Is it Sex Addiction?

What is Impulsive-Compulsive Sexual Behavior?  Is it Sex Addiction?

What people sometimes refer to as sex addiction or porn addiction is actually a variety of different clinical presentations of problematic sexual behavior that can manifest uniquely across individuals.  People who are struggling with their sexual behavior, may feel trapped in their preoccupation with sexual activities and their behaviors may persist despite significant risk or consequences.  Many (but not all) individuals experience an escalation in their behavior over time, finding that they were led to a place that they never could have predicted years earlier.  They may tell themselves that they will stop, and yet find themselves repeatedly returning to the same behaviors over and over again.  Such loss of control can make stopping these behaviors feel daunting and fuels shame and despair.  These symptoms and experiences often lead people to feel as though their struggle is a sex addiction.  Without help, it is possible that their sexual behaviors may become more intense or damaging to their lives.

Compulsive sexual behavior, and similar difficulties, are not solely explained by someone having a strong sex drive or diverse sexual interests.  Many healthy individuals experience an above average drive for sex and having sexual desires that don't fit in the mainstream is generally not a matter of clinical concern.  Sexual behaviors are considered to be problematic when they violate well-reasoned values, are dishonest, harmful to others, place people at elevated risk, or diminish joy from the person’s own life.

There is ongoing scholarly debate as to whether these types of struggles are primarily impulsive, compulsive, or addictive in nature.  Empirical evidence is emerging that suggests that sexual behavior struggles have multiple causes.  The reality is that problematic sexual behavior is a complex phenomenon that cannot be fully accounted for by a single explanation, such as sex addiction.  It is critically important that individuals who struggle with their sexual behavior be evaluated by a clinician who is able to fully account for the complex (and often confusing) intersection of human sexuality and mental health, rather than operating from a simplistic belief that all problematic sexual behaviors can be attributed to sex addiction or porn addiction.

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Issues with sexual behavior problems and compulsivity can be hard to identify and understand.  Sex is a natural part of the human experience.  We are hard wired to emotionally connect and be intimate with others.  When this process is not nurtured properly, we are left with maladaptive ways of relating sexually and emotionally to others as well as to ourselves.

A broad range of sexual behaviors can become dysfunctional, impulsive, or compulsive, including:

• Anonymous sex

• Infidelity

• Risky or Unsafe Sex

• Chronic Masturbation

• Cybersex

• Problematic Pornography Use

• Exhibitionism

• Voyeurism

• Massage Parlors

• Sex Buying (soliciting prostitutes)

• Obsessive Dating

• Toxic Relationships