Sex addiction
July 19, 2023 Addictions
Psychosocial Workers
A sex addiction causes a person to feel compelled to engage in a sexual activity such as pornography, masturbation, or sex with a partner, even if it disrupts their lifestyle or leads to negative consequences.
7 symptoms of sex addiction
- Excessive thinking about, planning of, or engaging in sexual activity
- Obsessive thoughts or fantasies about sex
- Sexual behavior that becomes dangerous to self or others
- Feeling unable to control or reduce sexual activity
- Hiding or lying about sexual acts
- Cheating in a committed relationship
- Feeling guilt or remorse after sexual activity
Did you know?
First described in 1970 in Boston by a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, it was only in 1983 that American psychiatrist Patrick Carnes defined sex addiction as a pathological behavior in his book Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction.
Various sexual practices found among addicts include compulsive masturbation, pornography, sexual behavior between consenting adults, cybersex, phone sex, strip clubs, paraphilias, or deviant sexual behaviors (fetishism, voyeurism, sado-masochism, exhibitionism, transvestism, non-consensual sex, sexual harassment, frotteurism, sex with minors, etc.).
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