With the revised information and up-to-date research, Out of the Shadows is the premier work on sex addiction, written by a pioneer in its treatment. Sex is at the core of our identities. And when it becomes a compulsion, it can unravel our lives. Out of the Shadows is the premier work on this disorder, written by a pioneer in its treatment. Revised and updated to include the latest research--and to address the exploding phenomenon of cybersex addiction--this third edition identifies the danger signs, explains the dynamics, and describes the consequences of sexual addiction and dependency. With practical wisdom and spiritual clarity, it points the way out of the shadows of sexual compulsion and back into the light and fullness of life.

The media today is filled with powerful men in trouble for their sexual behaviors, and invariably, they are diagnosed as sexual addicts. Since Adam first hid his nakedness from God and pointed the finger at Eve, men have struggled to take responsibility for their sexuality. Over the past three decades, these behaviors have come to reflect not a moral failing, but instead, evidence of an ill-defined disease, that of "sexual addiction." The concept of sexual addiction is a controversial one because it is based on questionable research and subjective moral judgments. Labeling these behaviors as sex addiction asserts a false, dangerous myth that undermines personal responsibility. Not only does this epidemic of sex addiction excuses mislabel male sexuality as dangerous and unhealthy, but it destroys our ability to hold people accountable for their behaviors. By labeling males as weak and powerless before the onslaught and churning tide of lust, we take away those things that men should live up to: personal responsibility; integrity; self-control; independence; accountability; self-motivation; honor; respect for self and others. In The Myth of Sex Addiction, Ley presents the history and questionable science underlying this alleged disorder, exposing the moral and cultural judgments that are embedded in the concept, as well as the significant economic factors that drive the label of sex addiction in clinical practice and the popular media. Ley outlines how this label represents a social attack on many forms of sexuality--male sexuality in particular--as well as presenting the difficulty this label creates in holding people responsible for their sexual behaviors. Going against current assumptions and trends, Ley debunks the idea that sex addiction is real, or at least that it is as widespread as it appears to be. Instead, he suggests that the high-sex behaviors of some men is something that has been tacitly condoned for countless years and is only now labeled as a disorder as men are being held accountable to the same rules that have been applied to women. He suggests we should expect men to take responsibility for sexual choices, rather than supporting an approach that labels male sexual desire as a "demonic force" that must be resisted, feared, treated, and exorcised.

As the controversial field of sex addiction treatment reaches for legitimacy across the disciplines of medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy, Getting Real about Sex Addiction: A Psychodynamic Approach to Treatment applies psychoanalytic framework to concepts of addiction and sex, as well as related concepts of personality and attachment development. Authors Graeme Daniels and Joe Farley explore the intersection of sex and culture and address social undercurrent relating to gender, such as objectification and sexual aggression and how those influence conceptualization goals and procedures in treatment. Through a number of case illustrations and vignettes, this text demonstrates psychodynamic method across treatment contexts, in formats of individual, couples, and group therapy. The result is a work that critiques theoretical, intervention, and gender biases that have infiltrated this important yet embattled field, and provides a fresh, alternative approach from a source with the oldest pedigree in modern psychology.

Real Hope, True Freedom covers a wide variety of topics on sex addiction and the process of recovery. It addresses the different manifestations of sex addiction, how sex addiction impacts the brain, sex addiction risk factors, when sex addiction co-occurs with other mental health disorders, barriers to getting help/treatment, information and resources specific to the needs of the partners of sex addicts, the process of treatment, the process of recovery for both individuals and couples, relationship rebuilding, re-establishing intimacy, healthy sexuality, and relapse prevention tools and strategies. Milton Magness, D. Min., MA, LPC, CSAT, is the founder and director of Hope & Freedom Counseling Services. A Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, he served five terms as the president of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH), the international professional organization for sexual addiction therapists. Prior to becoming a therapist he was a pastor for twenty years. He has a Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary, a Master of Arts in Psychology from Houston Baptist University, and Master of Arts in Religious Education from Southwestern Seminary. Dr. Magness is the author of Stop Sex Addiction: Real Hope, True Freedom for Sex Addicts and Partners, and Thirty Days to Hope & Freedom for Sexual Addicts: the Essential Guide for Daily Recovery and Relapse Prevention. Marsha Means, MA, a trained Marriage and Family Therapist, as well as the founder and director of A Circle of Joy Ministries, an organization designed to help women impacted by sexual addiction and address the needs created by this growing problem. In 2000, she gained international recognition through Prodigals International, an organization she and her husband founded in the Seattle area to train and equip therapists, churches, and lay people in providing help, hope, and healing to those touched by the pain and shame of sex addiction. Ms. Means is the author of Living With Your Husband’s Secret Wars, and the co-author of Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal.

