Sexual Addiction
Sexual addiction is a persistent and escalating pattern or patterns of sexual behaviours acted out despite increasingly negative consequences to self or others.
Some out of control repetitive behaviours, which may reflect sexual addiction include
- Masturbation
- Simultaneous or repeated sequential affairs
- Pornography
- Cyber sex, phone sex
- Multiple anonymous partners
- Unsafe sexual activity
- Partner sexualization, objectification
- Strip clubs and adult bookstores
- Prostitution
- Sexual aversion
- Some consequences which may result from sexual addiction and indicate the existence of sexual addiction
- Social
- Addicts become lost in sexual preoccupation, which results in emotional distance from loved ones. Loss of friendship and family relationships may result.
- Emotional
Anxiety or extreme stress are common in sex addicts who live with constant fear of discovery. Shame and guilt increase, as the addict’s lifestyle is often inconsistent with his/her personal values, believes and spirituality. Boredom, pronounced fatigue,and despair are inevitable as addiction progresses. The ultimate consequence may be suicide.
Physical
Some of the diseases which may occur due to sexual addiction are genital injury, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS, herpes, genital warts and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sex addicts may place themselves in situations of potential harm, resulting in serious physical wounding or even death.
Legal
Many types of sexual addictions result in violation of the law, such as sexual harassment, obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, voyeurism, prostitution, rape, incest and child molestation, and other illegal activities. Loss of professional status and professional licensure may result from sexual addiction.
Financial/Occupational
Indebtedness may arise directly from the cost of prostitutes, cyber-sex, phone sex and multiple affairs. Indirectly indebtedness can occur from legal fees, the cost of divorce or separation, decrease in productivity or job loss.
Spiritual
Loneliness, resentment, self-pity, self-blame.
Consequences and recovery
These consequences are progressive and predictable. The addict tends to minimize the consequences and tends to blame others for them. Family and friends minimize consequences by believing the addict’s promise that the behavior will change. When blaming and minimizing stops, recovery begins. The consequences can become the instruments for change if they are recognized and accepted instead of denied.
