Sex addiction can be interpreted as a condition that makes a person unable to control the actions or impulses of his sexual desires. As with alcohol or drug addiction, untreated sex addiction also has a negative impact on physical and mental health.
Sex addiction is a form of addictive behavior disorder. A person can become addicted to many things, such as gambling, shopping, playing games, to sex.
Sex addiction is often referred to as hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior disorder. Sex addiction can include many factors, ranging from masturbation habits, cybersex through video or telephone, changing partners, even to rape or molestation during sexual intercourse.
Causes and Signs of Sex Addiction
Actually, there is no definite factor that causes sex addiction to occur. However, it is thought that there are biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to the development of this disorder.
A study says that sex addiction can arise due to poor parenting as a child. In another study, it was found that about 82 percent of sex addicts had been victims of sexual harassment.
Not only that, there are also other factors that can increase the risk of sex addiction, such as easy access to pornographic content, as well as side effects of alcoholic beverages and drug abuse.
Some signs of sex addiction that you need to recognize include:
- Often thinks dirty or fantasizes sexually.
- Easily offended and lies to cover up his true behavior.
- Have a high desire to have sexual relations with many people.
- Unable to control sex addiction behavior, even to the point of interfering with daily work activities and productivity.
- Tendency to put oneself or others in danger due to sexual behavior.
- Feeling sorry or guilty after having sex.
Sex Addiction Treatment
The goal of treating sex addiction or compulsive sexual behavior disorder is to help addicts manage their sexual urges in an appropriate way, and maintain healthy sexual activity.
Some of the treatment for sex addiction that can be done, among others:
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common types of psychotherapy to treat sex addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to help sufferers recognize their own thought patterns towards previously negative sexual behavior, then turn them into positive ones.
In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, there are other types of psychotherapy that can help treat sex addiction. The type of therapy will be adjusted to the degree of exposure to sex addiction by a psychologist.
Drugs
The use of antidepressant drugs is also considered to be able to help deal with sex addiction because of its side effects that can reduce sexual desire.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a type of antidepressant drug commonly used for sex addicted patients. Examples of SSRI drugs are: fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and paroxetine.
Sex addiction can greatly affect a person's quality of life. It is also necessary to be aware that this behavior disorder can increase a person's risk of cervical cancer and dangerous sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV and hepatitis B. Not only that, sex addiction can also end in criminal snares.
Therefore, if you feel you have signs of sex addiction that are starting to interfere with your mind and productivity, or maybe you know someone who is suffering from it, immediately consult a psychologist to get the right treatment.
