4 Ways Sex Addiction Can Affect Your Marriage

All marriages have their own set of challenges and setbacks. With stressful circumstances in life such as jobs, money, and children, it can be easy to see why. While expected in marriage, these circumstances can all add strain to a couple’s relationship, requiring constant communication and partnership to overcome them. But what happens when there are unexpected challenges thrown into a marriage, such as infidelity and addiction?

Sometimes, a spouse may find themselves struggling with sex addiction. In these instances, a marriage may become affected in many dangerous ways. More specifically, a marriage may start to struggle with:

1. Honesty

In a healthy marriage, honesty and communication is key. However, when a spouse is struggling with sex addiction, honesty may become a struggle. Instead of communicating openly, the addict may feel ashamed of their desires and behavior. This results in lies regarding their whereabouts, phone conversations, internet usage, and more.

Sometimes, the lying is indirect with vague excuses and reasonings. Other times, it can be direct and very well thought out. Either way, lying becomes a big part of a struggling sex addict’s behavior.

2. Intimacy

Intimacy may be an issue in many marriages, especially after children and other life obligations in daily life. It’s not uncommon for couples to report less time for sex together. When there is a sexual addiction involved, though, the intimacy may diminish further or even disappear entirely.

This may sound odd considering sexual addiction is partly related to sex and intimacy. However, a sexual addict may be feeling shameful about their behavior. So instead of seeking intimacy with their partner, they seek sexual satisfaction outside of the marriage.

3. Responsibility

Responsibility is a big part of any adult’s life. There are obligations to family, children, work, etc. However, responsibility may become a struggle for individuals struggling with sexual addiction.

Many sex addicts spend hours of their time seeking to feed their behavior. This can result in loss of sleep as well as loss of motivation to complete daily tasks such as work, cook dinner, or interact with loved ones. Sex addicts are known to abandon their many responsibilities in order to continue feeding their addictions.

4. Finances

Lastly, finances may become affected by sex addiction. This is especially true if the addict is struggling at work because they are distracted by their behavior. Savings may diminish, unexpected charges may show up on the credit card bill, or cash may go missing. These are all common financial strains that arise when a spouse is struggling with sex addiction.

CDA Counseling

Are you a struggling sex addict, or have you seen some of these warning signs in your marriage? If so, contact us at CDA Counseling. We can help you and your spouse come to terms with sex addiction so you can move forward into a healthy and happy recovery together.

Don’t let this addiction slowly eat away at your marriage – seek professional guidance and contact us today!

Testimonials

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"My staff says that I am more approachable and much better about communicating with them. I am more present to their needs and I am being told that their work environment is much better place. I am so grateful to Coeur d'Alene Counseling!"

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