wife of sex addict

Submitted by kaywi on Thu, 2008-01-03 19:56.
My husband is a sex addict and a teaching minister at my church. We've been married for a year. I found out he was a sex addict by one day catching him watching porn one night. Our arguments escalated and I told him to leave. He moved out and has an apartment I am at our house with our son and I can't afford my bills. He doesn't want to communicate with me.
Submitted by ssmbb65 on Sun, 2008-01-06 03:25.

Hello,

 Perhaps you acted in haste kicking him out? Was he simply educating himself on the ways of our society? I know this may be easier said than done, but you did agree to stick with him through thick and thin, hence the haste... I suggest sincere appologises coupled with an agreement to seek counseling.

Even those closet to God require guidance, support, and a helping hand once in a while...

Submitted by kaywi on Mon, 2008-02-11 11:30.

It has been a difficult road in my marriage to my husband. We have been married for a year and a half. It was not the porn that made me come to realize he was a sex addict, I was going through his things one day and I saw a 1 800 number for sex addicts. Dumbfounded by what I had found I called the number. I am new to this sex addiction thing and not quite sure how to feel about it. He has thousands of dollars in credit card debt from mainly purchasing porn. I found phone numbers to several women on a sheet of paper. I found long distance calls to women on our telephone bill. He has 4 different email addresses  from with different passwords for each one. I found several emails and one specifically that he sent to a woman setting up a time and place to meet on a Sunday or a Monday. Those are the days he's off from work and I am at work. When I confronted him about it he got extremely angry said they were old emails, what am I doing in his things and to stay out and he changed all his email addresses. I  found his organizer book with listings of adult websites with usernames and passwords on them. It has been truly gut wrenching to be married and in love with this man. He is a christian he is attending seminary right now getting his master's degree. He is even better than some professors he graduated cum laude for his undergrad. I don't understand. Not saying he is supposed to perfect but when do you get convicted and decide to stop. It has been a rough road and the pain is indescribable it hurts so much I know I should forgive and I am trying. We got into an argument like I said and he did move out that was not what I really wanted I was speaking from pain and anger.

Submitted by Kathy on Mon, 2008-02-11 17:28.

I am trying to understand your feelings, because it will help me to understand mines.

For said you the true, I found out that my husband is a sex addict 3 years after I know him.  I am Spanish and he is American. At the end of the year,  I flew to my original country and I am still here thinking what to do.  He used to be for me my sun, every thing because after we were fiances, we didn´t have friends.  He was my only friend.  I felt betrayed for my husband that represented for me all my family in U.S.A.  He was for me my best friend too.  He wants me to come back and I don´t know what to do, is like said: I am here, hurt me more.  I think the only solution could be the Sex Addicts and Co addicts meetings, because I feel sometimes no just anger but very depress, even thought I am 30.000 thousand miles away from him. You are lucky. You are from there.  You have your world there. Me no. 

Submitted by kasi on Fri, 2008-01-04 17:28.

Curious about this ... did you label him a sex addict or did he admit to having an addiction problem when you found him watching pornography?  Not everyone who watches pornography has an addiction. Most people feel embarrassed and guilty when they are discovered doing something that they themselves are uncomfortable with or are not sure why they are doing it. 

What sort of conversation took place aside from the argument about it?  If the two of you are having difficulty communicating about sensitive issues, your intimate relationship, or whatever ... discussing an addiction or his desire to watch pornography is a difficulty place to start. It will take patience, understanding, and caring and most likely some assistance to accomplish this without yelling at each other.

Trying asking him if he will consider looking at the SA website to determine whether or not he believes he "could" have a sexual addiction. If he says he doesn't, consider asking him if he would enter into marriage counseling to gain assistance in discussing what the two of you can't manage alone. There is help when you are in pain. In the meantime, if you haven't attended an S-Anon meeting, then I would do so as early as possible.