A Non-Profit Drug & Alcohol Rehab Referral & Placement Service
Let Us Help You. Call Now. 1-800-895-1695

Signs You Have a Sex Addiction

With sex being a natural aspect of the human condition, signs of sex addiction may not warrant cause for concern like the signs associated with drug and alcohol addictions do. Over the past several decades, sex has become more and more acceptable within a wide range of contexts and relationships, reaching far past the “constraints” of the marriage bed.

Like any other form of excessive indulgence, too much of anything can bring on unforeseen negative consequences within a person’s life. For people most inclined to engage in sexual behavior on an abnormally frequent basis, the risk of developing a sex addiction increases substantially.

Signs of sex addiction may be hard to spot at the start. Much like the effects of alcohol and drug addictions in a person’s life, the effects of sex addiction take root in the brain and from there start to surface within a person’s behaviors and routines.

Ultimately, sex addiction gradually takes over a person’s life, much like any other form of addiction. After so long, the negative consequences brought on by sex addiction will likely necessitate the need for professional treatment help.

How Sex Addictions Work

According to the University of Florida, as much as six percent of the U. S. population is affected by sex-type addictions. Unlike the direct physical effects caused by substance-based addictions, the sex act produces the “high” that drives a sex-based addiction.

Addictions that center on an activity, as opposed to a substance, are known as process-based addictions. In actuality, the source of the “high” becomes the only difference between substance-based and process-based addictions. Likewise, certain characteristics will start to surface when a person’s sexual activity becomes excessive –

  • Loss of control or inability to control his or her urges
  • Disregard for negative consequences brought on by sexual behaviors
  • Denying he or she has a problem when those closest to him or her can plainly see it

Brain Chemical Effects

All forms of addiction result from changes taking place within the brain’s chemical system. Any time a person experiences intense emotion, whether sadness, anger or joy, the brain secretes certain neurotransmitter chemicals.

For someone addicted to sex, the act of sex triggers the release of the brain’s own natural “feel good” chemicals. Over time, the brain’s chemical system grows dependent on the effects of sex to the point where normal cognitive and emotional functions rely on the chemical secretions brought on by sex.

These same chemical processes also form the basis for substance-based addictions. In effect, sex becomes the sex addict’s drug of choice.

Types of Sex Addiction

sex addiction types

Sex addiction can be either paraphilic or non-paraphilic.

While a person’s sexual preference can take a handful of different forms, in general, two types of sex addiction prevail –

  • Non-paraphilic
  • Paraphilic

Non-paraphilic addictions follow a more conventional course in terms of the types of sexual acts in which a person engages. It’s the high frequency rate or number of times a day a person has sex that characterizes the addiction.

With non-paraphilic addictions, a person fixates on nonconventional-type sexual acts. This fixation may take the form of –

  • Exhibitionism
  • Sadomasochism
  • Pedophilia
  • Sex with objects

Non-paraphilic addictions can be experienced as persistent urges, fantasies or real-life sex acts.

Behavioral Signs of Sex Addiction

The behavioral signs of sex addiction inevitably start to surface as a person loses control over his or her urges or compulsions. At this point, the addiction drives much of what the addict thinks about, plans for and does.

According to the U. S. National Library of Medicine, behavioral signs of sex addiction bear a strong resemblance to behaviors brought on by substance-based addictions –

  • Muddled thinking patterns
  • An increasing need to engage in sexual activity more often
  • An inability to reduce or cut back on sexual activity
  • Mood swings

Sex addicts will also likely experience withdrawal effects when unable to engage in sexual activity. Withdrawal effects may take the form of –

  • Ongoing irritability
  • Feelings of sadness
  • Problems sleeping
  • Changes in appetite
  • Headaches

Lifestyle Signs of Sex Addiction

The brain chemical changes associated with sex addiction have altered the brain’s reward center, which for the most part determines what motivates a person to do the things he or she does. The brain’s reward center also regulates learning processes, which essentially defines a person’s motivations or drives.

By the time a person develops a sex addiction, sex has become a form of escape or a means of coping with daily life pressures. Over time, sex addiction becomes the number one priority in a person’s daily life, so other areas of his or her life are likely to suffer.

Lifestyle signs may include –

  • Health problems and/or contracting a sexually transmitted disease
  • Relationship conflicts with friends, family and one’s significant other
  • Decline in work performance
  • Lost interest in once enjoyed activities
  • Money problems

Mental Health Issues

Mental health problems can make a person more susceptible to developing an addiction to sex. Likewise, a sex-based addiction can cause mental health problems to develop. This interplay results from the state of brain chemical imbalance that drives both addiction and mental illness.

Someone struggling with an addiction to sex can easily develop a depression and/or anxiety disorder as a result of the worsening chemical imbalances brought on by the addiction. The same holds true for someone who starts out with a depression or anxiety disorder and falls into a pattern of using sex as a way to relieve internal emotional turmoil.

Risk Factors

As with any other form of addiction, certain risk factors can make a person more prone to developing an addiction to sex. Addictions, in general, may originate from psychological, biological or social causes, social causes meaning gender role expectations. Under the right circumstances, any one or all of these factors can trigger compulsive sexual behaviors.

Risk factors commonly associated with sex-based addictions include –

  • Being young
  • Alcohol and/or drug abuse practices
  • A family history of substance abuse
  • A family history of mental illness

When to Get Help

Sex addiction warps a person’s sense of right and wrong just like any other type of addiction problem. For this reason, it may be difficult for the addict to notice when his or her behavior has spun out of control.

Ultimately, the longer a person lives with the addiction the worse the problem gets. After a certain point, the negative consequences brought on by sexual addiction will prompt a person to get needed treatment help.