Hypersexuality is a form of overpowering sexual behavior marked by an intense focus on sexual urges that cannot be controlled, resulting in negative consequences. You may have come to recognize that this description applies to your life of late, and are searching for insight into how to deal with hypersexuality. Alternatively, you may have been told (as it sometimes occurs) that you exhibit unhealthy sexual behavior and are looking to validate whether or not this is true and how to proceed if it is. Below is an exploration on the matter, concluding with a clear call to action for how to get help. Please keep reading.
Effective and Sustainable Path Towards Managing Unhealthy Sexual Behavior
Dealing with a Sex Addiction
There are variations of hypersexuality disorders, with two of the more common ones being what the general public refers to as “sex addiction” and “porn addiction”. Let’s first explore the former in case indicators verify this is what you’re struggling with. Understanding what your specific (as applicable) compulsion may be is the first step in getting help.
While some use “sex addiction” as a term to encompass a broad spectrum of hypersexuality issues (including the one/s described in the next section) we’re delineating the uncontrollable compulsion to engage in sexual relations. Signs and symptoms of sex addition of this nature include the following:
- Preoccupation with sex despite negative consequences in your familial, social, and professional life.
- Inability to stop or control the urge to engage in sex.
- Engaging in extramarital or extra relationship affairs.
- Self-prostitution or solicitation of sex workers.
- Compulsive relations with multiple partners, including strangers.
- Unsafe sex practices that put yourself and partners at risk of STDs.
- Obsessive sexual thoughts and fantasies.
- Lying to loved ones and friends to cover up sexual activities.
- Neglecting other interests, hobbies, and activities in your life.
- Using sex to escape from cooccurring mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Frequent use of alcohol or drugs immediately prior to and/or during sex.
- Forcing yourself sexually on others.
- Feeling shame, embarrassment and remorse after sex.
For a more comprehensive look at the signs and symptoms of sex addiction, click here.
Dealing with a Porn Addiction
You don’t have to be frequently engaged in sex with multiple partners, or anyone for that matter, to struggle with hypersexuality. Problematic use of pornography impacts millions of Americans (men and women). If you feel as if you are among this group, recognition of the signs and symptoms below will help you determine if “porn addiction” is an issue:
- You have lied to to loved ones about consuming porn.
- You have expressed anger and defensiveness when asked to pause porn consumption.
- You have lost romantic and/or sexual interest in your partner (and instead focus on porn).
- You spend excessive periods of time (hours or days) searching for and watching porn.
- You are unable to stop consuming porn after efforts have been made to abstain.
- You are increasing intensity or type of sexual content viewed to get the same arousal and stimulation as you were able to attain before.
- You lack interest in other activities, especially those you once thoroughly enjoyed.
- You often use alcohol or drugs while viewing porn.
- You have become detached from friends and family.
- You exhibit feelings of shame after viewing porn.
- You violate workplace policies regarding consumption of elicit materials when on-premises.
- You turn to strangers and/or prostitutes to fulfill porn fantasies.
- Increased feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression that have occurred with your uptick in porn consumption.
For a more comprehensive look at the signs and symptoms of problematic porn use, click here. We also encourage you to learn to recognize the triggers that can send you back into the embrace of porn and neglect your call for help.
Further, while auto-eroticism / self-stimulation may certainly be done (and done often) without the use of sexually explicit materials, compulsive masturbation often accompanies problematic porn use. Please reference this guide to determining whether or not your perceived “masturbation addiction” is a hypersexuality concern.
Coping Mechanisms for Hypersexuality to Avoid
Given that you are searching for help on how to deal with hypersexuality and unhealthy sexual behavior, you may have tired unhealthy ways to cope in the past. These activities may have distracted you to no sustainable avail, and may even add a layer of complexity to your behavioral health struggles (more on this in the concluding section).
Unhealthy coping mechanisms that provide a temporary distraction but can further compromise someone who may have a predisposed vulnerability to behavioral health concerns include (but are not exclusive to) the following:
- Casino gaming and sports betting: View more on problem gambling
- Online video gaming: View more on unhealthy gaming
Answer for How to Cope with Hypersexuality
Unfortunately, there’s a fair share of bad advice out there with respect for how to deal with unhealthy sexual behavior. For instance, the masturbation abstinence “no fap” movement is problematic to say the least. In addition, it’s important to note that unhealthy sexual behavior is known to cooccur with a number of mental health concerns. For instance, bipolar disorder and hypersexuality are closely tethered, as the latter is with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more. Considering all of this, the only way to deal with hypersexuality is to work with a professional therapist who is explicitly trained to treat individuals who struggle with sex addiction, problematic porn use, compulsive masturbation and the issues or disorders that may cooccur with them.
Simply put, hypersexuality counseling is a highly specialized field that requires intervention from therapists with direct experience in building custom treatment strategies that general practitioners and clinicians are not qualified to manage. Kindbridge Behavioral Health on the other hand, is the preferred alternative that Americans in your position can turn to. We have curated and trained therapists who understand what you are going through and have the expertise to devise a treatment strategy that works. Click the button below schedule your online assessment or reach out via your preferred form of contact provided to get started.
Let’s Talk About Your Relationship with Sex
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