Impact of Disclosure of Relapse for Self-Identified Sexual Addicts

Disclosure as a process of both recovery and healing within committed relationships is advocated by couple and addiction therapists. The traumatic impact for partners of an initial disclosure or discovery of betrayals has been well documented, but less is known about the impact of disclosure for sex addicts. The present study explored the experience of relapse and disclosure among sex addicts. Relapse was a common experience among sex addicts, and the disclosure of relapse had a range of consequences for the addict and the relationship. Voluntary disclosure of relapse (rather than the partner discovering relapses independently) was associated with positive relational outcomes.