If you or a loved one suffers from
sex addiction, it’s important to understand the symptoms, causes and effects of
the disorder.
What
Are the Different Types of Sexual Addictions?
Several different types of sex
addictions are common. Unfortunately, because so many different types exist, it
can be hard to diagnose whether or not you or a loved is struggling with this
issue; however, the following information might be able to help you on your
journey.
Sex/Love
Addiction
According to Sex and Love Addicts
Anonymous, someone with a sex and love addiction can be romantically obsessed,
or they may easily enter into codependent relationships. In other cases, they
might exhibit signs of sexual or emotional anorexia, which means they avoid
relationships because they don’t know how to control them.
Porn
Addiction
A porn addiction is often hard for
many people to diagnose. Although some people can use porn to spice up their
relationships, others might turn to porn obsessively or compulsively. Those who
fall in the latter category might suffer from a porn addiction. A porn
addiction can cause you to reduce the amount of time you spend socializing, and
it might make you sexually unresponsive, according to Fox News. If your partner
becomes more demanding or uncharacteristically rough during intercourse, it might
indicate they’re struggling with a porn addiction.
Exhibition
and Voyeurism
If someone has a sex addiction
that’s marked by voyeurism, they might objectify the other person so they can
avoid having a personal relationship, according to the Legal Profession
Assistance Conference (LPAC) of the Canadian Bar Association. If they struggle
with exhibitionism, they might constantly seek attention from other people with
no intention of taking the relationship any further.
Other
Sexual Addictions
According to the LPAC, some of the
other types of sex addiction that can occur include:
- Using sex seductively
- Trading sex for money or other things
- Having intrusive sex
- Fantasizing about sex all the time
- Anonymous sex that isn’t connected to emotions
- Sex based on pain
- Exploiting others for sex
What
Causes an Addiction to Sex?
Many different factors can
contribute to a sex addiction. According to MedicineNet.com, these causes can
include depression or anxiety, but the addiction can also be caused by
sexual abuse. In most cases, someone who’s addicted to sex might experience
brain stimulation when they engage in sex or sex-related activities. Over time,
you can become addicted to these feelings.
What
Are the Signs of Sexual Addiction?
Several signs can serve as
indicators that someone has a sex addiction. Some of these symptoms are
emotional, but many of them are physical as well.
Emotional
Symptoms of Sex Addiction
If you or someone you love suffers
from a sex addiction, you might not have healthy boundaries. You might become
easily involved with people sexually or emotionally regardless of how well you
know them, according to Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous.
Because most sex addicts fear being
abandoned, they might stay in relationships that aren’t healthy, or they may
jump from relationship to relationship. When alone, they might feel empty or
incomplete. They might also sexualize feelings like guilt, loneliness or fear.
Physical
Symptoms of Sex Addiction
Although a sex addiction can create
many physical side effects, few physical symptoms of this disorder exist.
However, the most common physical symptom you might notice is feeling
immobilized due to sexual or emotional obsessions.
Short-Term
and Long-Term Effects of a Sex Addiction
The effects of a sex addiction can
be relatively severe. According to Departmental Management of the USDA, about
38 percent of men and 45 percent of women with sex addictions have a venereal
disease as a result of their behavior. Pregnancy is also a common side effect
that can occur due to risky behavior. In one survey, nearly 70 percent of women
with sex addictions reported they’d experienced at least one unwanted pregnancy
as a result of their addiction.
Other side effects include the
following:
- Exhaustion
- Physical injuries
- Being arrested for committing inappropriate acts
- Financial difficulties
- Professional suffering including demotion
Is
There a Sex Test or Self-Assessment I Can Do?
Because sexual addictions can
manifest themselves in many different ways, it’s impossible to diagnose
yourself just by examining what you do sexually. However, according to Sex
Addicts Anonymous, you might be able to diagnose yourself by looking at other criteria.
The following elements can indicate you have a sex addiction:
- You feel powerless over how you act sexually.
- Your sexual choices are making your life unmanageable.
- You feel shame, embarrassment or even self-loathing over your sexual acts.
- You promise yourself you’ll change, but fail to keep those promises.
- You’re so preoccupied with sex it becomes like a ritual to you.
- The negative consequences of your behavior are getting worse and worse.
Medication:
Are There Sex Addiction Drug Options?
Although some people are able to get
past their sex addiction through therapy alone, others need medication to help
them. If you suffer from a sex addiction, your doctor might prescribe some
serotoninergic (SSRI) medications to help you, according to MedicineNet.com.
These medications are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety, and in
some cases, they’re also used to treat bipolar disorder.
Sex
Addict Drugs: Possible Options
If you decide an SSRI isn’t right
for you, a few other types of medication are available for you to consider.
Some sex addicts have success using mood stabilizers while others have success
using naltrexone, which might be able to decrease the compulsive need to have
sex or engage in sexual activities. Some people who want to abstain completely
from sex as a way to deal with their addiction might turn to anti-androgenic
medications. These medications can help to lower male hormones and thus curb
sexual urges.
Medication
Side Effects
The side effects you could
experience vary depending upon which type of medication you opt to use. If you
take an SSRI, you might experience the following side effects:
- Lowered libido
- Inability to reach an orgasm or taking longer than usual to reach an orgasm
- Feelings of nausea
- Loose stools
- Feeling agitated
- Inability to fall asleep
- Headaches
In severe cases, patients may
experience serotonergic syndrome, which is marked by high fevers and can cause
life-threatening seizures.
If you decide to take a mood
stabilizer, you might feel sleepy for no reason. Although that’s the most
common side effect of this type of medication, some people experience lowered
white blood cell counts or symptoms consistent with serious autoimmune
disorders. Before taking any medications, you should speak with your doctor
about possible side effects.
Drug
Addiction, Dependence and Withdrawal in Sex Addicts
If you opt to treat your sex
addiction with any of the medications discussed above, it’s important to take
the medication as recommended by your doctor. Ideally, your doctor should
monitor your progress to ensure you don’t become too dependent on any of these
medications.
Medication
Overdose
By taking your medication as
directed, you should be able to avoid an overdose. If you feel tempted to
overdose on your medication, you should call for help immediately.
Depression
and Sex Addiction
Sex addicts might also suffer from depression. That’s one of the reasons medications
that treat depression can also be useful in treating sex addiction. Ideally,
your treatment plan should address both your depression and your addiction.
Dual
Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Sex Addiction
In many cases, sex addicts might
also struggle with addictions to drugs or alcohol. According to the Departmental Management of the
USDA, roughly 42 percent of sex addicts are also dependent on drugs or alcohol.
If you think you have issues with both substance abuse and sex addiction, it’s
crucial to find a sex addiction treatment plan that can help you
deal with both of these issues.
