Sex Addiction
Starting on the Road to Recovery
An obsession with sex characterizes sex addiction. Sexual preoccupation manifests itself in a variety of sexual fantasies and practices. These behaviors become harmful, intrusive into normal living, and eventually leave the addict desperate, unable to stop. Sexual addiction is most commonly connected with internet pornography, masturbation, and phone or internet sex services. It can lead to unlawful practices that endanger or harm innocent people, such as exhibitionism, molestation, sexual harassment, or rape. What are the signs of someone struggling with sex addiction? Here are some
telltale signs of sexual addictions.
To help you see if you may be addicted to sex, here's a
self-test.
If your concern isn’t about you but about a loved one, this test can be a valuable exercise to help you in your quest to help him or her.
In every case, your or your loved one’s addiction resulted from focusing too much time and energy on sexual feelings and urges. Sex addictions are often progressive in nature. You may have noticed that, over time, you have intensified your particular sexual behaviors in order to reach the same results. Your obsession and increased attention to sex may have already imposed on you serious consequences, such as financial problems, health risks, broken relationships, even legal troubles. The real problem for sex addicts is that they don’t understand what healthy sexuality is. Your fixation with sex has blinded you to the truth about normal,
healthy sexuality.
With proper understanding the tremendous blessings that can come from wholesome sexuality can be yours!
Why are People Addicted? Is it Really about Sex?
Your sexual behaviors, along with the millions of other people who suffer from sexual addictions, may not really be about sex as much as it’s about relieving or escaping the stresses and strains of life.Just as the alcoholic goes to the bar to escape his life’s problems, you may be using sex as a diversion. Perhaps your sexual behaviors help you escape from your serious challenges.
How Sexual Addiction Starts
Your addiction to sex may have started with a common exposure to sex, such as seeing pornography or from hearing a “know-it-all friend” talk about it. Perhaps you developed a fetish of some kind that led to deeper involvement into sexual things.An early curiosity may have developed into a habit, like masturbation or viewing pornography. Your habit of producing a sexual “high” may have developed into a regular escape from reality into fantasy. Over time you probably noticed that it takes more and more to achieve the same “high.” Perhaps your addiction began with being sexually, emotionally, or physically abused early in your life. You may have been abused by someone you trusted — a family friend, even a parent, step parent or grand parent. Abuse of a child often leads that child to becoming sexually active very early in his or her life. One reason sexual abuse of a child is so damaging (one of so many) is that it can give the child a horribly distorted view of healthy human sexuality and appropriate human relationships. The child then, believing it to be normal, may engage in similar or progressively worse behaviors that culminate in becoming a sex addict with all its attendant troubles. Regardless of how it started, you’re here because of poor decisions. Here's more information on this and on
overcoming sexual addictions.
Sex Addicts: Men vs. Women
About a third of those with a sex addictions are women. Women addicted to sex are more likely to act out their behaviors in real life with casual sex or affairs. Twice as many women over men favor sexually oriented chat rooms. Men, on the other hand, are six times more likely to be involved in sexual behaviors like masturbation and pornography.
Results of Sexual Addiction
More than likely you or your loved one have often tried to stop your sexual behaviors. You’ve probably become desperate. But try as you might, you can’t quit. You feel out of control. Your battle may leave you feeling destitute of self worth. If your behaviors are still a secret, the constant hiding may have you feeling worn out. Though you’re afraid of it, you may wish that somehow it wasn’t a secret you had to protect anymore. You may hope that you’ll just get caught. Perhaps you are one whose secret is out. Others are aware of your problem. Your most important relationships may have been severely damaged, perhaps even permanently impaired. Whatever your circumstance, you’ve used tremendous energy feeding your sex addiction. You feel like a spiritual wreck. Your habits have depleted your emotional strength, and your physical health may also be in danger.
Recovery from Sexual Addiction
Fortunately, there is hope! You can recover – completely! Help is around the corner. Freedom, at last, is within reach.Here's information about
how to recover from sexual addiction.
Usually closely associated with sex addiction is pornography addiction. Here's specific help with
porn addiction and the brain science behind addiction.
Return from Sex Addiction to Home: Overcoming Porn Addiction.
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