People with sex addiction tend to spend a lot of time thinking and talking about sexual things. They often visit places like adult-themed bookstores and video stores. They may have multiple sexual partners at one time or engage in extramarital affairs. They may masturbate habitually when alone. They lie about their sexual activity and often break promises to stop the behavior. This can lead to financial problems and a decline in personal relationships, job performance and physical health. People with sex addiction can also experience emotional consequences such as guilt, shame and self-loathing.

Sex addiction can be treated through a combination of therapy and other behavioral modification techniques. Individual counseling usually involves working with a counselor or psychologist who specializes in addiction and/or sex. These are typically office-based sessions that take place once or twice a week. Medications, such as antidepressants, can sometimes help alleviate the urges associated with sexual behavior.

Another option for treatment is group therapy, which allows individuals to interact with others who are going through the same thing as them and learn how to replace negative behaviors with pro-social ones. This type of treatment is very similar to that which is used for treating alcohol and drug addictions.

Psychological sex addiction is often the result of unresolved trauma from childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment. The brain uses the arousal from sexual behaviors to self-medicate the emotional pain by elevating a person’s sense of self-worth and personal value. Treatment for this type of addiction often involves realizing the connection between the addictive behavior and underlying trauma and then learning how to cope with the pain in other healthy ways. sex addiction symptoms