Weinstein gets therapy for sex addiction

> But experts say it is unlikely to help him

MIAMI: Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has reportedly checked in to a US rehabilitation centre that treats male sex addicts, but experts say such therapy is unlikely to help.

English comic actor Russell Brand, golfer Tiger Woods, rocker Ozzy Osbourne and actor Michael Douglas are among highpowered celebrities who have proclaimed they were battling sex addiction – after their philandering was revealed.

While psychologists typically refrain from diagnosing someone from afar, some say Weinstein – who is accused of sexually assaulting a string of actresses over the years – fits the profile of a sexual predator, not an addict.

“I think you can control your impulses. He just decided not to do so,” said Holly Richmond, a sex therapist in Los Angeles.

Therapists are also divided on whether sex addiction even exists.

The leading psychiatry reference, known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, updated in 2013, does not include sex addiction. Its authors decided it did not fit the definition of a psychological disorder.

According to Richmond, there is no such thing as a sex addict.

“What you should say is someone who has compulsive sexuality, or out of control sexual behaviour. It is a behavioural issue. Sex is not the problem,”she said.

Celebrity site TMZ has reported that Weinstein intended to fly to Switzerland for rehab, but decided to check in at The Meadows in Arizona instead.

The facility is home to what it calls the “nation’s premier inpatient treatment for sex addiction”, a 45-day programme titled “The Gentle Path,” that was attended by Woods after his cheating scandal.

It features group talk sessions, interactions with horses – coined “equine assisted psychotherapy” – yoga, art, meditation and one-on-one counselling.

But when it comes to treating sex addiction some experts are dubious.

“There is no evidence that sex addiction treatment actually works,” said David Ley, a psychologist and author of the book The Myth of Sex Addiction.

Ley says sex addiction is often just an excuse for avoiding responsibility. – AFP

The National Organisation for Women hold a news conference over the decision of the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr, to not to pursue charges against Weinstein when a case was lodged in 2015, on Friday in New York City.