There is help available for anyone suffering from sex addiction. When a person becomes addicted to sexual thoughts, desires, urges, or behaviors, it can harm relationships, finances, and other aspects of their lives. The time to get help is now if you or a loved one is experiencing sexual addiction signs.
Through trauma-based treatment and holistic rehabilitation services, the professionals at ILC can help individuals with sex addiction.
What is Sex Addiction?
There is nothing innately wrong with enjoying sex regularly. However, sex addiction arises when a person continuously repeats a behavior that previously caused pleasure, even when it is not appropriate to do so.
These compulsive behaviors point to signs of sexual addiction when a person is:
- Constantly thinking about sex to the point that it interferes with their daily life and responsibilities
- Disregarding the potentially negative consequences of sexual behavior
- Using an excessive amount of time or energy on sex or sexual acts
- Feeling guilt or shame about their sexual behaviors or masturbation habits
- Engaging in risky or potentially illegal actions
- Cheating on their spouse or partner
These compulsive sexual behaviors indicate that a person is looking for something to release dopamine, commonly known as the “pleasure chemical.”
When a person does something their brain understands as enjoyable or pleasant, the brain releases dopamine. When repeated, this cycle creates a neural pathway that reminds the person that they like doing that specific thing. It establishes an action-and-reward system at a physical level.
Fortunately, it is possible to establish new neural pathways and rewrite destructive ones. At ILC, we believe in understanding through education. We work with clients to develop a deep understanding of the core reason for addiction to collectively find a path toward healing.
Types of Sex Addiction
Sex addiction encompasses many types. According to the Cleveland Clinic, just under 10% of the US population suffers from hypersexuality (sex addiction). It is more common in men than in women. While signs of sex addiction start around age 18, most individuals don’t reach out for professional help until they are 37.
Compulsive behaviors drive intimacy disorders and leave individuals feeling depleted and out of control. Our center for intimacy recovery works with men from all walks of life to evaluate types of sex addiction and find a way forward. Some types of sexual addiction include compulsive behaviors around:
- Pornography
- Prostitution
- Masturbation or fantasy
- Sadistic or masochistic behavior
- Exhibition/Voyeurism
- Other excessive sexual pursuits
Signs of Sexual Addiction
Again, enjoying sex and regularly engaging in sexual activity does not constitute an addiction. An individual with a sexual addiction is compulsively devoted to sexual acts at the expense of other aspects of their lives. Consider the following sexual addiction signs and how they relate to your situation if you suspect you or someone you love has a sexual addiction.
Obsessive Thoughts
A person’s desire for interpersonal connection and sex is normal and healthy. However, if a person becomes preoccupied with sex and intimacy, it may indicate sex addiction. Compulsive sexual behavior is defined as constantly thinking about the next time you’ll have intercourse or masturbate.
Excessive Time Spent Pursuing Sex
When a person’s real-life responsibilities take a backseat to their sexual habits, they may be living with sex addiction. There are many ways to spend our time, and healthy people understand that maintaining a life requires attention and balance. If you find yourself spending more time seeking out sexual release than spending time with family and friends or maintaining your regular expenses and employment, it is cause for concern.
Excessive Masturbation
How much is too much? There is no specific number that determines this. What’s important is to understand the intent and pattern surrounding masturbation. It is worth assessing if it becomes a priority in a person’s life and they begin to let other areas take a backseat. Masturbating regularly, or even daily, is healthy. If a person masturbates several times a day, that may be a warning sign. Masturbating for stress relief is one sign of a sex addict’s unhealthy self-soothing habits.
Engaging in Risky Behaviors
A person suffering from an intimacy disorder often becomes bored with the sexual activity that they once enjoyed. The intensity or riskiness of sexual behavior may increase as a result. A person might express this through the pornography they choose, the places and times they masturbate, or their sexual partners. Negative consequences may be more likely to happen to someone who puts themselves in such situations. Unprotected sex with strangers, for example, increases the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
Infidelity
A person suffering from sex addiction may ignore the consequences of their actions and seek out sexual relationships outside of their relationship. There may be an urge for them to engage in sexual acts with others despite knowing that this may result in intense trauma and suffering for their loved ones and betray the trust that is hard to rebuild. While each relationship is different, and couples are free to establish their boundaries about what is and isn’t acceptable, violating established sexual boundaries damages relationships in ways that may be difficult to heal.
Hiding Sexual Activity
Those struggling with sexual addiction often fear that someone (or everyone) will discover the nature of their sexual activity. Signs of hiding sexual activity may include:
- Constantly clearing internet browser history
- Hiding receipts or payments used for sex or porn
- Lying about sexual habits to others
People raised in repressive environments often feel shame, guilt, and depression about their sexual behavior. In some cases, hiding habits may indicate that a person suffers more than they realize.
Isolation
People often isolate themselves from others when they need to hide their behavior. We are much more likely to detach from reality when we hide from others. When a person is isolated, guilt and shame build up, and they self-soothe through masturbation or some other sexual stimulus, restarting the cycle of isolation.
Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
Often, sexual addiction signs and symptoms occur alongside other mental health conditions. Individuals who suffer from sex addiction may also suffer from:
- Depression
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Substance use disorder
Substance abuse often accompanies sex addiction, since addictive substances can soothe desires. This is why our dual diagnosis treatment program addresses the addiction(s) and underlying issues so you can experience complete, long-term healing.
Treatment Modalities
If you’re worried that you may express signs of a sexual addiction, the good news is that recovery is possible! At ILC, we employ various techniques to ensure you get help tailored to your needs.
- Polyvagal Theory Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Narrative Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Brainspotting
- Trauma-Induced Sexual Addiction Therapy (TINSA®)
Find Healing at Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN
No matter when you are on the road to healing from sexual addiction, know that there is hope. The professionals at ILC work with clients to understand the root causes of addiction. Recovery is possible! Call us today at (615) 891-2226 for more information about our sex addiction treatment programs.
