children (Carnes, 2001). With sexual diseases, a lot of resources are usually spent treating and managing them. Sex addicts who contract diseases spend much of their fortunes to stay healthy. Their families, too, will contribute to ensure that the well-being of their loved ones is improved. Eventually, much will be spent without necessary obtaining the desired situation (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004). This is because advanced stages of sexual diseases, such syphilis, can lead to uncomfortable mental problems. Spending heavily on such people will affect other areas such as providing school fees for the children (Canning, 2010). Sex addiction and obsession often lead to further financial crises. Individuals involved usually spent a lot to either purchase pornographic materials or procure services of sexual partners. Money is always spent to purchase sex related materials and on entertainment that come with engaging in this act. Therefore, sex addicts can incur debts to ensure that they satisfy their desires. They may con or rob so as to facilitate their addictions (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004; Collins and Adleman, 2011). Some family break-ups and separations are as a result of sex addictions. This arises when one of the couple loses interest in relational sex due to increasing sexual interests. In most cases, the addict does not realize that their behavior has affected their loved ones (Wilson, 2007). This leads to the spouses developing unhealthy skills to strive and cope with the addict’s behaviors and sexual moods. Opportunities to do things together as a family thus become fewer as the addiction progresses (Steffens and Means, 2009). Effects of sex addiction in families can also be physical since some sex addicts might use abusive techniques in their sexual acts. Partners may also be subjected to unwanted physical touching in their private parts by the sex addicts. This can cause physical harm to one of the spouses and can lead to divorce (Steffens and Means, 2009). Sex addicts can also force their spouses to engage in unwanted sexual behavior and if they fail physical consequences may be subjected to them. Sexual addicts may even rape so as to satisfy their urge (Collins and Adleman, 2011). Sex addicts hardly progress in life. They spend their lifetime earnings to quench addiction. Such people often get in to one scandal after the other. In fact, those in high profile jobs risk termination if their sex addiction compromises the reputation and ethics code of their employer (Collins and Adleman, 2011). Friendship is also one important aspect of one’s life. Friends are critical for the development of personalities; they shape behaviours, attitudes, and perspectives of the people they relate with. Often, the circles of friends people keep tell a lot about them. Sex addiction and obsession usually reduces friends (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004). When this happens, sex addicts tend to feel lonely and disowned. In a solitary life, without one to reach for support, the addicts may tend to develop suicidal thoughts (Laasar, 2004). Strength-based Support and Strategies for Assisting the Sex Addicts Rehabilitation is important when assisting sexual addicts. For rehabilitation to be successful, sex addicts must admit their problem. In rehabilitation centers, other interventions such as faith-based treatment, psychotherapy, and counseling may be coupled together so as to achieve maximum results (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004; Wilson, 2007). Support groups can be used to help those with sexual addiction. This is because support is the most crucial part of treatment that can greatly help in improving one’s chances of recovering from sex addiction (Carnes, 1991). Support can come from a friend or a family member whom one can talk to or call when he/she has the desire for sex. Moreover, by sharing the problem with others, it is possible to reduce depression that has been documented to be among the causes of sex addiction (Laasar, 2004). If the triggers to sexual addiction are confined to a specific area, it is best for the addicts to avoid them. For instance, internet leads to obsession of pornographic materials. Such a trigger can be eliminated by avoiding computers and the internet or by avoiding pornographic magazines that causes an even bigger sex addiction problem (O’Donohue and Sbraga, 2004). Some sexual addicts can be counseled. Through counseling, such individuals get to be informed on the dangers that their habit exposes them to and the burden their loved ones have to endure as a result (Wilson, 2007). Most addicts that would be termed beginners are easily helped through professional counseling sessions. Counseling is also important for family, and any other individual who might be affected by the behaviour of the sex addict (Canning, 2010). Sex addicts ca...