How to Recognize the Signs of Sexual Addiction
By Jennifer P. Schneider, M.D., Ph.D.
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Excerpts from this paper regarding the characteristics of sex addicts

Sex addicts tend to sexualize other people and situations, finding sexual connotations in the most ordinary incident or remark.

Sex addicts describe a euphoria with sex similar to that described by drug addicts with drug use.

Like alcoholics and other drug addicts, sex addicts behavior engage in distorted thinking, rationalizing, and defending and justifying their behavior while blaming others for resulting problems. They deny having a problem and make excuses for their behavior.

Sex addicts usually participate compulsively in more than one type of sexual behavior. For example, they may masturbate compulsively in addition toviewing pornography and patronizing prostitutes. Although some sex addicts are hypersexual, seeking sexual intercourse or orgasm several times daily, most are not. For the addict who has affairs, the euphoria may come from the thrill of the chase and conquest rather than £from the sexual experience itself. Many sex addicts report progression of their addiction; that is, they have to take increasing risks or try new sexual behaviors to maintain the same euphoric effect.

Sex addicts, like alcoholics and other addicts, often come from a dysfunctional family in which parents were chemically dependent, sexually addicted, abusive, or otherwise emotionally unavailable.

Sexual difficulties are common in families of sex addicts. The great majority of sex addicts (82% of almost 900 addicts in Carnes' survey(1) had been sexually abused in childhood.

More than half of sex addicts surveyed come from a rigid, emotionally disengaged family.

These excerpts discuss spouses of sex addicts

Spouses of sex addicts, or "coaddicts," usually grew up in a dysfunctional family, where they acquired a set of core beliefs that resulted in low self-esteem and difficulty in relationships.

Spouses of sex addicts were often sexually abused in childhood and thus have fear or confusion about sex.

Since the sex addict's primary relationship is with the addiction, the partner justifiably feels unimportant and unloved.

Depression is even more common among spouses of sex addicts than among spouses of alcoholics.

These excerpts discuss the treatment of sex addics

Shame, a major issue for sex addicts, is often addressed best in group therapy, where other recovering addicts can provide both support and confrontation.

By the time sex addicts seek help, their marriage or relationship is often in great distress. Communication is lacking, and distrust, anger, and resentment are the hallmarks of the relationship. Couples counseling by a therapist who is knowledgeable about sexual addiction can be of great help

Sex addiction, like other addictions, cannot be "cured" and relapse is always a possibility. To prevent this, recovering sex addicts learn to avoid particular people and situations that can trigger old urges and behaviors. Some recovering addicts find that they need to avoid masturbation as well.

Some sex addicts benefit from pharmacotherapy.

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