Sexual addiction is a very serious mental health issue that has steadily been on the rise in recent years. Sexual addiction is a term that is used to describe a person who is obsessed with sex, or whose sex drive is abnormally high. Many sex addicts think and dwell on sex the vast majority of the time. This can lead to any number of social and personal problems. Sexual addiction can manifest itself in many different ways, and the level of addiction can vary from person to person.
Like with most addiction problems, the sexual addict will often deny that they have a problem. They will make any excuse for their behavior, and will sometimes take huge risks to satisfy the sexual compulsions. The sexual addict has a very hard time understanding the negative results for their actions, and may put themselves at risk both physically and criminally.
The sexual addict commonly masturbates on a regular basis, and may do so up to several times per day. This self stimulation may be one of the ways that the sexual addict attempts to avoid acting on rampant sexual fantasys. This behavior is commonly accompanied by the use of pornography. The masturbation may be private, or extreme cases may even drive the sexual addict to public masturbation and exposure.
Another common symptom of sexual addiction is having multiple sexual partners, or becoming involved in extra-marital affairs. This comes from the constant search for the next sexual “high” and the effects can be devastating. This behavior can lead to physical problems such as STDs and family problems due to the affairs. Safe sex is not usually a consideration because the behavior is often spontaneous and unplanned.
Sexual addiction can be marked by much more severe symptoms and signs as well including extensive phone sex, prostitution, exhibitionism, voyeurism, stalking, and even rape. Having a sexual addiction problem does not indicate that you will have all of these problems. The sexual addict may have a couple of these factors or even all of them in extreme cases. Some sexual addicts live only in the world of porn, for example, and never act on their sexual addiction with real partners.
Sexual addiction is a very serious and dangerous addiction, and should not be overlooked. If you, or someone you love feel as though you could be a sexual addict, then you should seek mental help with a professional. Admitting the addiction is the first step to getting better, and no other treatments will be effective until you are ready to do so. These signs and symptoms of sexual addiction are not all inclusive. Rather, they are meant to be a general guide of the signs and symptoms commonly found in sexual addicts.
People think of sexual addiction as one of those soft addictions that doesn’t really matter, but to the person with the problem it’s very serious.
Comment by Samantha — June 25, 2009 @ 3:09 pm