People who are in treatment for a substance use disorder often struggle with another addiction a situation known by treatment professionals as a cross-addiction. Often this second addiction is not substance related Sex addiction is such a common cross-addiction.
A cross-addiction such as a sex addiction can affect anyone in recovery and may not rear its ugly head until a person has completed drug and alcohol treatment and has been substance-free for some short or longer time.
Sex addiction may not cause many problems at first and in comparison it may seem like a minor issue for a person who has achieved abstinence from alcohol or drugs. People in recovery for a substance addiction develop an ability to recognize the signs of potential relapse to their drug of choice, but they often don't see sex addiction as a threat to recovery. However like any addiction the consequences for sex addition can result in tremendous emotional physical social or financial consequences and increases the risk of relapse.
Cross addictions often develop because people swap one addiction to another to achieve a similar "high". Like an addiction to drugs and alcohol, sex addiction is often an attempt to feel better especially for people experiencing depression, anxiety or other mental health problems, especially when the underlying cause often trauma for the drug or alcohol addiction went unnoticed or untreated.
