From: fkittred@bbn.com (Fletcher Kittredge)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology
Subject: Re: sexual addiction
Date: 26 Aug 92 20:39:22 GMT
Reply-To: fkittred@spca.bbn.com.UUCP (Fletcher Kittredge)
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

In article <CMM.0.90.2.714848886.margog@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> margog@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Margo Garcia) writes:
>
>1.  there are rapists and there are rapists.  There are those who rape in the
>    classic sense:  physically.  There are those who rape in a more subtle 
>    fashion, and while they have your conscent for the actual act, because of
>    their addictive need to control and manipulate, I consider this to be
>    rape as well ... rape of the spirit.  And this is how I classify sexual
>    addicts:  as rapist, of a differnt kind, but nonetheless, rapist.

While I strongly that rape happens in cases where the coercion is
non-physical, it seems to me that equating a sex addict with a rapist would
depend on how the addict dealt with their addiction.  I think an addict who
controls their addiction should get our applause and admiration, not be called
a rapist!

>
>2.  many studies lend credence to the theory that most physical rapists
>    experienced dysfunctional childhoods, including in many cases, their
>    own rape.  Now, sexual addicts who act upon their addiction must also
>    experience somehting similar to the above.  Or, at the very least, they
>    didn't get what they needed in the ultimate sense as a child and so 
>    their sexuality has been arrested, or scewed into the addiction.

Personally, I think you are arguing strong conclusions here from weak
evidence.  You make the statement above that sex addicts are the same
as rapists, and then use this as a logical connection between the motivation
of rapists and sex addicts.  It would seem to me that much more evidence
is necessary to draw the conclusion.

>
>4.  in the case of a male sexual addict, misogyny is also implicated.  In the
>    case of addicts of both genders, low self-esteem or a dysfunctional self-
>    image of anyother kind is also inplicated.

What about a male sexual addict which is sexual active only with men?  What
about a male sexual addict which is able to restrain their impulses? What
about a male sexual addict which acts on their impulses, but respects women
anyhow and feels enormous conflict?

>
>
>As I mentioned, I am not a psychologist, but have a habit of observation. 
>And through my own therapy, I have learnt a few things regarding my own
>psychology.  I am interested in opening up a discussion on this topic so as
>to provide more insight not only for myself,  but for anyone else who might be
>a recovering victim of a sexual addict.   Again the above the above 5
>statements  are nothing more than thoughts, and are more than open to
>discussion/criticism.

I am not a psychologist either, but it seems to me that your description
of the motivation of sexual addicts is based on a very small sample.  What
about female heterosexual sexual addicts?  What about gay, lesbian or bisexual
addicts? Can you envision a sexual addict which is desperate for sex, but is
not abusive?  I can image many scenerios which would cause such a person...


regards,
fletcher


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