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| Sex Addiction Defining Actions | Sex addiction should not be confused with individuals who have a high sex drive, a sexual perversion or who just enjoy a lot of sex. Sex addiction involves compulsive searching for multiple partners, compulsive fixation on an unattainable partner, compulsive masturbation, compulsive love relationships or compulsive sexuality in a relationship. It is not the sexual activity itself which defines the addiction; it is how the addict feels about it and how it comes to overwhelm and damage their life.
Sexual addiction also is associated with risk-taking. A person with a sex addiction engages in various forms of sexual activity, despite the potential for negative and/or dangerous consequences. In addition to damaging the addict's relationships and interfering with his or her work and social life, a sexual addiction also puts the person at risk for emotional and physical injury.
For some people, the sex addiction progresses to involve illegal activities, such as exhibitionism (exposing oneself in public), making obscene phone calls, or molestation. However, it should be noted that sex addicts do not necessarily become sex offenders.
Sexual addition includes out of control behaviour which might include:
• compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation);
• multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs);
• multiple or anonymous sexual partners and one-night stands;
• excessive use of pornography;
• unsafe sex ;
• phone or computer sex (cybersex);
• prostitution or use of prostitutes;
• exhibitionism;
• obsessive dating through personal ads;
• voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking;
• sexual harassment ;
• molestation/rape;
• fetishes;
• anonymous sexual encounters.
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