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The world of entertainment has a dark side, No, I am not referring to the latest Star Wars movies, I am referring to what goes on behind all that “Hollywood” glitz and glamour. The dark secrets which, like the #MeToo campaign, need to be acknowledged.

The recent Harvey Weinstein accusations have caused a ripple effect globally - bringing these dark secrets to the light is much needed and is detrimental to understanding the facade of the entertainment world that we all seem to admire. Don’t get me wrong, this is not only prevalent in the entertainment industry - the entertainment industry just brings it further to our attention.

Narcissism and sexual addiction often go together like wine and cheese, or in this case, maybe champagne and strawberries? To begin to comprehend the link between the two, it is important to look at the two conditions individually.  Sex addiction alone is a complicated matter. According to research on sex addiction and narcissism, "both men and women in the sex-and pornography-addicted population also have narcissistic tendencies".

SEX ADDICTION IN SUMMARY

Some believe that sex addiction is a myth, made up by people who have been caught cheating on their spouses. The term has been thrown around since the 90’s and is yet to officially be given a clinically-listed diagnosis, but Despite not being listed as a disorder, many other therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists are certain of sex addiction legitimately affecting people.

There is no discrimination when it comes to sex addiction. It impacts people of all race, gender, and sexual orientation. Sex Addiction can be defined as a compulsion to take part in sexual activities in a very diverse manner of ways. It can also be as serious and destructive as addiction to alcohol or drugs.

Whether it is obsessively viewing pornography or an inability to have sexual relations with one partner, this addiction can take over a person’s life and usually is only noticed when the addiction is far out of control. Just as with any addiction, these individuals need to accept that they indeed have a problem and that they need sex addiction treatment.

NARCISSISM IN SUMMARY

For the longest time, I believed that a narcissist was simply someone that loved looking at themselves - How wrong was I? People with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) have a monumental sense of self-importance and they tend to exaggerate accomplishments and capabilities. They usually expect to be complimented and praised for these achievements, even if they’ve been dramatically over-emphasized. Narcissists see themselves in a whole league of their own, superior to others.

They see themselves as “special” or unique in every possible way.  The image they project is one of success, beauty, brilliance and high status. Narcissists are said to lack empathy and to have difficulty relating to others with compassion or sincerity.

It’s hard to be in any sort of relationship with a narcissist because, rather than give and receive, they tend to take - and that’s where it stops, there is no reciprocation. Narcissists are known to have no respect for personal boundaries and focus only on their own needs, so they make difficult romantic partners.

Sexual Narcissism - the birth child of sex addiction and NPD

Sexual Narcissism is a facet of narcissism which gives people a distorted self-view when it comes to sexual ability. They harbor the belief that they have superior sexual skills, whether this is true or not, they often proclaim their sexual accomplishments are superior to than that of others.

Sexual narcissists tend to be charming, pretentious and self-serving. An addiction to sex combined with NPD can be a very difficult combination. Without help, it’s very hard for these people to have healthy relationships. With their focus being on physical looks or experiences and with no focus on emotional connecting, the relationships can turn abusive and controlling.

While narcissists often predict their own perfection in all things sexual or otherwise, they may not really feel that way internally. In many cases, narcissism is a way to hide poor self-esteem and to hide the proverbial scared child within by using bullying and aggression.

In closing, it is very important for the public to make the clear distinction between sex addicts (or those with hypersexual disorders) and with sexual predators.                  

• Sex addiction, like most forms of addiction, is about escapism and involve a loss of control.
• Sexual assault and rape is a sexual crime.  It is about power and dismissing another person’s consent.  It is about people using their privileged status and power to coerce others into sexual activities or to violently force oneself onto another against their will or consent.

In my personal opinion, sex addiction is real and thankfully, is in the process of being recognized as a mental disorder. Having said that, It is my opinion that sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape should be removed from any affiliation with ‘addiction’. Because in the case of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape, the wrongdoer selfishly takes away the power, control, and rights of their victims.

 

Sources:

Sexual narcissism: a validation study :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8169963

List of Harvey Weinstein's accusers: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/20/list-of-harvey-weinstein-accusers-grows-as-ripple-of-effects-spread-globally

Sex addiction might not be a real condition:

http://www.businessinsider.com/experts-disagree-whether-sex-addiction-is-real-2017-10