Concurrent Addictions

The initial therapeutic intervention for sexual addiction needs to include an assessment for other addictions. It is impossible to expect treatment for one addiction to be beneficial when other addictions co-exist. Addictions tend to arise from the same backgrounds. Families with multiple addictions including co-dependency.
Lack of effective parenting and other forms of physical, emotional and sexual trauma in childhood.

All addictions share these diagnostic characteristics.
Preoccupation or mental obsession
Compulsive use
Continued use despite serious losses created by the addiction

Terry Kellogg, a noted leader in the addictions field, notes that all addictions share these factors in common:
Euphoric
Easy availability
Fast acting
Increasing tolerance
Mixed society messages
Despair

With all addictions a progressive pattern of losses is predictable once the losses begin. Even though the addict says "It will never happen again," it usually does. Part of addiction is being unable to accept responsibilities for the losses. Certain psychological defense mechanisms come to bear to reinforce the lack of acceptance, such as denial ("I didn't do it."), projection ("He did it."), repression, ("It never happened.")

Commentary on some concurrent addictions as they relate to sexual addiction:
Alcohol and drugs. Drugs alter libido, enhancing it early in drug addiction and inhibiting it later. There is a pattern in cocaine addiction of selling sexual favors for cocaine. As the cost of drug addiction increases, the drug addict usually can't afford the drug from ordinary job income, and must resort to (either/or) stealing, drug dealing or prostitution to support their habit. Many drugs cause blackouts or amnesia during the drug using experience, and if sex is coupled with that drug using experience then the details of the sexual experience may not be remembered.
Food addiction. Sexual anorexia is a frequent accompaniment of overeating and anorexia nervosa.
Shopping and shoplifting addiction. These often serve the dress ritual of the sex addict.
Gambling. The lifestyle of the gambler often includes hypersexuality, where both compulsions feed the false sense of self esteem of the addict.
Religious addiction. Compulsive religiosity sometimes accompanies sexual addiction as the sex addict is seeking religion to lessen guilt and shame. The beginnings of compulsive religiosity may signal the onset of a period of sexual anorexia.
Co-dependency. Dr. Charles Whitfield defines co-dependency as "the loss of self" (to others). Co-dependency often precedes other addictions and reappears as the addict gets into early recovery. Control of others is the co-dependent's "drug." The Twelve Traditions were written to lessen a controlling influence by some of the Twelve Step group members.

The approach to treatment is similar for all addictions:
Therapy by a trained specialist. Not all addiction therapists are qualified to treat each addiction. More than one therapist may be necessary for multiple addictions.
Each addiction has spiritually based Twelve Step recovery program. An addict with multiple addictions needs to attend more than one Twelve Step program. A sex addict cannot be healed in AA, for instance.
Effective therapy cannot be achieved if care givers or significant others, have also co-dependency and other addictions. Effective treatment includes family therapy as well.
All addictions have their basis in shame. Shame must be acknowledged in therapy and dealt with. Multiple addictions are an example of multiple connections to shame. Untreated concurrent addictions will block the healing of shame.

The goals of addiction therapies are the same for all addictions:
Acceptance of all existing addictions
Willingness to work a program of recovery for all addictions.
Freedom from addictive obsession is the ultimate goal of all addiction therapy.