There are so many things that need to be uncovered. Every day, sexual addiction and the sexual behaviors associated with it is becoming more and more accepted in our society. It’s something we all know exists, but no one wants to talk about it or even think about it. Sexual addiction has become a medical problem from which no one can escape – not pop stars, not movie stars, and not even athletes. Sexual addiction has been a problem affecting celebrities around the globe for years, and while some refuse to admit it, others have sought help for the addiction with sex addiction specialists. The goal of treatment is sexual health.
People’s biggest misconception about compulsive sexual behaviors is that addictive sexual impulses only affect men, but this is untrue. Sexual addiction can be both men and women who suffer from compulsive sexual behavior. In most cases, men fall prey to addictive sexual impulses and are more likely to push through the symptoms without seeking help from a professional. Women have difficulty because they often become too ashamed or embarrassed by their actions and turn to illegal substances to cope with day-to-day life.
Understanding sex addiction?
To understand sexual addiction, one must first appreciate that it is a physiological and psychological sexual disorder and its negative consequences. Even though the person who has the disease may feel physically healthy, they can stop whenever they want, this is not usually the case. Instead, the addict will seek out their drug of choice – whether it be porn, phone sex lines, or prostitutes – then use them in a way that damages them both physically causing mental health issues. Those suffering from this sexual addiction use their encounters as a means of escape from the pressures in their lives. Like other addictions – such as alcohol, drugs, or gambling – sex addicts feel they have to resort to sexual activity to cope with their everyday lives.
Contrary to popular belief, no specific amount of sex, masturbation, or porn viewing classifies sexual addiction. Instead, the behaviors must persist over time and in most cases have negative consequences for someone to be defined as an addict. Determining factors include feelings of shame about their actions, comparing themselves to others, and having difficulty controlling their behavior even though they know it’s destructive.
Sex addiction looks like
Sex addiction can affect anyone, with no parameters put around race, economic status, or gender. However, it does seem to prefer the adult male. Males in their 30’s 40’s and older are most likely to be addicted to sex, porn, or phone sex and tend to live a double life by not having any difficulties balancing their behavior at work or home. Those considered to be addicted to sex may be heavy porn users, have a history of molestation or incest, feel lower self-esteem than most people in their lives, and look for validation through sexual means rather than other activities.
Overcoming sex addiction
Sexual recovery happens when the person addicted admits to having an issue, they seek mental health help with a certified sex addiction therapist to change their destructive habits and deal with their emotional pain to create a healthier balance in their life. Sometimes treatment will include cognitive behavioral therapy. Either way, they need a certified sex addiction therapist, professional help from medical professionals, and those trained in sex addiction treatment and intimacy issues. Treatment often involves individual therapy sessions as well as group meetings with others recovering from similar addictions. While there is no fast-track recovery process for sex addiction, they need to realize that help is available. They may not think they need help – or even that their behavior has negatively affected them – but the repercussions of this can be devastating and even fatal if left untreated. A person suffering from sex addiction will find it nearly impossible to give up without professional treatment, and, eventually, those who are treated will discover that their sex addiction no longer has power over them and they experience sexual health.
What we know about Sex Addiction?
One of the common questions people have is, “How much sex can be considered too much?” While there’s really no exact answer to this question, it all depends on each person’s situation. For someone to be diagnosed with sex addiction, the behavior needs to be causing them distress in their everyday life. Unfortunately, as with other types of addictions, it’s not always easy for a person to recognize when they’ve crossed that line from “normal” sexual activity into addiction territory.
Sex addiction can range from simply over-indulging in pornography or having frequent affairs on one end of the spectrum to engaging in sexual activities that may actually be illegal on the other. Therefore, it’s crucial for people who suspect they might have a sex addiction to seek professional help before things get worse and put themselves, or others, at risk of getting hurt due to their actions.
As with any other addiction, many factors can contribute to sexual addiction. But, just like most people turn to alcohol and drugs when they’re depressed or going through a rough time in life, They use sex as a way of either numbing the pain or escaping from it altogether.
Sexual risks may include:
-a history of physical or sexual abuse in childhood
-lack of healthy parental relationships during childhood
-pornography addiction as a teen and young adult
-feelings of shame about their behavior that make no sense given other parts of their life (for example, being a highly successful businessman but obsessed with pornography)
-comparing themselves to others (other people who are good at relationships, while they feel they aren’t)
Myths and Facts about Sex Addiction:
Here are some facts you may not know about sex addiction.
– When a sex addict goes through treatment, it is common for them to have other addictions that need to be treated as well – usually drugs or alcohol – but they can also include compulsive games, workaholism, food, and shop addictions.
– Healthy sex lives in a relationship are totally different from people who may have sexual dysfunction or sexual addiction issues. Sexual addiction involves feeling out of control when it comes to having sex and engaging in behaviors that can cause harm to themselves or others. People who have healthy sexual lives have standards that they adhere to, and their sex lives are not out of control.
Sex addiction is NOT the same as having a high sex drive. A person with a high sex drive may be driven by hormones or other biological impulses. In contrast, someone addicted to sex has an unhealthy relationship with it and generally feels out of control.
For many people around the country, Sex addiction is nothing more than something found in movies. They dismiss it as a made-up condition that shouldn’t be taken seriously, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sex addiction (sometimes called sexual compulsion) is a recognized disorder and sex addicts are just as gravely affected by this disease as substance abuse or drug addicts or alcoholics. As a result, sex addicts diagnosed with the condition will usually seek professional treatment for their addiction. Eventually, those who are treated will discover that their sex addiction no longer has power over them.
In therapeutic sessions with a licensed sex addiction therapist – A mental health professionals. Patients can work to get to the bottom of their sex addiction. Through this option, patients can gain a goal-oriented and structured treatment plan that has a clear outcome at the end.
For additional help consider sex Addicts Anonymous or Sex and love addicts anonymous, similar to substance abuse recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous these are 12-step programs. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a group focused on accepting the powerlessness in the face of addiction and their willingness to get help and live a life without it. Sex and Love addicts anonymous is similar and worth exploring as well. To find a group near you, visit https://saa-recovery.org/ or https://slaafws.org/
