In her usual modest and discreet manner, Ethlie responds to Dr. David Ley’s “8 Reasons Sex Is Not Addictive.” That’ll teach him to post a huff (huff a post?) next to hers….
To Dr. David Ley, re: the “Myth” of Sex Addiction
My long response to the good doctor will be up on The Fix, or HuffPo, or maybe the Studio City Patch. Journalism has become a crazy party game of late, something between Pin the Tail on the Donkey and throwing copy into a large fan and waiting to see where it lands.
Anyhow, David Ley is the psychologist who makes his living denying that there is such a thing as sex addiction. His new book is called The Myth of Sex Addiction, and his latest article in the London Telegraph is being widely spread by the large fanblades.
I can — and do — delineate the scientific problems with his thesis, but the main problem I have is with Ley’s logic. He falls prey to what’s known as the Deductive Fallacy. He posits that those who believe sex can be addictive are moralist anti-sex bible-thumpers, and therefore should not be taken seriously.
Here’s the thing. Just because moralist anti-sex bible-thumpers believe there is such a thing as sex addiction, does not mean that people who believe there is such a thing as sex addiction are moralist anti-sex bible-thumpers. It’s like saying that because Crips wear blue t-shirts, if you wear a blue t-shirt you must be a Crip. Junior high school kids in L.A. have gotten shot over that particular deductive fallacy.
I am not anti-sex; I love sex. (References provided upon request.) I have never read the entire bible, much less thumped it. Addiction is a health issue, not a moral one — although people do some pretty heinous things to satisfy their compulsions, whether for sex or gambling or alcohol or prettied-up-in-pink-bows romance. IMHO, slashing your ex’s tires is an immoral act. Sue me.
BUT…just because sex an be addictive doesn’t mean that everyone who has sex — even a lot of sex — is an addict. AND… just because reigious fanatics counsel sex addicts, doesn’t mean all sex addiction counselors are religious fanatics.
You’re a doctor. Apply some scientific rigor to your arguments.
