Both Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey are in Gentle Path at the Meadows to be treated for sexual addiction for 45 days. The Meadows is a re-noun treatment center for all addiction. Back in the 80’s and 90’s when I hosted Addiction Free Radio, we did numerous programs on Sex addiction. What I discovered is because sexual perversion is so repulsive, some people see it as a moral problem and not a medical one. But sex addiction is a compulsive obsessive disorder. Wikipedia has a good look at it.

I had the occasion to interview Patrick Carnes   a noted doctor  on the topic. His first book Out of the Shadows first shed light on sex addiction.

There are many 12 Step recovery Groups for Sex addiction and their families.  Some of these are open to anyone to attend . Some are secret groups and deal with the most critical problems. I attended The National association of Sexual Addiction Problems convention which was held in Wheatridge as an invited journalist.  There were several thousand attendees. The topics of discussion were very difficult to listen to. My girlfriend at the time who was a therapist attended the conference with me. But she became so disturbed she ran into the hall and vomited in a waste paper basket . She took a cab home. However,treatment seems to work for those who work the program. But you can see why people want to dismiss sex problems a criminal only.

The law seems to break down sexual assault 3 ways and sex offenders are put in various categories. Level three is non touching or interaction such as following women, peeping. Level 2 covers exposing, touching filming people.  And Level 1 includes rape, children and more. They all take jail sentences and registry.

On Addiction Free Radio I interviewed both men and women who were sex addicts. On way Sex addiction is  spread  the same way alcoholism is spread. It starts in the home much of the time. Or simple pornography can trigger sex addiction. Some people can look at porn and have no addiction while others, addicts , become addicted.

Strip clubs often have women who are addicted to sex who were molested as young girls act out for men who are the perpetrators.  The cycle continues in a controlled space according to some strippers I talked to. The porn industry works much the same.

One thing seems to be true. Sex addicts of all kinds can be treated and can recover. Just like drug addicts and alcoholics who were once deemed not treatable, treatment does work for Sex addicts Sex addiction is real. My Facebook Post.