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Sexual Compulsivity
Posted under Sexual Addiction on Thursday, July 30th, 2009
If you find yourself unable to control your sexual impulses and have become so obsessed with sex that it negatively affects your life, you may be suffering from sexual compulsivity. Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not yet recognize sexual compulsivity as a disorder, it is a very real and serious problem for about three to six percent of American adults.
For many people who suffer from sexual compulsivity, sex is often used as a way to feel less lonely, become numb to painful feelings, or avoid boredom. It often isn’t about the pleasure one receives from sexual acts. In fact, about 80 percent of people with sexual compulsivity have been sexually or emotionally abused.
Psychologist Mark Schwartz said that having feelings of being neglected as a child can lead to sexual compulsivity. “When you have abuse in your background, you’re less likely to trust people, (and) you’re more likely to turn to something like sex addiction as a manifestation,” he said.
Early signs of sexual compulsivity can include excessive masturbation, compulsive use of pornography, or taking part in phone sex services. As the disorder progresses, individuals may compulsively date, engage in unsafe sex, and may have multiple or extra-marital affairs. The individual’s health, work, and relationships may suffer, and some people end up divorced, jobless, or ill due to their condition. Some people even engage in illegal activities like voyeurism, exhibitionism, and rape.
There are many different treatment options available for people who suffer from sexual compulsivity, including psychotherapy, trauma treatment groups, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Therapists who specialize in compulsive sexual disorders work with clients and their families to develop new coping strategies and alter behaviors.
Unlike treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, those seeking treatment for sexual compulsivity are not advised to abstain from sex entirely, but instead are encouraged to learn to control their behaviors and positively associate sex with relationships. An effective treatment program involves individual and group therapy, 12-step support, and possibly psychiatric medications, depending on the individual’s needs.
