Call it too much of a good thing. Sex addiction is
real, and it's no longer a new phenomenon or a daytime talk show
novelty topic. As many as 16 million Americans are battling sex
addiction. And while rehabilitation centers and psychiatric
treatment groups have dedicated programs for sex addicts, sex
addiction is not listed as a disorder by the American Psychiatric
Association.
Sex addiction can take many forms, perhaps even more than alcoholism or drug
addiction. And unlike those chemical dependencies, sex
addiction is behavioral. The trigger mechanism for sex
addiction is inside the addict, not in a bottle or a vial.
Sex addicts suffer an uncontrollable urge to act out in ways that
can include sex with strangers, sex in public places, sex with
prostitutes, Internet or phone sex and pornography. As a
result, they risk arrest, sexually transmitted diseases,
self-loathing and depression. In addition, sexual addiction
can destroy personal relationships and even careers.
According to Sex Addicts Anonymous, these are the key questions to
ask yourself if you feel you may be addicted to sex:
1. Do you keep secrets about your sexual or romantic
activities from those important to you? Do you lead a double
life?
2. Have your needs driven you to have sex in places or
situations or with people you would not normally choose?
3. Do you find yourself looking for sexually arousing
articles or scenes in newspapers, magazines, or other media?
4. Do you find that romantic or sexual fantasies interfere
with your relationships or are preventing you from facing
problems?
5. Do you frequently want to get away from a sex partner
after having sex? Do you frequently feel remorse, shame, or guilt
after a sexual encounter?
6. Do you feel shame about your body or your sexuality,
such that you avoid touching your body or engaging in sexual
relationships? Do you fear that you have no sexual feelings, that
you are asexual?
7. Does each new relationship continue to have the same
destructive patterns which prompted you to leave the last
relationship?
8. Is it taking more variety and frequency of sexual and
romantic activities than previously to bring the same levels of
excitement and relief?
9. Have you ever been arrested or are you in danger of
being arrested because of your practices of voyeurism,
exhibitionism, prostitution, sex with minors, indecent phone calls,
etc.?
10. Does your pursuit of sex or romantic relationships
interfere with your spiritual beliefs or development?
11. Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or
reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?
12. Has your sexual or romantic behavior ever left you
feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?
According to S.A.A., if you answered yes to one or more of these
questions, you are at risk for sexual addiction.
In addition to S.A.A., Sexual Compulsives Anonymous offers a 12-step
treatment approach to sex addiction. Many counselors,
ministries and psychiatry groups also offer treatment, and books on
the subject are widely available. In addition, studies are
underway at Vanderbilt University to determine whether the brains
of sex addicts are different from non-addicts.
For more information on sex addiction, watch an interview with
addiction expert Dr. Marc Kern.
