The Theory of Sexual Addiction

422 Pages·2010·4.16 MB·English

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Birchard, Thaddeus (2004) Sexual addiction: a psychotherapeutic approach. DProf thesis,
Middlesex University. [Thesis]
This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6461/
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MX 0500671 6
Sexual Addiction: A Psychotherapeutic Approach
A project submitted to the Middlesex University in collaboration with
Metanoia Institute in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree
of Doctor in Psychotherapy by Professional Studies
Thaddeus Birchard BA DipTh MSc
National Centre for Work Based Learning Partnerships
Middlesex University
Metanoia Institute
February 2004
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Collection
Figures
Fig. 1 Shame and the Addictive Cycle p60
Fig. 2 The Theory of Sexual Addiction: p63
Diagrammatic Inter-connections
Fig. 3 Stages of Recovery p104
Fig. 4 Stages of Recovery p104
Fig. 5 Sample Treatment Plan p125
Fig. 6 Suicide Matrix p128
Fig. 7 Products of the Doctoral Project
Built on a Foundation of a Theory of
Sexual Addiction p157
ii
Abstract
This research project contains a first proposai, a second proposai, and an
examination of the décision to change from the first to the second, and four
producís of the research. This was an aborted interview-intensive qualitative
research initiative with paedophile sexual offenders. The second was the
development of a treatment and training programme for sexual addiction. The
change from the first to the second was caused by the secondary trauma that
followed exposure to the primary trauma of others. The four products
principally cover the following subjects: 1] narcissistic damage, sexual
addiction and religious behaviour 2] causation issues in sexual abuse in the
church 3] researching sensitive and distressing topics 4] treatment and
training issues in sexual addiction. The fourth product was preceded by a
quantitative research project. The whole of the above is anchored in the story
of a personal joumey and includes an analysis of the theory of sexual
addiction.
This work is dedicated to
Julie Norman
Friend, benefactor and fellow traveller
iv
Table of Contents
Introduction p2
Chapter 1 Journey to the Doctorate p7
Chapter 2 The Theory of Sexual Addiction p40
Chapter 3 Literatur« on Sexual Addiction p97
Chapter 4 Lrterature Critteal of Sexual Addiction p135
Chapter 5 Quantitative Research Project p143
Chapter 6 Introduction to the Products of the Project p 157
Chapter 7 Overview and Conclusion p165
References p184
1
Introduction
The Review of Previous Learning, the first stage of this doctoral project, was
submitted in the winter of 2000. It finished with thèse penultimate words,
The project that I plan anead, and the académie work that I
propose to do, is cleaiiy a combination of personal history,
académie work and application; cross-referenced,
synthesised and brought forward in tandem.
This project, which is now completed, has been that combination: a synthesis
of personal history, académie work and application. It is the outworking of the
original académie, professional and clinical intention.
This project began with the intention of researching the relationship between
sexual and religious behaviour especially as it contributes to off ender
behaviour. I found this research so distressing that l applied for, and was
given, permission to change my proposai to the création of a sexual addiction
treatment and training programme for psychotherapists and other health care
Professionals. The following document relates to the first and second
proposai and the décision to change from one proposai to another.
It contains the following material:
The Journey to the Doctórate— sets forth a personal narrative, 'a narrative
of the self [Richardson, 1994, p521], It begins with the reasons for the
journey, describes the journey up to and during the doctoral project, évaluâtes
the programme of specialist seminars, comments on some of the Level Five
2
Descriptors and lists some of the contributions to the profession of
psychotherapy made by the doctoral project.
The Theory of Sexual Addiction—This chapter is concerned with the theory
of sexual addiction and concepts related to the theory of sexual addiction. It is
divided into eight sections: sources of conceptual data, components of the
theory sexual addiction, locating the theory of sexual addiction in a wider
context, treatment and methodology, a discussion of nomenclature, case
studies and réfections on the limitations of the theoretical material. Treatment
and methodology are considered in this section because of their close
association with the development of theory. In addition to définitions and
descriptions, at the core of the chapter, there are the principal conceptual
components of a theory of sexual addiction, among them:
• Narcissistic Damage
• Sexualization
• Shame: the Principal Driver
• Addiction and the Régulation of Affect
Also in this chapter there has been an emphasis on demonstrating in the text
and by diagram ail the interconnections between the theoretical components.
The overall aim of this chapter is to explain the theoretical and conceptual
basis that lies behind the project and the products of the project.
Literature Review / Sexual Addiction —This is a review of the sexual
addiction literature and limits itself only to that literature. This chapter is
dominated by the work of Patrick Carnes, Aviel Goodman, and Charlotte Kasl.
The latter part of the chapter concentrâtes on the literature on Internet sexual
3