Sex Addiction as Affect Dysregulation

Examining the neurobiological underpinnings of sex addiction.

Neuroaffective science—studying the integrated development of the body, brain, and mind—has revealed mechanisms linking psychological and biological factors of mental disorders, including addiction. Indeed, its paradigm-shifting theoretical umbrella demonstrated that substance and behavioral dependencies share identical neurobiological workings, and thus that problematic repetitive behaviors are genuine addictions—a state increasingly understood as a chronic brain disorder. Clinical experience strongly suggests that sex addiction (SA) treatment informed by affective neuroscience—the specialty of Alexandra Katehakis—proves profoundly transformative.

Katehakis's relational protocol, presented here, blends neurobiology with psychology to accomplish full recovery. Her Psychobiological Approach to Sex Addiction Treatment (PASAT) joins therapist and patient...