A lot of lifestyle habits sometimes take shape of serious addictions that are not healthy for body and mind as well. One such strange addiction is – sex addiction where a person becomes addicted to various sexual acts. There are various types of sex addictions as well. In this article, we are going to have a detailed look into the various aspect of the modern day addiction.
What Are the Different Types of Sexual Addictions?
It is usually very difficult to diagnose sexual addiction as there are humongous varieties of such addictions already existing. Also, the sexual matters are usually kept personal and not discussed openly. Thereby it remains hidden most of the time and never surfaces for diagnoses. Let’s have a look at various types of sexual addictions.
Sex/Love Addiction
The experiences of various cases show that if someone suffers from this kind of addiction then they often tend to get into relationships easily. These relations are mostly co-dependent and have a lot of sexual indications involved. If somebody is avoiding any kind of relation then they might be suffering from this kind of addiction as then they don’t know how to control it.
Porn Addiction
Porn addiction is very difficult to identify as one uses porn usually for pleasure when alone, although some others might turn to porn obsessively or compulsively. The second kind suffers from the porn addiction. A porn addict is the one who is solely dependent on porn for fulfilling sexual desires and is socially unresponsive to any kind of gestures even sexual ones. If your partner becomes rough during sex and is experimenting a lot of things lately then it might be the result of porn addiction. Such people feel more satisfied after porn rather the actual act.
Other Sexual Addictions are
- Seductive sex
- Trading sex for money
- Having intrusive sex
- Fantasizing about sex all the time
- Anonymous sex that isn’t connected to emotions
- Sex based on pain
- Exploiting others for sex
Causes for Sex Addiction
A lot of different factors can be blamed for this kind of addiction. Anxiety, depression, and sexual abuse in past are the major factors of people getting addicted to sex. It has been observed in medical researches that sex addicts experience a very high stimulus when they think about or do the sexual activities. Over time it turns into addiction.
Emotional Symptoms of Sex Addiction
If someone you love or know is a sex addict then it is possible that you might not be sharing healthy boundaries with such person. They get involved with people regardless of sexual and emotional connect in that relationship. The common pattern that has been noticed in such cases is the fear of being abandoned. They tend to stay in a relationship regardless of problems or they would jump from one relation to other.
Physical Symptoms of Sex Addiction
There are very few physical symptoms that are seen in sex addicts. As this is a mind stimulus, symptoms can be observed only when it is triggered. Mostly they get immobilized by talking or indulging in any kind of sexual activity.
Effects of Sex Addiction
There are many side effects of this behavioral lifestyle. Many people involve in physical injuries and in some cases, women pregnancy is a common result of this risky lifestyle. Other side effects include the following:
- Exhaustion
- Physical injuries
- Being arrested for committing inappropriate acts
- Financial difficulties
- Professional suffering including demotion
How can Sex Addiction be treated?
Medication
Sex addiction is a problem that is connected to mental stress and depression. Most of the times, therapy sessions with the psychiatrist are helpful in the treatment of such cases. Fewer cases may not show good results even after therapy sessions and thereby might need medication as well. Those who suffer from a sex addiction are mostly prescribed serotoninergic (SSRI) médications.These medications are commonly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety among people.
Possible Options
If you have been diagnosed with sex addiction then your doctor will provide you with some options. If you are not consulting a doctor, then we are listing some options other than SSRI. Number of sex addicts use mood stabilizers. Naltrexone, is another good option that helps a lot of higher degree addicts. It decreases the urge to engage in sexual activities of any kind. Anti-androgenic meds are also available that will totally remove your urge for sex.
Medication Side Effects
These medications are helpful in lowering your addiction but also come with some side effects and thereby it is preferable to consult a doctor before taking doses. SSRI has following major side effects.
- Lowered libido
- No orgasm or long time to reach there
- Nausea
- Loose motions
- Agitated all the time
- Insomnia
- Headaches
In the case of mood stabilizer, you might feel sleepy for no reason. A lot of other symptoms are also felt such as high fever, restlessness etc.
Drug Addiction, Dependence, and Withdrawal in Sex Addicts
We all know that medication has its own drawbacks. In several cases, if the medications are helpful in controlling the sex addiction then the medication itself becomes an addiction. People tend to take a high dose to control the urge and live a normal life, but this is not at all healthy. Some of these drugs can trigger life-threatening seizures as well. So be careful and always consult a doctor before taking up any medication.
Medication Overdose
Medication should always be taken as directed by the doctor and at an exact time as well. If you are facing a very high level of urge and thinking to take a high dose of the medication then don’t forget to consult your doctor.
Depression, Sex addiction and Substance Abuse
These three different medical situations are becoming a package due to modern day lifestyle and pressures. We are facing too much stress and running our brains at full capacity. These unhealthy lifestyles are leading us towards the combination of illness’s today. It has been observed that 89% of sex addicts are depressed and suffer great mental stress at all time. They don’t realize it though. Also they have been found to be indulging in some kind of drug or substance abuse that is illegal as well as deteriorating their health day by day. It is really important that if you come across anyone in our known to be facing such issues then he/she should be immediately consulting a psychiatrist and a therapist.
The Last Words
We are sure our article would have thrown a little light on this topic that is starting to haunt our society. We should take steps to control it. If any sex addict is reading this article, he/she should start changing himself/herself to get away from a serious problem.
