Last week on my drive to the office, my mind was all over the place. “Lisa, why are you doing this testosterone addiction recovery advocacy? Just let it go, what is the purpose,  what am I thinking, who do I think I am.”

Then just like that, I get a private message in one of my Facebook forums, titled. “I went to Dr. Kathy Maupin and I became a Sex addict.” Dr. Maupin is the author of The Secret Female Hormone How Testosterone Replacement Can Change Your Life. 

I looked up and said, “Okay God, you’re driving this ship and a message like this tells me you want me to keep going.”

Testosterone addiction is becoming epidemic and we are just starting to see the fallout of what I call physicians going rogue and prescribing testosterone to middle age men and woman for off label purposes.

I refer to testosterone as the Middle age drug of choice. Men and Women are flocking to the corner hormone drug store, ob/gyns and general practitioners to get their testosterone fix.

The results: increased sex drive that is manifesting in sex addiction that often results in Infidelity, divorce, mania, liver problems, heart attacks, strokes and clitoromegaly.

In cases of clitoromegaly, later in life it is brought on by hormonal changes.  Female body builders know this one well because of the high levels of testosterone and steroids they take. If you’re a woman going to a pellet palace where they don’t do a physical exam and just draw blood to determine if you’re a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy, I suggest doing your own physical exam or consult a trusted physician who is not in the business of pushing pellets.

If you’re already on the pellets you might be in denial and not want to go down that path because you’re afraid of what you might hear.   I was in denial for two years during my three year pellet induced life.  One of my physicians, who was not in the pellet pushing business and is now a Mayo Clinic physician, red flagged me about 9 months into my pellet therapy.  He said, “Lisa your testosterone is really high have you noticed your body changing?”  I was on such a high, I didn’t want to hear what he was telling me.  I chose to ignore him and continued down my testosterone-induced life for another two and half years and things got crazy!

The woman who reached out to me on Facebook wanted me to share her story but she wanted to remain anonymous. I understand wanting to remain anonymous because the shame that comes with a testosterone-induced life is painful.  Here’s her experience:

I went to Dr. Maupin for pellets for a couple of years to try to treat my migraines. And yes, I became a sex addict. At first, I felt so happy and energetic on them. I loved them. But my voice got croaky and I could not think straight. The doctors, nurses said no one else says they get like this. They did tell me I would become hypersexual for a few weeks, but the sex drive was too much. I could not get relief. Sex was enjoyable but not when you want to do it right after, and again and again to the point where your husband can’t keep up with that. Though you can satisfy yourself but 15 minutes later have an overwhelming need to do it again. It’s awful. It definitely affected our relationship. My husband decided to try the pellet therapy too and for a while it was great but we started arguing all the time and he went off because of the expense.  All I could think of was when I could have my next orgasm and get relief. I started charting how many times I had sex and masturbating. I’d get the job done, go clean house and 15 mins later need to do it again. One time it was like 4 times in a couple of hours. My mind was consumed. Another time we had a repair guy over. He was in the kitchen working. I could not stand it and went into the bathroom and did it. I felt like a creepy man! Yet I kept getting the pellets.  All I wanted was sex. I finally broke my addiction to porn about two years after I got off the pellets. It truly is an addiction. Or a high. The whole thing was crazy. Insatiable is not a strong enough word. And it’s no fun!

There is more to this woman’s story but I chose not to include it not because I don’t want to but to protect her and her husband.

Stories like this are popping up in your own neighborhoods. I call this the new sexual revolution.  Remember the 70’s?  That was the peak of the sexual revolution, the social movement that started in the sixties and overturned all traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and human relationships. The movement spread throughout the Western world and made sexual liberation the “new normal.” What became Dante’s First Circle of Hell made sex outside of traditional heterosexual, monogamous relationships and marriage the modern day chic. From the sixties to the eighties, some might say half the world was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Taking testosterone is our modern day sexual revolution.  This is the new drug addiction and just like any addiction, your life begins to take on a life of its own and you don’t understand what is happening, it’s just happening.  You try to stop but you can’t. Something inside your brain is controlling your every move.

One of my closest friends who knows me well said, “I know you, I know you better than anyone and I’ve never in my life seen you this way, you became an alien.” I did and there was nothing I could do about it.

Do you believe God has your life planned out for you? I do.  The one thing that has kept me going through all of my darkest life experiences is my belief that if God wanted me to go through this there has to be a bigger purpose.  That keeps me moving.

My life’s mission now is to inform, educate and inspire middle age men and women to live a life testosterone replacement therapy free.

Testosterone Tragedies are becoming common place which is why I decided to create Steroid and Testosterone Addicts Anonymous. This is a support group for men and women who have been on testosterone replacement therapy and their lives have taken on a life of their own.  It’s a support to help men and women move through their testosterone battle and give them support to know they can.

To find out more log on to: www.testosteroneaddiction.com If you are interested in becoming a community organizer or would like to volunteer your time or resources send me an email at lisashaughnessy@outlook.com

“Together We Grow.”

Love & Miracles,

Lisa Marie Shaughnessy