I've been through various medications, which were not taken for this issue, but some were very beneficial for this addiction, and some were not. I just wanted to say some of my thoughts on this. SSRI's can be beneficial. I've tried Prozac, lexapro, Cymbalta, effexor, and luvox. I took it together with a stimulant for ADHD. In my experience, Prozac caused me to not be motivated, so although theoretically it may have worked, I no longer cared about anything and therefore this medicine did not solve the problem. The other drugs mentioned didn't have this side effect as much and therefore were more effective. None of them by themselves however, really solved this problem well. The medicine Zonegran (an anti-convulsant) for several months was extremely effective at this addiction. I would say actually 100% effective, until it stopped working. I also lost weight while taking it. It's interesting to note that of all the medicines mentioned, Zonegran is the one which does not have sexual side effects, and Prozac has the most sexual side effects.
      I've seen it documented that Topomax (another anti convulsant) can be used to deal with fetishes. (This drug also is not known to produce any sexual side effects.)
     The combination of lamictal (an anti convulsant) and lexapro was very close to 100% effective for me. This was comparable to the effect that Zonegran had, however when Zonegran worked, I was not taking any stimulant at the time. When I was taking lexapro and lamictal, I was taking adderall which for me causes sexual arousement, but even with the adderall, the lamictal and lexapro were very effective at dealing with this addiction.
For those of us who are married, and are afraid to take an SSRI because of the sexual side effects- I've found the antihistamine cyproheptidine (prescription in the U.S.) to be very effective at counteracting the sexual side effects of the SSRI. It is a serotonin 5ht2 receptor antagonist along with being an anti-histamine. The amazing thing about this medicine was that it did not increase my sexual desire at all. It helped me sleep. This medicine is commonly prescribed by Physiatrists to deal with sexual side effects of SSRI's. Any questions or comments?

Wow, this is good information. I will put it up on our medicine page here www.guardureyes.com/GUE/Tips/TipsMedical.asp

Do you have any doctor's that you suggest who are experts in dealing medically with sexual addiction?

Thanks!

STOP.....

NOTHING, ABSALUTLY NOTHING WILL CURE SEXUAL ADDICTION. ONCE AN ADDICT ALLWAYS AN ADDICT. THE ONLY OPTION IS, TO WORK THE TWELVE STEPS OF RECOVERY. A DOCTOR ONCE TOLD ME, "I HAVE TREATED MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELFE, NO ONE HAD CONTINUES SOBRIETY WITHOUT WORKING THE TWELVE STEPS.

MEDICATION IS A CRUCH FULL OF SIDE EFFECTS. IT NEVERS HEALS, IT JUST COVERS UP. SHOW ANYONE WHO IS SEXUALY SOBER FOR; 1 YEAR, 2 YEARS, 5 YEARS, 10 YEARS, 15 & 20 YEARS AND MORE, WITHOUT ANY RELAPS?

ME AND MY FIRENDS HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, INCLUDING MEDICATION. FOR US NOTHING WORKED. THE TWELVE STEPS IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED AND KEEPS ON WORKING AS LONG WE WORK IT.

I think for some people maybe thay should consider the combination of medicine and the twelve steps.

KooKoo, you are right. BUT medication CAN take the "edge" off of the obsession and help you succeed, if you are working the 12-Steps and/or getting therapy as well.

Also, you can get off the medication after 8 months or a year. It can be used sometimes just as a little boost to get you started.

Also, there are people who suffer from OCD and depression, which CAUSE them to be addicts in the first place. When they take meds for the underlying problems, it becomes much easier to break the addiction.

Just a side point regarding meds:
Almost every single medication that exists has side effects (directly or indirectly - i.e. tolerance). Obviously a doctor should be consulted.
(Although perhaps it can be argued that side effects of a medication that helps stop this addiction would still be worth it).

Medication should only be used as a LAST resort, and more natural forms of treating aliments are available today, i.e. homeopathy, acupuncture. These are usually not damaging to the body, and in fact help to re-balance the body rather to over take the body and force it to respond in a certain manner.

  All pharmaceuticals work AGAINST the body, overpowering it, and thereby affecting hormonal systems, nervous system, liver, etc.

There is a place for it, but only as a last result and for short term.

THERE NO SUCH THING AS MEDICATION TO STOP ADDICTION...........

Meds can be used to give a kickstart, but working the steps is what does it. Hey, non of you can argue with sience, the fact had shown and been proven over the last thiry years that for a real sex-addict nothing works except the steps.

