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How does it all start? My thoughts on addiction causes and substance abuse
I was talking with a friend the other night, and he asked me my opinion about the line between addiction and normal behavior. He was wondering whether I think that everyone who looks at porn is a sex addict. I don’t. (see some of our posts on sex addiction here) Still, the conversation made me…
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Meth + Viagra = HIV and STDs?? Sex marathons and their danger
Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer Sex marathons…what does that sound like to you? Lots of sex, with multiple partners, for an extended period of time? Bingo! Come on down and collect a prize!!! Why sex marathons can be dangerous Sex marathons are where people have sex for a prolonged period of time, and often do so…
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Heroin Addiction and HIV infection – Dirty needles and a place for harm reduction
Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer Many people today know about the dangers and risky behaviors (sharing needles, unsafe sex, and mother-to-child transmission) that can increase the risk for HIV/AIDS infection. The question lies in whether or not they are able to take appropriate actions to prevent contracting the disease themselves. Heroin addiction, dirty needled, and HIV…
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The many different options to getting sex addiction help
We’ve talked about the fact that sex addiction (or love addiction) is defined by the inability to regulate sexual behavior despite negative consequences. We also mentioned already that it affects millions of Americans. But how does one get sex addiction help? Addictive sexual behaviors can range from compulsive masturbation and porn watching, to compulsive cheating,…
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What does it mean to be love addicted? Sex addiction explained.
What do you think of when you hear the words “sex addict“? Do you imagine someone who has sex dozens of times a day? Someone who owns a lot of sex toys? Someone who spends all their time immersed in pornography? While all of these scenarios, and others, can identify someone with a sexual addiction,…
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Always stay mindful – My different experience with recovery, addiction, and crystal meth
One of the main features of addiction is, unfortunately, how insidious it is. Given everything I’ve been learning in the past 12 years about drugs, their abuse, and the people involved, I feel right in saying that most people don’t realize how far gone they are until it’s too late. I consider myself fortunate in…
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Addiction-brain effects: Sex addiction, neurotransmitters, and being love addicted
***A disclaimer: Sex addiction is a relatively new concept in science. I haven’t been able to find much research on the subject, so much of what is being said here is my interpretation of the current literature on sexual responsivity in humans.*** I’ve already mentioned that scientists are beginning to consider behavioral addictions (like gambling…
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My Friend the sex addict part 2 – The ups and downs of sexaholics
As you may recall from an earlier post, a friend of mine, Brian, has been struggling to get some control over his sex addiction. I had referred him to a number of clinics that treat sex-addiction specifically, and to Sex Addicts Anonymous (sometimes known as sexaholics anonymous) as a starting point. I’m not at all…
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My Friend the sex addict – When looking for love goes too far
I have this friend, we’ll call him Brian, who has recently realized that he may be addicted to sex. Being an addiction specialist, he obviously came to me for advice. I told him that I would look into some of the treatment centers specializing in sexual addiction, and that in the meantime, there are support…
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Making a difference one post at a time… Helping drug users
Hi everyone, I’ve been wanting to do something to help drug users for a long time now, so instead of just thinking about it, I’ve decided to go ahead and give this a try. I’m a doctoral student at UCLA working on my PhD in psychology. I’ve been studying issues related to drug-addiction, sex-addiction, and…