"Man Who Can't Stop Looking at Other Women" - Mr. Marriage Counselor
Posted by Kurt Smith, MFT, AFC on Fri, Jul 09, 2010
Q: I am a man who can't stop looking at other women. I am looking for help regarding my inability to behave correctly in front of the opposite sex and especially when with my wife. I am married for 16 years and am 42 years of age. Happily married, lovely children. Everything is great, except!
When younger I used to look at other women, even when with my wife. I meant no harm, but it upset my wife and hurt her. My reaction was to stop looking at other women and avoid dealing with women. I have no interest to meet any one else or look at any one else. I am totally satisfied with my wife.
Like other men who can’t stop looking at other women, I get incidents that happen without control, a glance, that I hate and am not comfortable with and especially if the other woman notices me looking. I do not look again, but just this uncontrolled look makes me awkward and I panic, mostly out of fear of hurting my wife and risk of losing her.
When with my wife, my wife reports that I become a different person and not notice her. I notice that I feel awkward and I am not comfortable when out. I feel as if I have to keep my guard up all the time and if I relax I will fall!
When at home everything is great. Any help, guidance, advise. I love my wife and do not wish to lose her and I do not do this on purpose.
-Ahmed G.
A: Being a man who can't stop looking at other women is a big challenge for a lot of men. Most of us first developed the habit of looking at women when we were teenagers. It happens naturally and then we encourage it because of how good it made us feel.
Each time we see a sexually attractive woman our brain rewards us with a chemical high. It’s a minor high compared to other drugs, but it’s still enjoyable and addicting.
Because of this natural reward system, and the almost constant barrage to attractive women we’re exposed to in our media crazed world, many of us men have developed a regular “habit” of looking at other women. This habit can become so ingrained that our looking becomes like a natural reflex and one that we feel we have no control over.
When we get married and become a husband who can't stop looking at other women this “habit” can cause us a lot of problems, just as you’ve described.
Here are some suggestions on how to begin to change this habit:
- Recognize that it is a habit that you’ve built, not an uncontrollable reflex.
- Begin to look for ways you continue to build that habit-- such as movies, TV shows, magazines, football games, or internet porn and stop feeding it to your brain.
- Accept and get comfortable with the fact that it is natural to notice attractive women. The goal here is not to eliminate noticing, but rather how often you look and for how long.
If you’re a man who can't stop looking at other women, working with a counselor for men will give you additional steps you can take to change your behavior. Many of us men have changed how we look at other women and with help you can too.
--Kurt Smith, Marriage Counselor for Men