Maby you guys/gals are nor sexaholics, but time will tell. If you keep falling back and it keep on geeting worse, then you need a program, not just this site.

KooKooReeKoo

did you try working the steps?

On the subject of medication for depression, which is related to this problem and can cause it, Rabbi Twerski wrote a book on depression in which he says that some people are actually deficient in certain
biochemistry or chemicals. Those people would indeed respond to or, if I understand him correctly, actually need meds.  Others may not be affected at all by them. And there are those in between.

For those who want to read this, see the book "Getting Up When You're Down," chapter 2, also 7, 8 and 20. As long as you have the book, read the whole thing. It's only 154 short pages, but not short on valuable insights.

RE; the twelve steps;

It would seem to me that many people practice much or most of the 12 Steps automatically if they practice the torah. After all, these steps are all to be found there. So wouldn't some people be practicing some of these things without knowing that they are indeed called by others, "The "Twelve Steps"?

I stopped for about 15 years, but then started again. Is that because of not doing the Twelve Steps? And were there not many people who eventually stopped who never heard of the Steps? However, if someone feels that for him it is the best way to go...that is what he should do. That may soon include me, however I hope not.  For you, you know yourself, and you know the arguments for continuing whatever you are doing. Gezunteheit.

I  wrote the above and then turned off my computer and left it. Then it occurred to me:

I REALLY DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TWELVE STEPS.

I don't know how other people understand the part about "surrendering to G-d", but it could be understood
in a way that is pure apikorsus. Chazal say it: Hakol Biydei Shomyim Chutz Mi'Yiras Shomaim. We are supposed to act as if we are responsible for our own actions. Not only, "as if," we actually are. Only Hashem knows when we are truly anusim, and in that case we are potur from a mitzvas aseh, or potur from the oinesh I guess if it's a lav. But, only if a true oines for laavim.
Yes,  this is an oversimplification of when exactly one is potur. But the point that I am trying to make here is that we are supposed to look at it that Yir'as Shomaim is in our hands. Not G-d's.

I am now waiting for a full fledged attack.

"Kukoureekoo"   here in E"Y is the scream of the rooster in the morning when the first light appears. In other words, here in Eretz Hakodesh, we wait to hear the "Kukoureekoo" of the Tarnegolet in order to make the bracha, [u]Asher Nason LaSechvi, L'havchin bein yom, U'vein Liala.

I personally despise taking anything stronger than Excedrin.  I don't like how most drugs make me feel, psychotropic or not.  Even at my lowest levels of depression I never took anti-depressants.  I don't think they're wrong, I just don't like how most medicine makes me feel.  Maybe it would take the edge off, but for me medicine would be a last resort.

chazak, see www.guardureyes.com/GUE/FAQ/FAQ38.asp

References to the 12 steps in Shaarei Teshuva, written by Rabbeinu Yonah

Step 1:  Perek 10  Ikar Harishon  Perek 12  Ikar 3,  Perek 16, Ikar 5, Perek11 Ikar 6

Read the entire Ikur 9 on Lust.

Step 3: Perek 29, Ikar 8

Step 4: Perek 36, Ikar 11
Step 5:  viduy - Yom Kippur
Step 8:  Perek 44, Ikar 16
Step 9: Perek 35, Ikar 10
Step 10: Perek 48 Ikar 18
Step 12: Perek 50, Ikar 20

guard - I strongly disagree. Gedolim are there to guide us - most of the time, they agree on areas of hashkafa, and if there is a majority, then there's no question. The torah obligates us to follow our rebbeim, and not to contradict them - one cannot disagree with a gadol byisroel, he cant say 'i dont hold like him', rather, i hold like someone else(assuming he's on the same madrega). I base a lot of what I hold of and believe of one one, maybe two rabbonim - rav avigdor miller zt'l, I look at as the gadol hador in hashkafa of his generation(along with rav shach, but rav shach didnt write in english, I only got to his sefer later on in my learning) - thats what klal yisroel has done for all the doros - when there were zugos, you followed them, since they were the leaders of the generation, after them came the nasi, the av beis din, etc.., down the line to the leaders of respective kehilos in europe and sfard, and even when there were leaders, there were the gedolei hador which the rabbis looked at as their leader(basically all the litvishe rabbonim followed the Gro, and the chassidim, the besht, and their respective talmidim, in volozhin and all the various chassidishe kehilos), so I dont understand what you're basing this idea of not relying on a rov. chazal say 'aseh lecha rov', just to name one source aside from the history of klal yisroel. The poskim discourage shopping around for rabbis - one should pick a rov and stick to him, this includes hashkafa.