why: Still a puzzle: why some ADDers -- often
cited for
their spontaneous ("impulsive") behavior
-- act in
ways that are anything but. Substance
abuse,
overspending, excess
gambling: join a 12-step
group, and -- chances are -- you'll
find someone
with ADD.
To the "... Anonymous" list can
be added yet another
set of compulsions: those
involving sex. If there's no
"off" button, urges can
spiral out of control. That may
be true whether you're
dialing a 900 number; perusing
an Internet porn site;
calling an escort service; trolling
a restroom; or jeopardizing
a committed relationship
with unrealistic demands.
As happens
elsewhere, what should be a source of
pleasure turns into a ball
and chain. Also lost: time,
money, good will, self-regard
-- or all of the above.
And for what? Some may use sex to
surmount -- or
try to surmount -- feelings of
deficiency or disrepute
the hook might be the action, the
chase, or perhaps
the physical sensation itself. In
still other cases,
underachievement has -- perversely --
left some folks
with plenty of free time.
On Thursday, our discussion will be
led by couples
counselor -- and sex therapist --
Dorothy Hayden
earned a social-work degree from NYU,
and studied
further at the
Manhattan-based Postgraduate Center
for Mental Health. She has
also trained in rational-
emotive therapy, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic
programming.
A media presence, Hayden has been
interviewed --
on sex-related topics -- on HBO, CNN,
and ABC;
and in Playgirl, Cosmopolitan, and the
Boston Globe.
She writes for two magazines,
and contributes as well
to WBAI-FM. This will be her first
appearance before
the Support Group.
