Sex addiction is a problem defined as the inability to resist the desire to have sex and to do so randomly with different people. In some people who develop sex addiction, it manifests itself in symptoms such as excessive masturbation and excessive engagement with pornographic material. Sex addiction is a treatable brain disease. Childhood traumas lie on the ground of people with this problem. The EMDR method of trauma work is extremely effective in this regard.
What is sex addiction (nymphomania) and what are its symptoms?
Sex addiction (nymphomania) is a problem in which an individual cannot control their sexual behavior. It is defined by different names such as sexual addiction, hypersexuality and compulsive sexual behavior. Nymphomania is the name given to hypersexual disorder in women. In men, it is defined as satiriasis. Continuous sexual thoughts affect a person's ability to work, form relationships and perform daily tasks. It can also be considered as a condition of establishing sexual relationships regardless of who the partner is. People with sexual addiction may also be aware of the fact that the pleasure received from such relationships is not real, but a false pleasure.
For people with sex addiction, the goal is to have done that action, the person feels a temporary relief after doing it, but after a while they want to do it again. This continues in a vicious circle.
People with sex addiction (nymphomania) may be addicted to different patterns of sexual behavior. This can complicate the situation. We can list the symptoms of sexual addiction as follows;
- Compulsive masturbation
- Desire to have more than one relationship, one-night stand
- Persistent use of pornography
- Inability to restrain sexual impulses and violating the boundaries of others engaged in sexual activity
- Not wanting emotional satisfaction in sexual activity
- Feelings of guilt and shame
- Excessive loss of time and energy to have sex or improve a sexual experience
- Unnecessary prolongation of sexual behavior beyond its intended purpose
- Giving up social activities or avoiding work-related responsibilities due to sexual addiction
- Characterized by distress, anxiety, restlessness and anger when one does not get what one wants
Studies have shown a strong link between sexual addiction and risk-taking. Sex addiction can cause a person to continue to take risks even if it leads to a wide range of health problems, such as sexually transmitted infections, physical or emotional injury.
What are the Types of Sex Addiction?
A person with sex addiction can engage in many activities, from masturbation to sexual intercourse, from surfing porn sites on the internet to going to strip clubs, from exhibitionism to voyeurism. It can not only ruin one's own life, but also negatively affect the lives of many others.
Voyeurism- Exhibitionism: A voyeur can watch a woman standing at the bedroom window or walking around inside for hours without getting bored. He may masturbate at the sight of her and even go up to her and ejaculate in front of her. This falls under the "crime of harassment".
Pornography: An addict may spend money and time on pornographic magazines, strip shows, pornographic movies and websites.
Virtual sex addict: He or she can download many pornographic sites and fulfill his or her need for sex in chat rooms without meeting prostitutes. The Internet creates new sex addicts and worsens the situation of addicts.
Masturbation: Although masturbation is a natural behavior, addicts can sometimes harm themselves. Many addicts interpret masturbation as a way of failing at sex or feeling a lack of masculinity.
Paid sex: Some people are obsessed with having sex for money in order to keep changing partners.
Who is more likely to suffer from sex addiction?
It is seen in 3% of men and 1% of women. Its frequency increases in women with internet use. In the USA, 8% in men and 3% in women; in Italians, 4.2% in men and 1.5% in women reported sex addiction.
It is more common in the 25-50 age group. The fact that people do not disclose honestly about these issues makes it difficult to estimate the social dimension of the problem. From an ordinary housewife to a senior judge, almost anyone can be a sex addict; it has nothing to do with career or education. It is more common in women with good socio-economic status and in men with poor socio-economic status. In low socio-economic status there are no opportunities for pleasure outside of work and therefore sexuality is perceived as exaggerated.
Only 72% of sexual offenders and 38% of rape offenders meet the criteria for sexual addiction.
How is sex addiction treated?
Long psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy may be necessary for the treatment of sex addiction. Behavioral, cognitive, dynamic and existential techniques can be applied according to the characteristics of the individual in order to find and restructure the unconscious mental problem and create a balanced mood.
