“I grew up in an abusive household where I never got any...

“I grew up in an abusive household where I never got any approval.  I always felt unattractive and gross.  But everything changed the first time I walked into a gay club.  Everyone turned to look at me.  I was the newest thing.   I felt like I could have anyone I wanted.  It was the first time in my life that I felt a sense of power, and I became addicted to it.  I started using sex as a way to satisfy my juvenile need for approval.  And that need didn’t go away when I found …a long-term partner.  I tried to tell him about it one time.  We were walking in this park, and I told him about my strong desire to be with other people. I thought maybe if we could talk about my feelings, they would go away.  But he took it personally.  He teared up.  He looked like he’d been stabbed in the heart.  So I took it all back.  I never mentioned it again.  Until he caught me cheating on him.”