Sexual Addiction: When Sex Becomes Obsessive

Sex is great, especially when done often. An individual who engages

in sexual activities somewhere between one to four times a week is considered a person with a healthy sexual appetite. Having a healthy desire for sex can be beneficial to one’s health and well-being. Proof of which is the many positive effects having a healthy amount of bedroom action can give to your body and mind.But for some people, their frequency of having sex borders between a healthy amount and that which a lot of medical professionals consider an addiction? Just when does sex become an addiction?Sexual addictionSexual addiction is when a person develops an obsessive desire for sex, oftentimes to a point where the urge gets out of hand that it starts negatively affecting the person’s life. Similar to most substance addition, sexual addiction is caused by the individuals excessive desire to achieve the euphoric effects it causes. In this case, instead of having an external substance causing the euphoria, it is hormone production triggered by orgasming after sex that causes the elation. It is often a noticeable disruption in one’s ability to function normally in society that manifests the beginning of such an addiction.The causesVarious factors could cause a person to develop sexual addiction. Most people often confess that their addiction to the act rooted from their addiction to pornographic media – magazines, books, or movies. Some have been psychologically evaluated and have come to determine that their sexual obsession has originated from a traumatic sexual experience – either from being molested or abused as a kid. For others, it was past abandonment issues and the fact that having sex relieved them of their emotional pains that got them hooked into the act.Having sexual addiction treatedFor most individuals with such a condition, sexual addiction isn’t such a big deal. Or so it isn’t until it starts ruining your chances at a long-term relationship. But there’s no need to worry because like any other addictions, sexual addiction is treatable. For severe cases, the compulsion to have sex is curbed by giving obsessive-compulsive disorder medications like Prozac to calm them down. But for less serious cases, lectures on differentiating healthy and obsessive sexual appetite can be enough to make people understand and want to change their ways.Remember that the first step to leaving the addiction behind is to admit that you are, indeed, hooked. By doing so, you open your mind to receiving ideas on how to control the compulsions until you develop a normal and healthy sex life.

14 December 2008 | Sexual Health | Comments