Self deception is the addict's strongest defense against admitting he's addicted.

Sexual addiction is more deceptive than most other addictions because sexual addiction provides the illusion of pleasure. The pleasure is escapist oriented. When the escape ends, the thrill of the addiction is over and the demands of real life return with a vengeance. Now the sex addict is confronted with the decision to face reality and gain the real pleasures of life or flee back into shallow fantasy. All too often the sex addict decides that sexual addiction is not escape and not an addiction. Some of the rationalizations he uses are:

• "I'm not addicted. I do it to relieve stress."
• "It's not an addiction. It's a way of having fun."
• "All my friends do it."
• "You're uptight about sex. I'm not."
• "I have more sex drive than most people."
• "It gives me pleasure. It can't be an addiction if I like it."
• "I know guys who are sex addicts. I'd never do what they do."
• "I'm normal. You're abnormal."
• "Sexual addiction is a myth put out by small-minded bigots and hypocrites."

Every one of these rationalizations can be overcome.  Overcoming sexual addiction correctly is discussed in The Most Personal Addiction. The Sexual Addiction Interview is designed to help you understand sex addiction and address some of the sexually addicted person's rationalizations. The beginning interviews in The Most Personal Addiction will also expand your knowledge of what sexual addiction is, how it can be overcome and how sex addicts fool themselves.