Information on popular complementary and alternative medical topics

Recovery involves getting honest in all areas of your life. Many gay women and men have found it hard to come to terms with their homosexuality, and have tried to live as heterosexuals. The disordered sex lives so common in addicts may mean that they have been untrue to their real selves, taking refuge in an insincere heterosexuality. Other gay men and women have taken up a ‘cruising-and-using’ lifestyle.
Often, becoming clean and sober prompts them to accept their homosexuality for the first time. In big cities there are sometimes gay Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. In ordinary meetings there are many clean and sober gay men and women who will help those who are coming to terms with their sexuality.
Getting extra help-Sometimes recovering addicts remain unhappy with their sexuality. Sexual compulsiveness and sexual obsession do not always die away when the drugs or drink are put down. They may persist into recovery.
The Twelve-Step programme of NA and AA can be used to deal with sexual addiction problems. So can the 24-hour plan of staying away from something for just one day.
The house-cleaning involved in the fourth and fifth steps of the AA and NA programme helps immeasurably.
If these measures are not enough, you may need extra help from a therapist. Ask around NA or AA friends to see if they can recommend a therapist who knows about the Twelve-Step programme.
Any major sexual difficulties between partners can also be tackled by counselling. Bringing these into the open, with the help of a trained counsellor, often diminishes them or does away with them altogether. Indeed, all important sexual anxieties are probably best brought into the open in this way. Some addicts have been the victims of incest in their past. Facing this with a counsellor will mean that the past begins to lose its power to hurt or frighten you.

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