Sex addiction is normally defined as any compulsive disorder which is sexually-related and interferes with normal living. Sex addiction is also known as ‘hyper-sexuality’, and ‘sexual dependency.’ By any name, sex addiction is a compulsive behavior disorder which completely dominates and ruins a sex addict’s life by affecting their relationship with their family, friends and coworkers. Since acquiring sex becomes the governing part of a sex addict’s life, they are willing to sacrifice what they cherish most just to quench their cravings, which is all the more reason why the condition requires professional treatment to manage.
What is Sex Addiction?
There is no single behavior pattern that can define sexual addiction. That being said, a single behavior can take unimaginable control over an addict’s life. Some common traits of many people suffering with sex addiction are;
- Compulsive homosexual or heterosexual relationships based only on sex
- Compulsive masturbation
- Spending long periods of time alone in room
- Demonstrating passive-aggressive behavior
- Prostitution
- Pornography
- Voyeurism
- Phone sex
- Neglecting social, educational and recreational activities
- Anonymous sexual encounters
- Exhibitionism
While an active diagnosis of sex addiction should be carried out by an experienced psychology practitioner, teens and young adults who show any of the above mentioned symptoms, may indicate an underlying presence of sexual addiction. Individuals who show these symptoms should seek help from a treatment professional as soon as possible.
The Problem
A mere twenty odd years ago, the chances of a young teen getting hooked on pornography could be compared to them getting hooked on heroin or cocaine, because it was so hard to come by with the only sneak-a-peek chances coming from a grownup’s Playboy collection or finding old porn in the trash. Fast forward to today, and those good old days are long gone. Nowadays, all types of porn are easily accessible with a click of a mouse. And all a youngster needs to do get access to a porn site of any ilk imaginable is say yes to the ‘Yes, I am 18’, and that’s it. No, need to flash a driver’s license or show ID. Latest studies have shown that boys are more accepting to pornographic material on the internet and are more likely to return to those websites when their excitement wears off. That being said, there are certain steps which responsible parents can take to keep their children safe from the affects of internet porn which could later on lead towards sex addiction.
The Solution
To get pornography addiction help, parents can now turn to sex addiction counselors and treatment practitioners who can help their teens with coping with this serious behavior disorder.