Are we clients "sexual addicts?"

[Guest ncm2169]

The New York Post Today:

 

ELIOT'S SEXUAL HEALING 'ADDICTION' THERAPY

 

By LUKAS I. ALPERT

 

March 21, 2008 --

 

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has gone into therapy in the wake of the hooker scandal that swept him out of office, a Spitzer insider told The Post yesterday.

 

As part of the therapy, Spitzer will explore whether he has an addiction to sex, the source said.

 

The last time Spitzer was seen publicly was on Saturday, when he hopped behind the wheel of an SUV outside his Upper East Side building with his wife, Silda, two of their daughters, and their Wheaton terrier, James, and made a beeline to their weekend home in upstate Pine Plains.

 

A spokeswoman for Spitzer said yesterday he was still with his family there, but declined to comment on whatever therapy Spitzer had sought.

 

Spitzer formally stepped down on Monday after it became public that he was caught on a federal wiretap arranging a tryst with a $4,300-a-night call girl at a Washington hotel in February.

 

Since then, it has emerged he has had a jones for pricey professional girls going back as far as a decade, and hooked up with "Kristen" - the nom-de-sack of 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupre - several times prior to getting nabbed on tape, sources have said.

 

Experts say this type of behavior exhibits classic signs of sexual addiction.

 

"If it becomes an overwhelming urge to the detriment of your professional and familial relationships - if it starts to screw up your life - that is addictive behavior," said Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, a clinical psychologist.

 

"Someone who displays this sort of behavior could be classified as having a sexual addiction."

 

The randy politician's penchant for ladies of the night came to the attention of federal prosecutors when they noticed several unusual financial transactions from Spitzer's bank accounts.

 

Thinking it might be evidence of bribery, investigators from the US Attorney's Office uncovered Spitzer's involvement with a high-end sex ring called Emperors Club VIP.

 

Spitzer was one of 10 deep-pocketed johns caught on wiretaps arranging for trysts with top-dollar Emperors Club VIP hookers.

 

On March 6, investigators shut the ring down, busting four people who ran the operation.

 

Spitzer has not been charged with a crime, but federal prosecutors are continuing to follow the money trail to see if the fallen Democrat had used any campaign money to fund his sexcapades.

 

They are also investigating if he arranged any unnecessary out-of-state trips - ostensibly on government business - to rendezvous with call girls, and are looking into whether he violated banking laws by trying to obscure the nature of his transactions with Emperors.

[Rick Munroe]

>"If it becomes an overwhelming urge to the detriment of

>your professional and familial relationships - if it starts to

>screw up your life - that is addictive behavior,"

 

Well, I'm a sex addict, but it has totally benefited my professional and personal life, and has only improved my life. Not all addictions are bad. Now, if I could just wean myself from eBay...

[Guest zipperzone]

>They are also investigating if he arranged any unnecessary

>out-of-state trips - ostensibly on government business - to

>rendezvous with call girls, and are looking into whether he

>violated banking laws by trying to obscure the nature of his

>transactions with Emperors.

 

"They" must have a lot of time on their hands.

[Guest msclonly]

It certainly sounds like a 'healthy' additction to me!

Some people just don't know how to keep it Happy!

 

Just what are the results of therapy for such and how long does it take? I am not impressed by all the amateurs making a living and know less about it, then most on this string.

 

}( :+ }(

[Lankypeters]

>>They are also investigating if he arranged any

>unnecessary

>>out-of-state trips - ostensibly on government business -

>to

>>rendezvous with call girls, and are looking into whether

>he

>>violated banking laws by trying to obscure the nature of

>his

>>transactions with Emperors.

>

>"They" must have a lot of time on their hands.

>

 

A friend heard speculation that Bush set the Justice Department after Spitzer because Spitzer is a strong, influential Democrat.

 

Not so paranoid a theory with Bush and his evil regime.

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[Lankypeters]

>>"If it becomes an overwhelming urge to the detriment

>of

>>your professional and familial relationships - if it

>starts to

>>screw up your life - that is addictive behavior,"

>

>Well, I'm a sex addict, but it has totally benefited my

>professional and personal life, and has only improved my life.

> Not all addictions are bad. Now, if I could just wean myself

>from eBay...

 

 

I love it when you nail something, as you do here, and as you do so often. Keep writing.

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[JT Brooklyn]

Life moves on very Fast, Enjoy it as long as your "Finances" can keep pace with your Enjoyment of it!

 

Everyone agrees there are Good Addictions and there are BAD Addictions. Spending "too much" on the "Working Guys" of the World could in time put you in a situation where you couldn't afford "Therapy" for what it was worth.. even IF you realized you had an Addiction! ;-)

[+ Charlie]

The cost of therapy is probably more than the cost of escorts--I'll take the latter, thank you.

[Lankypeters]

> I am not impressed by all the amateurs making a

>living and know less about it, then most on this string.

 

 

Indeed, there are a lot of charlatans out there (MSWs in particular), perpetuating and profiting from one of the bigger frauds of our time, right up there with Barbra Streisand (fraud, not MSW). An acquaintance can't pee without scheduling a "therapy" session to decide if it's a good idea. He remains neurotic, insecure and self-centered, despite all the change he alleges his therapy has effected -- over many, too many years.

 

So many NYC therapists are blatantly mercenary. I know of one (shall I name names?) who told a client who wanted to end seeing her that he needed to schedule three appointments a week for the next three years. Is this emotional and psychological blackmail? An unethical to boot.

 

The benefits of short-term psychotherapy are not to be denied, especially in cases of extreme trauma. If I escaped the WTC collapse, or if I were close to someone who didn't, I'm sure consulting a mental health professional for short term therapy would help. But the efficacy of long -term therapy has largely been shown as negligible. Then there was the Manhattan therapist, a would-be writer, who asked if it was okay if he ate Chinese takeout during the session. Then there is the MSW in my building whose Saturday nights are a slice of pizza, a video and some time with the vibrator.

 

Still at brunch right now, someone is beginning a sentence with "My therapist says....."

 

Just pee, folks. And, as Charlie wisely suggests, get laid. Even if you have to pay for it.

 

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[Okliehomo]

And dolls..

 

Like that's going to happen.

 

Okie