“Reclaiming Healthy Love and Sexuality: A Women’s Intensive for Love Addictions”
There is much debate over whether or not love addictions exists. There is a fine line between what is acceptable sexual behavior and what is sexually addictive or compulsive. Women are often faced with challenges in regards to sexuality and relationships in society. Most women have struggled with sexuality at some point in their life on a spectrum of either sexually addictive or codependent behaviors. Our culture tends to discourage women from being assertive and direct in the expression of sexual needs and in turn encourages being less direct and more seductive or manipulative to meet sexual needs. Women’s cultural values, childhood conditioning, and self-esteem are all strong influences on sexuality. Women sometimes go beyond these culturally-groomed behaviors and use compulsive sexual behavior as a way to gain power and love.
Women are often referred to as “love addicts” more often than “sex addicts”.
Love addiction has different definitions and occurs in many forms. Love addicts are known as relationship, romance, and sex addicts. Some love addicts seek unavailable people, obsess when they fall in love, or get addicted to the euphoric effects of romance. Others cannot let go of unhealthy love relationships even if they are unhappy, depressed, lonely, neglected, or in danger. Some love addicts are codependent, and some use sex to manage feelings. The distinction between sex and love addicts is that unlike sex addicts, love addicts crave an emotional connection and desperately avoid separation, anxiety, and loneliness.
“Female sex addicts” may prefer to be “love addicts” because to be addicted to love means to be a romantic and nurturing woman rather than “sex addicts” which can imply a negative sexual image. One misconception is that love addiction is about love; however, it is love that is absent in an addicted love relationship. The drive is a feeling of euphoria or romance but falls short of real intimacy and secure love.
The Female Intensive Outpatient Program is a 5-day program that provides:
- Individual assessment
- Group processing
- Psychological testing
- Intimacy building
- Affect regulation tools
- Mind/Body work
- An empowerment model towards discovery and growth
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