What are the symptoms of sex addiction?
The age old question of ‘how much is too much?’ stands true even when it comes to sex addiction; many people worry about indulging in sex fearing it would too much or too less! Sex is a pure and intimate form of expressing love for your partner but when an individual is found spending considerable energy on sex, either by engaging in repeated sex acts or through other means such as masturbation, viewing porn etc. he is termed as a sex addict.
Following is a list of symptoms of sex addiction:
- Excessive and compulsive masturbation
- Willingness to indulge in high risk sex
- Compulsive use of Phone sex
- Cyber sex (Pay to view, spending a lot of time in sex related chatrooms)
- Soliciting sex from Prostitutes
- Numerous one night stands (with strangers)
- Multiple affairs
- Excessive viewing of pornography
- Fetishes
- Voyeurism (Peeping Tom)
- Exhibitionism (Flashing)
Can Sex addiction be cured?
The first step to overcoming sex addiction is to accept that you are a sex addict. Many addicts remain in denial for a long time before coming to terms with the reality. While Sex addiction has bought on a very dark time in Tiger Woods’s life, there’s light at the end of the tunnel for him and thousands of others like him, who have accepted their addiction and are undergoing therapy or entering Rehab.
One must remember that while patience is the key to cope with any addiction be it drug, alcohol or sex, there is no magic pill present that is going to instantly cure the addict of his addiction! The overcoming of any addiction is a long winding process with the addict needing support and understanding from his or her loved ones.
There are a few prescribed treatment methods for sexual addiction beginning with Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which seeks to reinforce actions related to the addiction and includes methods to stop the entire process. Other forms of treatment include the interpersonal therapy (one on one talking sessions), group therapy which is conducted by a health care professional with at least 6-8 addicts in attendance. 12 step programs are also quite popular when it comes to treating sex addiction along with medications.
Living with a sex addict
Sex addiction tends to pervade a person’s personal life more than anything. The spouses or partners of sex addicts often report feelings of loneliness, emptiness and low self esteem. Many a times, the partner is asked to seek counseling too, as the addiction put them under tremendous pressure and stress.
The partner of a sex addict is often advised to practice safe sex, for the risk of their spouse carrying STD’s. They are also advised to be careful when having sex with their spouse, as sex addicts tend to indulge in risky sex. Family members of sex addicts can join support groups which help them talk about their feelings and also let them know that they are not alone as there are others who are suffering from the same.
Even though sex addiction spelled disaster for Tiger Woods, it’s not the end of all things we know. If understood properly and treated well, sex addiction can be cured giving the addict another chance at a normal life!
