“Sex addiction is just a term used to excuse bad behavior”–this is what many people believe. Women whose partners have been caught acting-out sexually are often very reluctant to accept this label. They fear that doing so would exempt the addicts from the need to take full responsibility for their deceitful and destructive behavior.
It is true that “sex addiction” has been used by some individuals solely to escape from, or lessen, the consequences of their actions. There are certainly persons claiming that label who are not sexually addicted. But for others who fit the clinical diagnostic criteria, it is an accurate descriptor of their problem.
A sex addiction diagnosis does not absolve the addict of responsibility for his actions. It is never an excuse or an easy-out from personal accountability. Once the diagnosis is made, the addict is doubly responsible for doing the hard work of recovery and completely owning the problem without making excuses or scapegoating.
There is no room in s.a. recovery for excuses, but there is plenty of room for the addict to grow and change by accepting responsibility, committing to rigorous honesty, and seeking help and support from others.
~Dr. Bixler