The term "sexual addiction" is used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex. Sex and the thought of sex tend to dominate the sex addict's thinking, making it difficult to work or engage in healthy personal relationships. Sex addiction may co-occur (dual diagnosis) with drug and alcohol addiction or other substances and psychological disorders. Many sex addicts say their unhealthy use of sex was a progressive process. It may have started with an addiction to masturbation, pornography (either printed or electronic), a relationship, multiple relationships, or a series of one-night-stands, but over the years progressed to increasingly dangerous behaviors.
Featured Video: Women and Sex Addiction
"What was happening to me? Why couldn’t I stop chasing sex, no matter the consequences? To make myself feel better, I called Mike. He answered, offered a convoluted excuse involving flat tires and dead cellphone batteries, and then we had phone sex. When we were done, I considered driving my car off a cliff."
Most sex addicts live in denial of their addiction, and treating an addiction is dependent on the person accepting and admitting that he or she has a problem. In many cases, it takes a significant event—such as the loss of a job, the break-up of a marriage, an arrest, or health crisis—to force the addict to admit to his or her problem.
What Treatment Options Exist?
Treatment of sexual addiction focuses on controlling the addictive behavior and helping the person develop a healthy sexuality. Rehabilitation includes education, individual counseling, and marital and/or family therapy. In some cases, medications used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder may be used to curb the compulsive nature of the sex addiction. Some induviduals require inpatient or residential rehab for several weeks. An inpatient setting protects you from the abundance of sexual images and specific situations or people that trigger compulsive sexual behavior. It's simply harder to relapse in a structured and tightly controlled setting. Sometimes, you can succeed in an outpatient setting with adequate social, family and spiritual support.
Potential Consequences of Sexual Addiction
broken marriages and relationships
severe depression
suicidal thoughts
low self-esteem
shame
self-hatred
hopelessness
despair
intense anxiety
loneliness
fear of abandonment
remorse
self-deceit
moral conflict
sexual diseases
Drug Rehab Centers Locator - Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Dual Diagnosis Programs and Treatment Resources
The Drug Rehab Centers Locator is a public addiction treatment resource guide dedicated to helping addicts and alcoholics recover from drug addiction, alcoholism, dual diagnosis, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders. We offer a comprehensive directory of drug treatment centers, alcohol rehab programs, drug rehab and drug rehabilitation centers, dual diagnosis treatment programs, and recovery centers for eating disorders and other substance abuse related disorders.
