Sexual addiction is often seen as a cause for intimacy anorexia. The sex addiction empowers the intimacy anorexia and the intimacy anorexia empowers the sex addiction. Sex addiction is when someone uses sex in a way to medicate or deal with life. They have tried to stop and often have a secret sexual world from their spouse. It is common for sex addicts to be intimacy anorexics.

If the sex addict is also intimacy anorexic and this is not treated, relapses in sex addiction are almost certain. In most cases, the withholding (intimacy anorexia) is the primary addiction and sex addiction is secondary. The intimacy anorexic sex addict, and the spouse often need professional help to heal each of them in order to repair the marriage. I would definitely recommend a Five-Day Intensive if this is your situation.