Sex Addiction

Any behavior becomes addictive when it impairs daily functions. Seen in that light, Tiger Woods’ blazing career trail makes one wonder if he was indeed, addicted to sex in the sense that the world has been made to believe or if he was just making the best use of the opportunities available to him!!

Addictive sexual behaviors are considered abnormal sexual behaviors. We have all heard of, or seen, instances involving abnormal sexual behaviors such as having multiple partners, uncontrolled masturbation, regular porn surfing, abnormally frequent sex or a persistent fetish.

There are plenty of examples of addictive sexual behavior. Look at the case of a young high schoolboy who was so obsessed with sex that he chose to spend time in the company of women over going to school. Another case is that of a much -married senior in his seventies who acquired a penile implant only to make excessive demands on his sixty- five plus wife, so much so that she refused to have sex with him ever.

There are those who stand nude by the window or on the terrace and get a ‘high’ watching their object(s) of interest pass by. Some satisfy their obsession with sex by masturbating in public or by ‘flashing’ before unsuspecting women.

And then there are cases of people obsessed with under wears, dirty or otherwise, and also of those who are addicted to smelly socks!!

There are instances of individuals accidentally becoming sex addicts. Take the case of a woman who fell off a fitness board only to discover that the slightest of vibrations, even from sources as mundane as the mobile phone or a food processor, turns her ‘on’!!

Sometimes addiction is characterized by paraphilic behaviors such as masochism or necrophilia. Paraphilic and hypersexual behaviors may also be due to an underlying pathology such as a brain lesion, an endocrinal abnormality or a medication side-effect.

Sex addicts use sex as a means to an end and not an end in itself. They engage in sex to deal with loneliness, stress or depression and use it as a substitute for emotional fulfillment or as a tool to be in control.

Sex addiction is similar to any other form of obsessive dependence. It is interesting to note that various forms of addictions can co-exist in a single individual.