Sex Addiction

Last Updated: April 24th, 2014

The Dangers of Sex Addiction

Sex and intimacy is an important part of being a human, but it is possible for people to develop an unhealthy relationship with this behaviour. Sex addiction (sometimes called sexual addiction) refers to a situation where the urges to have sex and sexual behaviour begins to have a negative impact on the person’s life. The person becomes caught up in behaviours and ways of thinking that are detrimental to their welfare as well as the welfare of other people. Sex addiction can lead to a great deal of suffering, so it is vital that the individual learns how to overcome this problem. If you are worried that you might be dealing with this type of issue, you can call us right away or text “help” to 66777, and we will call you right back.

What is Sex Addiction?

The word addiction often gets misused to mean liking something a lot. To say that somebody is dealing with a sex addiction does not mean that they love having sex; it means that their behaviour in regards to sex is repeatedly causing them problems. Like all people who fall into addiction, the individual feels out of control and unable to stop behaviour that is obviously causing them harm. In order for the person to be considered a sex addict, they need to feel like they are unable to manage their own behaviour in this regard.

Symptoms of Sex Addiction

It can be difficult to pin down the exact symptoms of sex addiction but it will tend to include things like:

The individual engages in sex acts that they later regret.
They regularly have sex with people with whom they did not intend to have sex with.
The person spends increasing amounts of time engaged in sexual activities or thinking about sex.
The person has tried to control their sexual behaviour but has failed.
They have made promises to other people to control their sexual behaviours but then failed to keep these promises.
The individual has lost interest in other activities that they used to enjoy.
The person may have cravings for sex regularly.
The individual may become irritable if sex is unavailable to them.
They feel unable to cope with life without the outlet that sexual behaviour provides.
The person has neglected their family, work, or social commitments because of sex.
One of the clearest signs of sex addiction is that the person continues to engage in behaviours that are obviously causing them harm.

These are just some of the signs that the individual may be dealing with a sex addiction. It is not necessary for the person to have all, or even most, of these symptoms in order for them to be addicted to sex. If you are unsure about whether or not you are addicted to sex, you can call us on our helpline and we will discuss your situation.

Dangers of Sex Addiction

Like all other types of addiction, this obsession with sex will have a detrimental impact on the person’s life. Some of the dangers associated with sex addiction will include:

The individual may be engaging in high risk sexual behaviours that will be damaging their physical health.
The person may become depressed about their situation, and this may even drive them to commit suicide. Many people who are addicted to sex will suffer a great deal of remorse as a result.
It can negatively affect a person’s self-esteem and confidence.
The individual can cause a great deal of harm to other people because of their behaviour. It can lead to the breakup of families, and it will often be the children of the person addicted to sex who suffer the most.
There will usually be underlying problems that is driving the addiction. So long as the person continues to engage in the behaviour, they will not be dealing with these underlying problems.
The individual may be putting their employment at risk because of the behaviour.
The person will be missing other important aspects of life.
They will be missing the joy of real intimacy.
The individual may frequently behave unethically in order to satisfy their sexual cravings.

Get Help for Sexual Addiction