"The term 'sexual addiction' is used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex" (Bridges, 2012). Other terms for a sexual addiction include hypersexual disorder, nymphomania, and compulsive sexual behavior. This addiction can include a total obsession, or fantasies and/or activities that cross boundaries, such as what is legally or culturally accepted ("Compulsive sexual behavior," 2011).
The act and thought of sex dominates the person's thinking, making daily tasks hard. This is the difference between a high enjoyment of sex, and a sexual addiction. People who are addicted to sex also experience distorted thinking, including denial of a problem or blame of others. Risk taking is another behavior that classifies these actions as an addiction. The addict will try almost any type of sexual experience, despite physical or emotional harm (Bridges, 2012).
The following list includes possibly behaviors of a sexual addict. Not all people who are addicted to sex partake in all of these behaviors.
• Compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation)
• Multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs)
• Multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands
• Consistent use of pornography
• Unsafe sex
• Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
• Prostitution or use of prostitutes
• Exhibitionism
• Obsessive dating through personal ads
• Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
• Sexual harassment
• Molestation/rape
(Bridges, 2012)
As you can see, a sexual addiction is much more severe than simply enjoying sex and partaking in it often.
Statistics:
Exact statistics on sexual addiction are difficult. Sexual addiction is a controversial diagnosis. Many people do believe it is actually an emotional disease and see it as an excuse for things such as being caught cheating. Also, those who truly suffer are not likely to come forward due to shame or embarrassment. Many people who are struggling with this addiction are not motivated to change and do not report it. However, the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health estimates that about 3-5% of the United States population experience compulsive sexual disorders. This is about 9 million people ("Sex addiction statistics," 2012).
The amount of people addicted to sex is said to be increasing with the availability of porn. Tracking data has shown that over 25% of the population who has internet access at work has viewed porn during their work hours. Also, 25 million Americans visit pornographic sites an average of 1-10 hours per week. Another 4.7 million Americans are believed to visit these sites for over 11 hours a week ("Sex addiction statistics," 2012).
Treatment:
As mentioned earlier, most people who suffer from a sexual addiction are in denial. Treatment begins when the person can admit the problem, which may need to be caused by a significantly negative experience, such as losing a job or a spouse because of the addiction. Treatment for sexual addictions not only focuses on the addiction, but also on a healthy sex life. Treatment options include education, counseling individually or with family/spouse, support groups, 12-step recovery programs, medications (anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, anti-androgens), cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-help groups (Bridges, 2012).
References:
Bridges, D.
(2012, July 25). Sex addiction. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/sexual-addiction
Compulsive
sexual behavior. (2011, September
16). Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/compulsive-sexual-behavior/DS00144
Sex
addiction statistics. (2012). Retrieved
from http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/sex_statistics.html
Link to picture used:
http://www.harmonygroup.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/sex-addiction.jpg
Maddy,
ReplyDeleteGreat job addressing such a taboo topic. Learning about sexual addictions may actually come in handy for our future jobs as occupational therapists since ‘sexual activity’ is considered an ‘Activity of Daily Living’. Although sexual addictions are not extremely common, as I learned from your statistics section, you never know what you may run into while on the job. I honestly did not know much about sexual addictions before I read your post; although, I have heard the word ‘nympho’ in music and life in general. I had no idea how serious sexual addictions are in that they can completely take over one’s life. It is scary to think that someone would put themselves in physical or emotional harm just for the sake of sex. In addition, it was interesting to find out that a sexual addict is not just addicted to sex. Additionally, I was surprised by some of the additional statistics that you provided regarding the use of porn. I had no idea that Americans utilize that much porn. Finally, I found it interesting that treatments focus on a health sex life as well as the addiction. Overall, great job!
Maddy,
ReplyDeleteSexual addiction is such a hard topic to identify with because it is very difficult to say what is a sex addiction. In my research for gambling addictions I came across an article that discussed some of the topics that you discussed. For instance, I read of a women who became addicted to the nature of having an affair and the feeling that it gave her. She was so obsessed with this feeling that her whole life revolved around the thrill of her next affair. It was really quite interesting hearing her account of this addiction and comparing it with that of your studies. I found it interesting that as you stated in statistics that sex addiction is becoming more common due to the increased availability of internet pornography. Overall I really enjoyed your blog, keep up the good work!