The term addiction applies to a morbid form characterized by substance abuse, an object or a behavior; it defines a dysfunctional mental state characterized by a feeling of irrepressible desire and an uncontrollable need to repeat this behavior in a compulsive manner; it is an invasive condition marked by the phenomena of craving in a framework of uncontrollable habit that causes clinically significant distress. The author proposes a new interpretation of an sexual addiction as a dissociative mechanism to regulate non modulated emotions which were not mentalized (traumatic emotions) in early relationships with primary caregivers. To start from this theoretical model, this article suggests a treatment of sexual addiction focused on the identifying and regulation of traumatic emotions implicated in sexual compulsion. © 2014 Giovanni Fioriti Editore s.r.l.
The role of dissociation, affect dysregulation, and developmental trauma in sexual addiction
CRAPARO, GIUSEPPE
2014-01-01
Abstract
The term addiction applies to a morbid form characterized by substance abuse, an object or a behavior; it defines a dysfunctional mental state characterized by a feeling of irrepressible desire and an uncontrollable need to repeat this behavior in a compulsive manner; it is an invasive condition marked by the phenomena of craving in a framework of uncontrollable habit that causes clinically significant distress. The author proposes a new interpretation of an sexual addiction as a dissociative mechanism to regulate non modulated emotions which were not mentalized (traumatic emotions) in early relationships with primary caregivers. To start from this theoretical model, this article suggests a treatment of sexual addiction focused on the identifying and regulation of traumatic emotions implicated in sexual compulsion. © 2014 Giovanni Fioriti Editore s.r.l.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
