The Debate Continues.
The Suffering Is Real.
Sean can’t understand why he can’t stop. Alice doesn’t know what to believe. Their questions reflect the confusion facing individuals and families affected by sex addiction and betrayal trauma.
Help AFAR advance independent research, education, and advocacy so more people can find credible answers and a path toward recovery.
Our 2026 year-end goal: $150,000
Meet Sean and Alice
“What’s wrong with me, and why can’t I stop?”
Sean loves his family. But he struggles with sexual behaviors he desperately wants to stop. He has tried willpower, promises, and determination. The shame and confusion became overwhelming. At his lowest point, Sean wondered how much longer he could go on living this way. He desperately wanted the behavior to stop, but he didn’t know where to turn.
“What happened to my life, and how do I know what to believe?”
When Alice discovers Sean’s secret behavior, the life she trusted suddenly feels uncertain. She questions her marriage, her memories, and what comes next. She is searching for an explanation that takes her pain seriously without reducing it to a moral judgment.
Sean and Alice aren’t real people. But their struggles are very real. Their story reflects experiences familiar to individuals and families affected by sex addiction and betrayal trauma. They are all of us, and none of us specifically.
Science, Not Stigma.
Why AFAR Exists
Real Questions Demand Serious Answers.
AFAR exists to advance scientific understanding and translate that knowledge into better information, more informed conversations, and stronger support for people and families.
Research
AFAR has supported genomic research at the University of Alberta. Sequencing is complete, with publications from the dataset in development. Independent science can help deepen understanding of compulsive sexual behavior.
Education
AFAR works to increase public understanding of sex addiction and betrayal trauma, reduce stigma, and make credible information more accessible to people affected and those who support them.
Research. Recovery. Restoration.
Advocacy
AFAR supported an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case concerning Texas’s age-verification law for pornography websites. Our role is to help bring research into important public-policy conversations.
2026 Year End Appeal - Make a donation
Your contribution supports the work behind the answers: independent research, clear and accessible education, and advocacy informed by evidence. Together, we can help more people navigate confusion with knowledge rather than stigma.
AFAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. EIN:86-0946851
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