2 months! That’s all the time it took for golfing superstar Tiger Woods’s life to come crashing down. What began as a scandalous report in a leading daily about one extra martial affair soon snowballed into a string of women confessing to either having had sex or relationships with Tiger! Soon it was revealed that Tiger Woods was a sex addict. This addiction has not only destroyed the golfing superstar’s marriage but his image too, his lucrative contract with a leading company was dissolved almost immediately.
While many found Tiger Woods’s sex addiction to be quite shocking, it should be known that sex addiction can occur in individuals from any walk of life! It only becomes apparent to the outsiders when it starts taking over the addict’s life and begins affecting his or her general health.
So what is Sex addiction?
Sex addiction is when an individual uses sex to meet his or her emotional needs. To further simplify it, sex addiction is any sexual activity that is out of control. A sex addict is someone who uses sex as a coping mechanism to cope with their negative emotions, feelings rather than deal with them in the normal ways such as talking about it or seeking professional help. Even though a sex addict indulges in lots of sex, he doesn’t do it for the sheer joy of it instead he is using sex to deal with his problems!
As having sex releases a multitude of hormones in our bodies which give us that amazing all encompassing feeling after sex. Endorphins or the ‘feel good’ hormones are released in larger quantities after sex and tend to give that ‘high’ or ‘buzz’ after sex. A sex addict gets addicted to this buzz.
Am I a sex addict?
Dr. Patrick Carnes, a noted authority on Sex Addiction, suggests a few signs which might help ascertain whether you are a sex addict or not, depending upon your answers. If you answer ‘YES’ to all, it’s time to seek help:
Are you are unable to control your behavior, despite knowing the circumstances of your actions?
Do you find yourselves spending a considerable time and energy for seeking and indulging in sexual activities?
Do you find your behavior out of control?
Have you made conscious efforts to stop or curb your addiction?
Are you avoiding your social, professional and family duties in favor of your addiction?
Is the addiction you’re way of dealing with difficult feelings or circumstances?
Are you experiencing feelings of shame and guilt every time you give in to your addiction?
These questions can only help you identify that there is a problem; they are not exact indicators of sexual addiction. If you think you have a problem, approach professionals and get professional help along with counseling. Sex addiction is an often misunderstood problem amongst people affected by it and also by people who are indirectly affected by it such as family and friends. One must keep on mind that while sex addiction in any form can wreck havoc on the individual’s personal and professional life, it is curable.
What are the causes of sex addiction?
While sex addiction is a huge problem in itself, it also acts as a banner for deep rooted problems such as:
Abnormal levels of sex hormones and chemicals in the brain: Excessive presence of chemicals (Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine) and sex hormones such as the androgens in the brain can result in sex addiction for an individual. This high level of chemicals and hormones is brought about by chemical imbalance in the brain.- Mental Illness: Mental illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, and epilepsy can also affect the human brain and cause sex addiction in an individual.
- Childhood abuse: Abuse suffered in the physical, mental or emotional form during a young age can increase the risk of sex addiction in an individual. As they might look towards sex as a way of dealing with their fears and emotions instead of talking about it.
Other than the above mentioned causes, sex addiction can also be caused by depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, physiological disorders like OCD and problems with physical intimacy too can lead to sex addiction.
