Intimacy Disorders

Many did not believe intimacy disorders existed until years after the 1983 publication of Patrick Carnes book Out of the Shadows. The book promoted that anything can be an addiction: drugs, alcohol, food, exercise, sugar, or sex, if it causes significant distress in one’s life. An addiction may be present if just three of the following traits are present:

• Tolerance, defined as needing more of the behavior or more explicit behavior to feel the same
• Withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, difficulty concentrations, or sleep disturbances
• Failed attempts to stop behavior
• Increased behavior during use
• More time spent pursuing or participating in the behavior than intended
• Family or occupational consequences
• Continued use despite knowledge of consequences

If you are questioning that you may struggle with an intimacy disorder, this short assessment to see if a consultation with a trained staff member may be helpful.

Intimacy Disorder Recovery

The recovery process for intimacy disorders can involve many different avenues with varying results. At Valiant Living, we provide personalized recovery plans to create the most helpful recovery process for each person. The process often involves weekly individual therapy in addition to weekly therapy groups, and highly encouraged participation in a twelve step group. Our center exists to provide the highest level of treatment for sexual addiction recovery. Therefore, our program involves a high level of commitment for true recovery. It may seem like high commitment, but our philosophy is that true recovery comes from a deep desire to change and grow, manifested through commitment to recovery.