Sex Addiction Symptoms, Treatment and Recovery

Sex Addiction is best described as 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 addicts engage in distorted thinking, often rationalizing and justifying their behavior and blaming others for problems. They generally deny they have a problem and make excuses for their actions. Sexual addiction also is associated with risk-taking. A person with a sex addiction engages in various forms of sexual activity, despite the potential for negative and dangerous consequences.

In addition to damaging the addict’s relationships and interfering with his or her work and social life, a sexual addiction also puts the person at risk for emotional and physical injury. Behaviors often associated with sex addiction can include: multiple affairs, extramarital affairs, multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands, unsafe sex, prostitution or obsessive dating.

Generally, a person with a sex addiction gains little satisfaction from the sexual activity and forms no emotional bond with his or her sex partners. In addition, the problem of sex addiction often leads to feelings of guilt and shame. A sex addict also feels a lack of control over the behavior, despite negative consequences (financial, health, social, and emotional).

Most sex addicts live in denial of their addiction, and treating an addiction is dependent on the person accepting and admitting that 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.

At Sure Haven, treatment of sexual addiction focuses on controlling the addictive behavior and helping the person develop a healthy sexuality. Treatment includes education about healthy sexuality, individual counseling, and marital and/or family therapy. Support groups and 12-step recovery programs for people with sexual addictions also are available.

Sex addiction is commonly misunderstood and because of that, recovery is not often sought. But like drug addiction or an eating disorder, intensive attention to the root of the addiction must occur for long-term recovery. At Sure Haven, we focus on the core issues associated with sex addiction and co-occurring disorders – as there are frequently other issues to uncover. We understand what you are going through, and we are here to help.