Is Cheating An Addiction?

By Divine Caroline. Posted on Sep 8th 2009.

Or is calling infidelity an addiction letting cheaters off the hook?

Even though psychiatry doesn't recognize sex or cheating as legitimate addictions, there's no question that for some people, these behaviors are destructive and detrimental to their lives. Their actions hurt their families, their partnerships, and their jobs. There are support groups, such as Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, which aim to help people with sexual impulse problems learn to take control of their lives, and many people have found comfort and solace in these organizations. To put shame or stigma on true addictions is to discourage sufferers from seeking help, and those whose self-destructive actions are negatively affecting their lives deserve some kind of treatment. Does Sex Addiction Actually Exist?

Many conditions take a while before the psychiatric community accepts them, and our understanding of the brain is an ever-changing process, in which we're learning more and more every day. Future editions of the DSM may, in fact, accept infidelity as an addiction, just as they may accept internet addiction, thrill-seeking addiction, or a host of other yet-to-be-determined conditions. Of course, I'm no doctor, so it's hard to know whether Gov. Sanford is a cheating addict, a sex addict, a narcissist, or something else. There's only one thing that certain—he's a lousy husband.

Written by Allison Ford for DivineCaroline.