We cannot turn back time and make a new start, but we can start from now and create a new ending.
The core signs and symptoms of sexual addiction are generally the same regardless of age, race, gender, social history, and psychological underpinnings. For instance, nearly all sex addicts experience tolerance and escalation. With substance addictions, tolerance and escalation manifest when the addict must take more of a substance or a stronger substance to achieve and maintain the neurochemical high that he or she seeks. With sexual addiction, tolerance and escalation occur when we spend increasing amounts of time engaging in the addiction, or when the intensity level of our sexual fantasies and activities increases. Over time, thanks to tolerance and escalation, we sometimes find ourselves engaging in sexual behaviors that hadn’t even occurred to us early in the addictive process. Sometimes we act out in ways that violate our personal moral code, our spiritual beliefs, and perhaps even the law.
Just for Today
Think about where you started with your addiction, and where it took you. Ask yourself how you feel about that.