Many people are familiar with the concept of addiction. However, many people only understand addictions as they relate to things like alcohol or drugs. These things are very valid issues, and it’s good to address them. However, these are substance addictions, and only account for a fraction of the many different forms of addiction that exist.
Other forms of addiction are referred to as process addictions, and can include things like gambling, driving, and having sex. In this article, we’re going to be discussing a certain type of sexual addiction referred to as addiction to polyamory.
What Is Polyamory?
Polyamory is a term that’s used to describe a situation in which a person has multiple sexual or romantic partners. This is different than monogamy, where a person has a single sexual or romantic partner.
Polyamory has a number of things that make it much different than monogamy. Some people find these things preferable to monogamy, and others find them difficult and hard to deal with.
- Polyamorists are able to have multiple sexual partners. This is often the driving factor that leads to someone becoming polyamorous. They are unable to be satisfied with a single sexual partner and require the engagement of two or more to feel satisfied in their life.
- Polyamorists engage in a lot more exchanging of energy. Some polyamorists find this exciting because they’re able to share themselves intimately with many other people. Other people – many of whom have already tried and decided to avoid polyamory – find that the constant exchange of very powerful sexual energy is draining, confusing, and difficult to manage.
- Polyamorists run a greater chance of contracting a sexual disease. When you’re exchanging sexual fluids with many different people then you’re going to put yourself at a greater risk of contracting a sexual disease.
Polyamorists are also more likely to engage in more intense sexual activities. They may participate in orgies, enjoy BDSM, and express themselves sexually in the form of different fantasies.
Polyamory and Sex Addiction
Not all polyamorists are addicted to sex, but many are.
Someone who is addicted to sex requires a high amount of sexual activity to feel satisfied in their own life. This means that if they don’t participate in sexual activity, they will develop feelings like insecurity, depression, sadness, and anxiety.
There are a number of reasons that someone might become addicted to sex.
- They may have problems with self-love or self-confidence. Many people are raised in environments that don’t allow them to develop the capacity for self-love and self-confidence. This is very apparent when you see the number of people who go through high school and adulthood constantly craving sexual activity and seeking to get extra ‘notches on their belt.’
These people are looking for external validation of their own self-confidence, and making physical love to someone is one of the most intimate and profound ways to show loving acceptance.
- They may be addicted to physical sensation. Some people who are addicted to sex simply require more and more intense stimulation to help them achieve the pleasure that they seek from their sexual interaction. They may find that they get ‘bored’ of one partner or fantasy and move on to another person, keeping the first person as a ‘backup’.
- Some people enjoy the power that sexual activity provides. Many people find that they gain an immense amount of satisfaction and self-confidence from seducing people of the same or opposite gender. Attracting a sexual partner becomes something of a game to them, and they ‘score points’ by engaging with more sexual partners.
As mentioned, not all polyamorous people are addicted to sex. However, the majority of polyamorists have some sort of underlying issue that leads them to becoming addicted to the possibility of having multiple partners.Many people become polyamorous because they are not satisfied in their current relationship and seek what they’re lacking from other people. Ultimately, this becomes a game of seeking what they want from someone else. The reality is that what most polyamory addicts want – love – needs to be generated on their own, for themselves.
Managing a Polyamory Addiction
There are a number of ways that you can help yourself overcome a sex or polyamory addiction with holistic coaching methods. Holistic coaches are much more effective than traditional counselors and therapists because they engage more than just the mind.
While a traditional psychotherapist works to help clear issues out of the mind, holistic coaches recognize the interconnected nature of the mind and body. By working to help patients manage both their physical and mental issues, they can be much more effective at helping to overcome sex addictions.
Here are a few ways that you can manage a sexual addiction.
— Neurofeedback is a process in which your coach will help to determine your neural responses to various stimuli, such as sexual behavior. After identifying these responses, they will work with you to help change the way that you physically and mentally respond to sexual stimuli.
— Somato Emotional Repatterning. This is a very powerful type of coaching that allows coaches to help patients identify blockages or differences in their energy field. Identifying these imbalances and the related triggers can help people identify exactly what makes them crave sex so that they can correct these imbalances.
— Nutrition. Many holistic coaches will encourage patients to get a healthy diet. Bad diets can lead to anxiety, emotional issues, and imbalances that can all contribute to various forms of addiction.
— Kinesiology allows people to help identify and address subconscious and psychospiritual issues that may contribute to sexual addictions.
In Conclusion
If you’ve been struggling with polyamory, don’t despair! There are many ways you can help yourself overcome the issue. Talking to a holistic coach is one of the best ways to help yourself manage a sexual or polyamorous addiction.
If you or someone you love has a sexual addiction, contact me today! All calls are confidential. (805) 256-0372.
There is hope. There is help. There is healing.
