Myths About Sex Addiction pt. II

CLICK HERE to read part one.

Myth: Sex addicts are the same as sex offenders.

Sexual offending is a legal term to describe the actions of someone who sexually forces himself on another person without the other person’s knowledge or consent. Rape, child molestation, and sexual battery are forms of violent sexual offending and are treated as felonies. Exhibitionism, voyeurism, and frotteurism (touching others personal body parts without permission) are also considered offenses, though carrying a lesser misdemeanor type of legal charge. While some may cross the line into offending behaviors as a part of the escalation of their addictive problem, the majority of sex addicts do not become sexual offenders.

Myths About Sex Addiction Part I

Myth: Someone with good morals wouldn’t have this problem.

You are not a sex addict because your morals or ethics differ from the moral beliefs of others. However, you may be a sex addict if your sexual behavior often takes you outside of your own system of values and beliefs, leaving you feeling badly about yourself and your relationships. Consistently going outside of your own moral comfort zone in pursuit of a sexual high is one of the warning signs of sexual addiction.  Sex addicts don’t betray partners and loved ones or violate their own personal belief systems because they are immoral people. Anyone in the compulsive throes of an addiction, whether it is a substance or behavior based problem, can act in ways contrary to their usual character and beliefs.