A Jungian Interpretation of Sexual Addiction: A Case Study of Mid-Life Crisis

Abstract

This study presents a single case of an adult middle-class male, M., whom I saw professionally as a psychotherapist in an Israeli mental health community service center. He briefly used cyberporn sites, moved to cybersex sites and rapidly precipitated into hyper-activity (matching criteria for addiction) to actual sexual encounters with call girls advertising on websites. In its discussion, this article proposes a Jungian approach to the interpretation of the case study of M. In particular it uses two central concepts in Jungian theory: the meaning of the second half of life, and the archetype of the “shadow.” It is shown that this apparent case of mid-life depression in fact concealed “possession” of raw repressed material of the shadow that ultimately led to sexual acting out and the abrupt termination of therapy.

Notes

1. See Earle and Earle, 1995, p. 2.

2. For ethical reasons, the clinical setting, names and some personal information have been changed.

3. Israeli public mental health clinics are understaffed and overloaded and tend to apply an unstated, unofficial policy of orienting individuals with the financial wherewithal to consult privately.

4. This and all subsequent quotations are taken from M.'s personal file.

5. The psychiatrist diagnosed and treated M. in three follow ups, during the first half year of therapy. No changes were reported in his assessment or drug treatment.