HLTHAGE 2L03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Sexual Addiction, Behavioral Addiction, Love Addiction
13 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Behavioural+addiction+vs+substance+addiction:+
Basic+concepts+of+addiction+are+physiological+(withdrawal,++tolerance,+craving)+
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Does+this+mean+we+can+be+addicted+to+anything?+
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People+can+get+addicted+to+anything+that+makes+you+feel+good
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The+substance+isnt+the+problem,+it's+the+relationship+with+the+substance
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Basic+concept+of+behavioural+addictions:+
Salience:+life+dominated+by+activity
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Mood+change:+activity+gives+participant+a+sense+of+"buzz"+
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Tolerance+
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Withdrawal+
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Conflict:+behaviour+causes+conflict+w/+others+or+self+
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Sex+is+the+first+behavioural+addiction+to+attract+attention+
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Antecedents+of+sex+addiction?+
18-19c+sexual+matters+became+concern+of+both+science+and+religion+
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Nymphomania:+violent+desire+shown+by+certain+women+for+pleasures+of+love
Public+masturbation,+tearing+off+clothes,+adultery,+feeling+greater+desire+
than+men,+
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Satyriasis:+excessive+sexual+desire+without+impulse+control,+could+lead+to+sexual+
violence
Causes:+brain+disease,+erotic+fiction,+sedentary+lifestyle,+aphrodisiacs,+
celibacy+
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Onanism:+both+cause+and+disease+itself+
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Emergence+of+sex+addiction:+
1970's+Boston+AA+member+"discovered+it"+
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These+obsessive+erotic+impulses+out+of+control,+produced+shamed
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"cured"+himself+by+modifying+the+12+steps,+practiced+sexual+sobriety+
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Saw+that+others+had+the+same+problem,+formed+sex+and+love+addicts+anonymous+
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Scientific+expansion:+
Basic+concept:+a+disease+where+a+person+uncontrollably+engages+in+sexual+
activity+
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Originates+from+low+self+esteem
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Level+1:+strip+clubs,+porn,+sex+workers,+affairs,+homosexual+activity
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Level+2:+exhibitionism,+voyeurism,+obscene+phone+calls
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Level+3:+rape,+incest,+child+molestation+
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Gender+and+sex+addiction:+
Overwhelmingly+applied+to+men+
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Understood+differently+by+gender+
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Males:+promiscuity,+masturbation,+child+molestation,+harming+
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Females:+"frequent+dangerous+encounters+with+strangers"+
Women+as+victims+of+patriarchy,+using+sex+b/c+lack+of+power,+attempt+to+
"play+man"+
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Pornography+addiction,+excessive+and+uncontrollable+consumption+of+porn+
Escaping+reality,+concerns+over+one's+body,+skills,+etc.+
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Causes+more+of+loss+in+self+esteem,+shame,+inability+to+have+real+
relationships
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Rejecting+sex+addiction:+
Rejected+by+scientists+
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Fear+that+the+definition+would+produce+too+many+false+positives
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Fear+that+it+would+produce+medical+excuse+for+immoral+conduct+
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Insufficient+evidence+
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Leaning+more+towards+"sex+enthusiasts"+than+sex+"addicts"+
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Social+constructionist+rejection:+
Being+"out+of+control"+sexually+in+one+place+is+not+the+same+as+another
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Different+"sexual+scripts"+exist
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Procreative:+sex+sinful+and+bad,+unless+between+married+partners
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Relational:+sex+expressive,+engenders+intimacy+between+partners+
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Recreational:+sex+for+pleasure,+any+type+of+activity+between+consenting+
individuals+
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Sex+and+shame+are+associated+b/c+of+negative+sex+culture:+
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Theoretical+irregularities:+
Sex+addiction+is+different+because+it+preaches+"healthy+sex"+rather+than+no+sex+
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But+how+do+we+draw+that+line?+
Natural,+loving,+rather+than+exploited,+objectifying+
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Dichotomized:+
Good+sex:+about+creation+and+maintenance+of+a+relationship+
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Addictive+sex:+about+pleasure,+boosting+self+esteem,+escaping+loneliness
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Theoretical+irregularities+ II:+
Sex+addiction+differs+from+substance+addiction+because+of+predictability
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Using+same+substance+every+day+=+addiction+
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Sex+addiction+varies+
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How+can+we+explain+sex+addictions+arrival?
The+pill,+legalization+of+abortion,+sexual+revolution,+easier+divorce+laws,+
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Aids+crisis+
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Sex+addict+=+symbol+of+moral+decline+
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Sex+addiction+industry:+
20th+century,+this+addiction+is+only+growing+
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Young's+online+sex+addiction+test:+
List+of+questions,+if+you+answer+yes+to+any+you+may+be+addicted+to+online+sex+
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Cultural+proliferation:+
Despite+scientific+reticence,+sex+addiction+popularly+entrenched+
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Neuro-biological+societies:+
Tolerance+or+withdrawal+required+for+diagnosis+of+addiction+
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Trigger+rewards+in+brain+=+addictive+
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Sex+addiction+painted+as+biological+disease+=+things+associated+with+endorphins+
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Conclusions:+
Sex+and+porn+addictions+are+leading+the+way+behavioural+addictions+are+
perceived+
Lead+to+questions+like:+can+anything+be+addictive?+
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Why+don't+some+people+get+addicted?
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Could+"addicts"+be+potentially+addicted+to+all+things?+
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Internet+helped+cement+sex+addiction's+status+
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Is+it+a+health+problem+or+a+way+of+policing+sexuality?+
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Sex+addiction+has+led+to+:+
Love+addiction,+porn+addiction,+sexting+addiction+
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Lecture'9:'Sex
Tuesday,+ March+27,+2018
2:55+PM
Document Summary
Basic concepts of addiction are physiological (withdrawal, tolerance, craving) People can get addicted to anything that makes you feel good. The substance isnt the problem, it"s the relationship with the substance. Mood change: activity gives participant a sense of buzz Conflict: behaviour causes conflict w/ others or self. Sex is the first behavioural addiction to attract attention. 18-19c sexual matters became concern of both science and religion. Nymphomania: violent desire shown by certain women for pleasures of love. Public masturbation, tearing off clothes, adultery, feeling greater desire than men, Satyriasis: excessive sexual desire without impulse control, could lead to sexual violence. Causes: brain disease, erotic fiction, sedentary lifestyle, aphrodisiacs, celibacy. These obsessive erotic impulses out of control, produced shamed. cured himself by modifying the 12 steps, practiced sexual sobriety. Saw that others had the same problem, formed sex and love addicts anonymous. Basic concept: a disease where a person uncontrollably engages in sexual activity activity.
