Understanding Sex Addiction

Sexual addiction is an intense focus on sexual fantasies, urges or activities that can’t be controlled and cause distress or harm your health, relationships, career or other aspects of your life. Sexual addiction is the most commonly used lay term. You may hear healthcare professionals call this compulsive sexual behavior, problematic sexual behavior, hypersexuality, hypersexuality disorder, sexual compulsivity or sexual impulsivity.

Although sex addiction involves activities that can be common to a sex life — such as masturbation, pornography, phone sex, cybersex, multiple partners and more — it’s when your sexual thoughts and activities consume your life that you may be considered to have a sexual addiction.

How Common is Sex Addiction?

Hypersexuality appears to affect about 3% to 10% of the general U.S. population. It’s more common in men than women. For every two to five males with hypersexuality, one woman is affected. Sexual addiction begins, on average, at 18 years of age. Most individuals don’t reach out for professional help until age 37.

Many individuals (88%) have a history of other mental health conditions, too, including:

• Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder.
• Anxiety disorders.
• History of suicide attempts.
• Personality disorders.
• Other addictive disorders.
• Impulse control disorders.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

How do I know if I have a Sex Addiction?

Does your sexual behavior cause you distress or interfere with important areas of functioning? Do you:

• Lose sleep due to sexual thoughts or actions?
• Arrive late to work?
• Ignore obligations?
• Lie or keep secrets from family?
• Need more or more extreme sexual activities to achieve the same level of excitement or sexual relief?
• Does your sexual desire cause you to do sexual activities that involve people or places you wouldn’t ordinarily choose?
• Does pornography take up a great deal of your awake time?
• Does your sexual behavior cause you or could cause you legal problems or financial loss?
• Do your sexual fantasies, urges or behaviors consume you mentally, emotionally and/or physically?
• Does your sexual behavior conflict with your personal values, religious or moral beliefs?
• Do you feel shame, regret, hopelessness, guilt, loneliness or suicidal after your sexual behavior?

If you answer YES to any of these questions, you may want to make an appointment with our admissions team. They can refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist for additional help. If you have suicidal thoughts, call your healthcare provider right away or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.