Signs That You May Be Addicted to Sex

A lot of people associate sexual addiction to extramarital affairs and prostitution. However, obsession with pornography, excessive masturbation, engaging in cybersex, and repeated visits to strip clubs are also signs. This kind of dependency does not necessarily conform to the type of compulsion only, but the frequency of the practice and the means of how this is achieved.

Extreme Escapism

Sexual addiction is like drugs and alcohol. People drink alcoholic beverages to cope with anxiety and sadness and take drugs to feel good. In the same way, sex is a coping mechanism. Sex addicts use sex to avoid stressful events and problems. Some sexual addicts even find relief from boredom, discomfort, anxiety, and depression.

Risk-Taking

Typically, sex addicts are determined to take it to the next level. They often engage in sexual practices that come with more severe effects. These methods may include indulging in unprotected sexual activities with multiple partners or prostitutes. The blatant disregard for the consequences of their actions is one of the significant symptoms of sexual addiction. Sex addicts are aware of the risks of their actions, but they ignore these risks. Sexual addicts do not only jeopardize their well-being, but are also risking their career, finances, and relationships with other people.

Loss of Control

Most individuals who are addicted to sex lose control over the act. They may feel a temporary euphoria while performing the act; this never actually provides them with what they are looking for. Their problem remains unsolved, and they will not be able to relax. Moreover, some of the feelings of discomfort will increase. When this happens, sexual addicts indulge some more until the time that they lose the capability to reasonably fight off the sexual urges.

Escalating Problem

Sexual addiction is also considered an escalating problem. This issue does not stop at the time that the behavior becomes a bad habit to break. Sex addicts amplify the intensity, as well as the frequency of the activity in which they engage. For instance, those people who gravitate towards soliciting sex are likely to do the act more often. Those individuals who have multiple affairs will probably look for more sexual patterns. This upward spiral will happen during the first year of sexual addiction, and this will eventually plateau. During the plateau stage, the behavior will still continue, but the intensity, frequency, and scope of the action will be maintained at a particular level.

Recurring Behavior

The need to engage in sex becomes never-ending, and the behavior becomes repetitive. Typically, healthcare providers consider the occurrence from six months to one year. If the same issue persists within the period, the common diagnosis will lean towards sexual addiction.

Skewed Perspective

Once the sexual addiction cycle starts, everything can go downhill. During this phase, new problems will be created. Moreover, additional factors that cause anxiety and distress will appear. In fact, new unpleasant feelings like guilt, isolation, and shame will arise. There will be emptiness and misery. However, sex addicts will not be able to see it this way. They will consider the situation as an indication that their current behaviors and actions are not as active as they were before. They will decide instead to do more of the act for the purpose of bringing back the false sense of fulfillment and euphoria.

Preoccupation

Persons addicted to sex are preoccupied with sex. They think about sex constantly. These people waste excessive time playing out sexual fantasies in their minds. They deliberate on past experiences and plan new and more complex ways on how to indulge themselves in the act.

Failure to Stop

Sexual addicts will realize the mess that they are stuck in eventually.  Some will try to stop or even reduce the compulsion, but they will fail. The intention to stop is real, but the effort comes up short. Thus, individuals addicted to sex will fail to stop.