Sexual Addiction
What is sex addiction?
Sex addiction is defined as a lack of control over sexual thoughts, urges, and impulses. Sexual addiction is also sometimes referred as hypersexuality, a behavioral addiction that is focused on sex and sexual fantasy. While sexual impulses are natural, sex addiction refers to behaviors that are done in excess and/or is significantly impacting one’s life in a negative way.
Here are some characteristics of a sexual addiction:
- A lack of ability to set limits or boundaries on sexual urges
- Spending an inordinate amount of time pursuing or engaging in sex
- Experiencing negative consequences as a result of sexual behavior, such as the loss of a job, the breakup of a relationship, financial difficulties, or legal problems
- Ignoring personal obligations or social activities in order to spend more time indulging sexual fantasies
- Frequent use of impersonal sources of sexual fulfillment that do not require emotional engagement, such as pornography, prostitution, and cybersex
- The need to intensify sexual behavior or risk-taking activities in order to achieve the same level of satisfaction
- Experiencing a sense of shame, guilt, or self-loathing about one’s sexual behavior, yet still being unable to stop
- Engaging in frequent attempts to stop the behavior and relapsing
Treatment for sexual addiction:
Even though sex is frequently associated with love and emotional intimacy, sex addiction usually lacks an emotional component. The drive for sexual fulfillment comes from an unmet psychological need to relieve anxiety, depression, or attachment need. Treating sex addiction requires an exploration of the underlying causes of the problem, along with the development of effective coping strategies to deal with triggers and resolve psychological needs.