Cardinal Pell on Sexual Sickness

Sexual addiction is real. We have long recognized drug addicts, alcoholics, compulsive gamblers, but only recently has public attention begun to focus on compulsive and disordered sexuality. It is still among the least understood of all the addictions, although now a major social problem and public health issue.

A sexual addict cannot break free from escalating sexual behaviour which brings increasingly damaging consequences to self and to others. They become addicted to the neuro-chemical changes in the body produced by sexual activity. It was Patrick Carnes, an American psychologist in the late 1970’s who did most to identify and treat this disease. After years of research he claims that 8 percent of men and 3 percent of women become sexually addicted at some stage. This seems high to me, but there are now groups for those who want to break from these chains of habit.

There are many forms of this addiction including multiple affairs, sometimes anonymous, exhibitionism, voyeurism, compulsive masturbation, as well as rape and sexual abuse of children.