The Many Faces of Sexual Addiction

Sex is normal physical and physiological need. It is a means of ensuring the perpetuation of the species. When two people are deeply devoted to each other as a husband and a wife or two people in a committed relationship, sex is an intimate and pleasurable experience shared by each other.

When sex becomes an obsession, it can lord over a person’s waking and sleeping hours. It becomes a dirty, vulgar thing. A sex addict is dominated by sex and the thought of sex. It will slowly weave its evil way into the life of a person who will soon become addicted to it that he/she is unable to foster relationships.

Sexual addiction can be manifested in different forms. There are persons who suffer privately from the addiction by masturbation. Although masturbation is not uncommon it becomes a problem when it becomes a substitute for having sex with a partner. A sex addict who masturbates cannot gain satisfaction from sex with a partner and prefers to masturbate.

Another sexual addiction that can wreak havoc on a person's life is addiction to pornography. This is one of the most difficult addictions to treat and overcome. Photos, videos and the internet can provide gratification to the sex addict. The person will be fully pre-occupied with pornography that he is unable to cultivate relationships.