Sex Addiction Get on the Road to Recovery and Learn to Live and Love Life Again The book, Sex Addiction: Get on the Road to Recovery and Learn to Live and Love Life Again, is about getting free from the bondage of sex addiction. You will discover the common signs and symptoms of sex addiction, what causes it and the devastating effects this compulsive behavior brings on a person's life and relationships. You will also discover steps on how to overcome this addiction and how to avoid relapse while you are on your recovery program. The book focuses on important aspects such as key behaviors in addressing this addiction. Honesty is the most vital element to recovery from sex addiction. Recognizing that you have a problem and that you need help is the first step in your journey to freedom. Sex addiction is a weakness - and being truthful about your weakness will open doors for you to bring change into your life. Receiving love and support from people who love you will help you overcome and mature. -Sex addiction is a real problem but there is a solution to this dilemma. It is not the end of the world when you discover that you have sex addiction. For sex addicts, there is still hope: to enjoy life and meaningful relationships, to have a healthy attitude towards sex, to grow mature and stable emotionally, mentally and intimately. The book also features a picture of what a healthy, intimate relationship will look like after recovery from sex addiction. It can be a full life of freedom - no more secret activities, no more secret thoughts, no more secret desires. You can enjoy emotional and physical sensations without the guilt and shame that comes with sex addiction. And you do not have to fear that the claws of this monster can get back at you. You can be on the road to recovery and be forever free from its devastating effects - to learn to live again and love life again!

“Erica Garza has written a riveting, can’t-look-away memoir of a life lived hardcore…In an era when predatory male sexual behavior has finally become a topic of urgent national discourse…Getting Off makes for a wild, timely read” (Elle). A fixation on porn and orgasm, strings of failed relationships and serial hook-ups with strangers, inevitable blackouts to blunt the shame—these are not things we often hear women share publicly, and not with the candor, eloquence, and introspection Erica Garza brings to Getting Off. What sets this courageous and riveting account apart from your typical misery memoir is the absence of any precipitating trauma beyond the garden variety of hurt we’ve all had to endure in simply becoming a person—reckoning with family, learning to be social, integrating what it means to be sexual. Whatever tenor of violence or abuse Erica’s life took on through her behavior was of her own making, fueled by fear, guilt, self-loathing, self-pity, loneliness, and the hopelessness those feelings brought on as she runs from one side of the world to the other in an effort to break her habits—from East Los Angeles to Hawaii and Southeast Asia, through the brothels of Bangkok and the yoga studios of Bali to disappointing stabs at therapy and twelve-steps back home. In these remarkable pages, Garza draws an evocative, studied portrait of the anxiety that fuels her obsessions, as well as the exhilaration and hope she begins to feel when she suspects she might be free of them. Getting Off offers a brave and necessary voice to our evolving conversations about addiction and the impact that internet culture has had on us all—“a profoundly genuine, gripping story that any reader can appreciate” (Vice). “In reading Garza’s insight into her own experiences, we better understand ourselves” (The New York Times Book Review).

Chances are someone you know is a sex addict (or is living with one). Sex addiction is a growing menace that threatens all strata of our society, destroying millions of marriages, damaging reputations, contributing to suicides and in some cases prison sentences, and wasting mind-boggling amounts of money. But there is hope. Sex addiction is treatable. Through the rigorous recovery program detailed in these pages, it is possible for sex addicts to stop all of their destructive behaviors—forever. The recovery road is long and difficult, but also very rewarding. Marriages have not only been restored, but enriched. By following the steps described in Stop Sex Addiction, addicts and their partners have found the path to freedom from sex addiction. You have taken the first steps along that path by picking up this book. The wisdom it contains will lead to real hope and true freedom. Milton Magness, D. Min., MA, LPC, CSAT, is the founder and director of Hope & Freedom Counseling Services in Houston, Texas. He is a licensed professional counselor and a certified sex addiction therapist.

Pastor T. C. Ryan narrates the unsettling story of his lifelong struggle with sexual addiction, one that predated and pervaded his pastoral ministry--one that went on for years in secrecy and isolation. In light of his full experience of exile and healing, Ryan calls the church to a ministry of unsettling grace that is the worthy of the gospel.

Like other psychiatric disorders, sexual addiction is a condition that affects peoples' relationships with others as much as it affects their own mental state. Individuals suffering from sexual addiction typically pursue sex through any means possible and often engage in risky forms of sexual activity such as exhibitionism, promiscuous sex with multiple partners, online sex, etc. It's easy to see how a couple's relationship may be challenged by the manifestations and reality of a disorder like this one. A Couple's Guide to Sexual Addiction discusses common relationship issues within the context of sexual addiction and provides the reader with exercises, information, and advice on the following topics: Trust Communication Healthy sexuality & sexual behaviors Family By understanding the reality of sexual addiction and what it means for a relationship, couples will be able to better relate to each other and plan for a successful future.

If you’re struggling with a sexual addiction of any sort, you understand that feeling of being trapped, out of control, and afraid of being found out. No matter what you try, it seems impossible to break free from the lure of illicit sexual thoughts and practices. Author David Powlison encourages those who want to overcome their ...