Sexual activities are highly pleasurable acts that provide physical enjoyment, help increase emotional intimacy for couples and can be used as an expression of love in relationships. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, even when it comes to sex. When a person becomes too consumed with constant thoughts of sex and sexual activities, he may be considered a sexual addict.

What makes a sex addict

A sex addict is someone who has an unusually high sexual drive. A sex addict uses sex not just for physical pleasure or to bond with a partner or spouse. It becomes difficult for the sexually addicted person to function normally in the day without having predominant thoughts of sex, such as engaging in actual sex, fantasizing about sex, becoming a cyber sex addict, reading porn or even masturbating. The person suffering from sexual addiction and compulsiveness may have a difficult time maintaining a normal and healthy relationship with someone, because the sex addict may engage in infidelity, or want to engage in sexual activities that the spouse or partner is unwilling to do.

Having an addiction to sex can be dangerous to the physical health of the person since there are various diseases that can be contracted from unprotected sex and high risk behaviors. An addict to sex will engage in sexual behaviors that may place his sexual health as risk. A sex addiction is a problem because it can ruin relationships, destroy trust and intimacy between a partner and his spouse or it can even cause legal problems, especially when the patient is engaging in illegal sexual activities. Recovery from this problem is possible with the proper sex addiction treatment.

Forms of sexual addiction with a sexual addict may include constant fantasizing about sex, pornography addiction, voyeurism or exhibitionism, compulsive masturbation and having a lot of sex. The sexual activity or sex act isn’t about achieving physical pleasure nor is it an emotional act. There is no intimacy established with the sex partner. A sexual addict usually engages in high risk behaviors, such as one-night stands, sexual harassment, infidelity, having sex with multiple sex partners or experimentation with sex. A sex addict may engage in sexual behavior that is illegal, such as molestation, but the sexual addict can also be a non-violent offender.

There is sex addiction for women also, although men are usually the ones with a problem with sex addiction. Sex addiction for women often takes the form of being a love addict, constantly seeking relationships to fill a void. There is help for both men and women sex addicts and the key is getting sex addiction treatment.

Sex addiction treatment

To get sex addiction treatment, it’s necessary for the sexual addict to stop denying the problem so he can get help for his sexual addiction. However, denial about the sexual behavior is done and it isn’t until a significant or life changing event happens does the sex addicted person admit that there’s a problem. For example, a spouse may be caught having multiple affairs or infidelity, or the sexual behavior may result in a sexually transmitted disease that affects the health of the sex addict.

Sex addiction treatment entails intensive counseling and psychological therapy to treat the sexually addicted person. A professional needs to be able to help the sex addict identify the root cause of why the patient has become sexually addicted. A sexual addiction screening test is done to identify the problem of sexual addiction as well as the degree or severity so that the right sex addiction treatment can be given. A professional trained in the treatment of sex addiction can identify porn addiction or if a patient is a sexually addicted person based on symptoms and behavior.

This can be done in a residential treatment center for sex addiction treatment. In some cases, sex addicts may have been victims of sexual abuse, have feelings of ambivalence about their own sexuality or had an unhealthy sexual orientation growing up.

The approach in the sex addiction treatment can be similar to the 12 step treatment given to alcohol and drug addicts, since sex addiction is a type of addiction. Group therapy with other people suffering from addiction can also help. This can be provided in an outpatient sex addiction treatment center as well as in a residential sex addiction treatment facility to help patients with their recovery.

For women with a sexual addiction, it’s important to provide love addict treatment. A woman who is a love addict may confuse love with sex and has superficial and highly sexual relationships from partner to partner in the constant search for the feelings of love and euphoria during the start of the relationship. Women tend to be a love addict because it’s more acceptable to be a serial monogamist than to be sexually promiscuous. The addict needs to learn to separate the physical pleasure or sex and the sense of emotional intimacy that are actually seeking.

Marital counseling may be part of the sex addiction treatment, and the partner or spouse may be brought in to help heal the relationship. Trust is a major issue for couples, especially women, who have suffered from infidelity due to a partner being a love addict or a spouse having an addiction to sex.

Educating the sex addicts on the value of sex as well as the risks associated with dangerous sexual behavior is part of the treatment. Protecting the sexual health of the patient is also important, which means that any sexually transmitted diseases must also be given treatment.

Medication may also be part of sex addiction treatment, especially because sex addiction can be a compulsive behavior problem. A sexually addicted person may also engage in numerous and high risk sexual behavior because of an underlying depression or anxiety issue.

Recovery can be a long process for the addict since it is difficult to change behaviors, especially when it comes to addiction. Physical, mental, emotional health can be restored after intensive sex addiction treatment. Sex addiction treatment takes time but the problem can be resolved with love and understanding.

If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction please call the addictionrehabdirectory.com at 866-287-8770. Life doesn’t have to be this way.