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Spitzer begins therapy for possible sex addiction
So, maybe I need to change the title of this post, Eliot Spitzer incident, Post Number 9 (ok, only Post Number 2): Is he a sex addict? Nope, just human (from 3/11/08) since it now looks as though part of his therapeutic involvement is going to revolve around a possible sex addiction.
From the New York Post (hattip to Bad American):
Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has gone into therapy in the wake of the hooker scandal that swept him out of office, a Spitzer insider told The Post yesterday.
As part of the therapy, Spitzer will explore whether he has an addiction to sex, the source said.
…
…it has emerged he has had a jones for pricey professional girls going back as far as a decade, and hooked up with “Kristen” – the nom-de-sack of 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupre – several times prior to getting nabbed on tape, sources have said.
Experts say this type of behavior exhibits classic signs of sexual addiction.
“If it becomes an overwhelming urge to the detriment of your professional and familial relationships – if it starts to screw up your life – that is addictive behavior,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, a clinical psychologist.
“Someone who displays this sort of behavior could be classified as having a sexual addiction.”
I would agree with this: “…an overwhelming urge to the detriment of your professional and familial relationships – if it starts to screw up your life – that is addictive behavior…”.
Well, if you know anything about addictive personalities and addictions, the issue is often around risk, taking risk, self-destruction, narcissism and the presence of other addictive behaviors.
Here’s a good primer on addictive personalities, especially sex addiction, with a podcast and links to other resources.
Of course the unasked question is, if Ms. Dupre has been engaged in the exposure of her body for money or other gratification since at least the age of 17, accompanied by the drinking of alcohol, does she too have some addictions that should but probably won’t get attention? Is that right, wrong, unimportant?
Yeah. Remember, there’s nothing victimless about prostitution or infidelity.
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10 Responses to “Spitzer begins therapy for possible sex addiction”
He is facing some pretty serious charges over this and so like all celebrities who find themselves in this predicament they check into clinics to prove to judge and jury that they are a victim of some unseen force in the universe and that the “Devil Made Them Do It.”
Its SOP.
SOP?
SOP, Jill, from my years as military wife: Standard Operating Procedure. Now, I believe the term's been taken over by corporate. Might have once been a legal term.
hth,
dr e
hth: Hope that helps
smiling
Whether the SOP is involved or not, if there's an addiction involved then they need to seek help. And generally the folks who seek help are those who start losing things. In the case of Spitzer, his career and perhaps his marriage (or the threat of losing it). I'm not making excuses for Sptizer- he needs to take responsibility for his behavior.
I think you're right, Jill. Kristen may have some addictions that need attention. But she won't seek help unless compelled. The spotlight and “fame” she's receiving now just pushes that day of reckoning further into the future for her.
Like all people with addictions/other mental problems, I wish them the best.
Ohhhh. lol See – I rarely look at things from THAT jaded a perspective! My level of cyncism is pretty tame.
Yeah, could be part of that, but honestly – he's so washed up, he has to want to do it to be in it. If he wanted to use it for Imus or other celebrity style re-entry into their previous world (think athletes), we'd be hearing a lot more about it.
I could be wrong – always can be wrong. But I don't think so on this. Only time will tell.
Success rates with addictions averages around 25-35% from what I recall.
I'm sure you are right StockBoy, re: Ashley whatever her last name is this week. It seems as though no one really cares about her the way someone should have been a very long time ago.
Whocares is absolutely right about this being SOP for celebrities (and others). If someone gets arrested for some drug related (or other addiction related) incident, then they may go into rehab to persuade a judge that they are sincere about overcoming their problem, which plays into the judge's decision on the sentence and/or fine. Of course most of the time the person is not truly interested in “kicking the habit” (or whatever). It's all horse s*#t and sooner or later their problem will resurface. The only time people really want help with their addiction and are truly desperate to overcome their difficulties is when they start losing things that matter to them (or they have already lost everything). Then they finally own up to the problem.
I don't know the success rates with addictions, and I'm not sure if the success rate you mention is meant to include all people who try to overcome the problem, or if that's the percentage of people who seek help and succeed the first time. I would be surprised if 25% of people were actually able to successfully overcome their addiction the first time they sought help. It's an interesting question- I'll have to poke around on the internet for stats.
Rates will depend on 1) the definition of success (how many months or years out) and 2) the dependency – drug, sex etc. Also, the age when the addiction began, when it was first diagnosed, treated, how many times has the person been already and so on. It is by far a consistent or reliable number.
Jill, yeah success rates among addictions is a complicated question. So far I haven't been too successful in finding anything on the internet. There isn't anything very definitive. But the upshot is still that overcoming addictions is very difficult and the success rates for first time people who seek help are very low. Thanks.
I am really, really suspicious of the praciice of analyzing people and addiction from afar. It reminds too much of Sen. Frist and his 'patient' Terry Schiavo.
First of all, not being his therapist, I have no idea if his addiction led to self-destructive tendencies or vice versa.
Second, the famous entering therapy for one thing or another is rather a pattern of late.: 1) get caught, 2) start therapy. 3). is usually letting Jesus into their hearts, but that step is missing here.
Certainly it doesn't hurt the defense to show contrition (therapy) before judgment.
Sex, addiction, risky behavior are all complicated subjects and more complicated still is the process of trying to understand how they intertwine in an indvidual and with existing laws.
Just to add another twist to the story, surveys of women show that most can deal easier with a husband's infidelity with a prostitute that with his infidelity in a extramarital love affair (emphasis of 'love' here) What part do man-woman relationships play in sex addictions, then?
What part do our laws play in this?
It's much too complicated to settle by focusing on one person, Spitzer.
I wonder if he's going to get help for his megalomania.