Frequently, people become victims of addictions of all types. An addiction is when people do not have control over what they do, take, or use. They are completely consumed and subject to all the flaws that can come with a specific addiction. Sex addiction is one of them and the focus for my paper. Previous research claims sexual addiction is labeled a progressive intimacy disorder compelled of extremely frequent sexual thinking and actions.
Behavior of a sex addict may include chronic masturbation, high use of pornography, and phone or computer sex services. Sexual addictions could also reach higher extremities like exhibitionism, inappropriate phone calls, child molestation or rape (Herkov, 2013). One council found that sexual addiction is “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others” (The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 2013).
Furthermore, sex addiction also involves “compulsive searching for multiple partners, compulsive fixation on an unattainable partner, compulsive love relationships and compulsive sexuality in a relationship” (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders, Volume Four). Chronic masturbation is defined by masturbating multiple times a day for months on end, maybe even years (Byerly, 2013). Chronic masturbation is not linked to a mental illness, its much like an addiction to nicotine or other substances. When we masturbate chemicals are released and are spiked especially when we climax.
People who are chronic masturbators are looking for a fix of the sexual chemicals (Byerly, 2013). This excessive habit usually starts in men in their adolescent years. It is an easy habit to hide in a marriage and could cause all sorts of problems for the spouse. When a chronic masturbator gets older their body has difficulty keeping up with their chemical need. Erections become harder to get, climax takes a longer time and stimulation could be rough. Refusing sex to their spouse is common for the simple fact that they probably have already self stimulated 6 times a day (Byerly, 2013).
In addition, “an addiction to pornography is a common form of sexual addiction” (American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is not actually listed in the (DSM-5) as a disorder. Other professional organizations are looking at it as a behavioral addiction (American Society of Addiction Medicine). Eleven hours a week of a sexual addict is spent searching or watching pornography. It is known that people can double or triple that amount spent enjoying pornography (Porn Addiction, 2015).
Addicts may even try to limit or stop their use, but it usually comes to no avail. They could go through all sorts of throwing away adult films to ending subscriptions, but they’ll to go back to it the next day. Alcoholics, drug abusers, excessive spenders, and gambling addicts all share many of the hardships to addiction, just as much as a sex addict/porn addict (Porn Addiction, 2015). Coupled with addiction to pornography, having multiple sex partners is one as well. This addiction also falls under the umbrella of sex addiction causing serious effects to ones lives.
If you are a person who has sex with many people you have increased your chances of contracting a HIV through sexual contact (Healthwise, Incorporated, 2015). Cancer is also related to this behavior under sex addiction. When you have sex with multiple people you increase your risk of not only STD’s, but prostate, cervical, and oral cancer (LLiades, 2010). In the event that an individual would behave this way is consolidated with other unsafe practices like smoking, overwhelming drinking, substance misuse, not getting enough rest, and horrible eating routine, it can add to a few endless infections including coronary illness (LLiades, 2010).
Moreover, some portion of the explanation behind this is sex fixation, an problem portrayed by excessive sex and conduct, is ineffectively understood and hard to analyze. In a world full of temptations it is hard to identity what is a normal amount of sex or excessive. Thankfully, specialists are getting more knowledge on this subject and are increasing their methods to treat sexual addiction (Herkov, 2013). It is estimated that 3 percent and 6 percent of Americans have trouble with some form of sex addiction (National Association of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 2013).
Homosexual men, homosexual women, heterosexual men, and heterosexual women can all suffer from sex addiction. There at least are some avenues available for improvement. Also, more than 30 million people nation wide are subject to possessing a sexual addiction. Sex Addicts Anonymous and Sexaholics Anonymous offer help and structure of a recovery system. Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used by professionals on people who seek help for their addiction (Edwards,2015). The therapy teaches the individual to learn their own personal triggers with sex addiction.
The addiction comes with its destructive behaviors and excessive sexual thoughts and actions. By fixing the triggers in their mind that lead them to such behaviors progress can be made in a positive way. If the addiction is extreme the individual may need inpatient treatment. There are also outpatient programs that are aggressive as well. Treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, and mood stabilizers are frequently used to treat people with bipolar disorder (Edwards, 2015). Seroetoninergic (SSRI) medications are used to treat bipolar disorder have been discovered to decrease excessive sexual urges from sex addiction.
Other SSRI medications that would be a helpful remedy are as followed, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Luvox, and Lexapro (Edwards, 2015). Continued, SSRI’s are well known and symptoms are usually mellow. The most widely recognized symptoms are queasiness, diarrhea, unsettling, sleep deprivation, and migraine. On the other hand, these reactions for the most part go away inside of the first month of SSRI use. A few patients experience sexual symptoms, for example, diminished sexual drive, deferred climax, or an inability to have a climax (Edwards,2015).
Goals for recovery are getting through refusal, finding out about the level of their addiction, and building up restraint. There is no order to do these methods most addicts will start taking a shot at a few of these at the same time amid the introductory period of treatment. A great part of the work in these first steps is intended to build up strength for the someone who is addicted and his or her loved ones. For example, it is strange for the individual who is addicted to keep on minimizing or deny the degree, recurrence and/or harm brought on by the sexual addiction (Bailey & Case, 2015).
Not to mention, impulsive practices are frequently driven by anger or reasons for alarm of closeness, and have their roots in the sexual disgrace of one’s family background. Interbreeding, being uneducated on sex education, sexual privacy, or sexual behavior brought on by a guardian, can all establish the framework for later sexual addiction. Sexual addiction on can be utilized for different reasons, including to cure passionate torment, oversee stress, or as a substitute for genuine closeness.
Similarly as with different addictions, there is typically a heightening of these practices because of resilience, as the fanatic keeps on pursuing the “high” and/or paying little heed to the raising expenses. Lamentably, numerous people battling with sexual habit don’t look for help, due to the substantial part to the high level of disgrace connected with an issue here (Bailey & Case). Equally important, sex addiction, otherwise called a hypersexual issue, is portrayed by relentless and raising sexual contemplations and acts that negatively affect the persons life.
Sex addicts battle to control or defer sexual encounters and activities. Most sex addicts don’t know how to accomplish real closeness, shaping no connection to their sexual accomplices. The quest for sex turns out to be more imperative than family, work, and even individual wellbeing and security. The addict takes after a standard or custom programed plans on their sex life which is then trailed by emotions of refusal then disgrace, sadness and disarray (Defining Sex Addiction, 2015). Again, a typical misguided judgment is that somebody who has an intense sexual drive or has various sexual accomplices must have a sex addiction.
In all actuality, most sex addicts want the quest for sex and may increase little delight from a sexual encounter. Though the vast majority quit taking part in a conduct that damages their wellbeing, connections, funds or jobs. Sex addicts are not able to quit searching out sexual encounters notwithstanding these outcomes. In conclusion, sex addicts suffer from many different types of behaviors like chronic masturbation which effects relationships with the people around them. Viewing pornography happens to become too frequent of a habit and more so another addiction under the behavioral problems.
Sex addition leads to people searching for multiple sex partners and that puts them at risk. HIV, AIDS, and STD’s are all more likely to be contractable from sexual intercourse. Death could be an outcome of this type of reckless behavior. Help for this detrimental addiction is available to society in the forms of group therapies including inpatient and outpatient therapy. If the severity of the addiction was reached medications like Zoloft will help control those sexual behaviors or thoughts. All together, sex addiction is a real and must be treated seriously, proactively, compassionately, and quickly in regards to the individuals health.
