What Is Sex Addiction and How Is It Connected to Substance Use and Shame? with Kim Litton

In this episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal explore the question: What is sex addiction, and how is it connected to substance use and shame? Joined by Kim Litton, LCSW, CAP, CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) and author of I Do It for Her: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption from Sex, Love, and Substances, they break down how compulsive sexual behavior can become an obsession-and-compulsion cycle that persists despite consequences, often alongside alcohol and drug use. Kim explains why sex addiction is frequently rooted in intimacy wounds, how it can present differently for women through emotional attachment and validation-seeking, and why shame keeps people silent and stuck. With both clinical expertise and lived experience in recovery, she offers a powerful reminder that healing starts when we bring secrets into the light, because shame loses power when we tell one safe person.

Kim explains how sex addiction can be minimized or joked about culturally, even though it commonly co-occurs with substance use disorders and can deeply impact relationships, mental health, and long-term recovery.

The conversation explores why sex addiction is often described as a disorder of intimacy, and how women’s experiences can look different, more emotionally entangled with attachment, validation, and the longing for love. Kim also discusses how early exposure to pornography can affect the developing adolescent brain, the role of dopamine, and why shaming kids is harmful, even while boundaries and guidance are essential.

Kim’s story is rooted in honesty: from adolescent acting out and substance use, to achieving sobriety, to later recognizing patterns of sex and love addiction that surfaced after drugs and alcohol were removed. She also speaks openly about writing her memoir as a path to freedom, both to help other women feel seen and to strip shame of its power.

The episode closes with a memorable message that applies to anyone carrying secrets: “Your shame does not own you. Tell one person—then it loses power.”

Kim Litton, LCSW, CAP, CSAT, is a therapist in Palm Beach Gardens specializing in trauma, addiction, and compulsive sexual behavior. Kim is also the author of I Do It for Her: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption from Sex, Love, and Substances.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Hanley’s programs by visiting hanleycenter.org Call: 844-502-4673 * Book: I Do It for Her: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption from Sex, Love, and Substances (Kim Litton) https://a.co/d/0e9KJm2u