Can you get addicted to sex?

Answer 1

Absolutely. Sex addiction can take many forms, from promiscuity to obsessive masturbation to severe fetishism.Like substances or food, sex can trigger pleasure in the brain and some people can become psychologically dependent on the pleasurable feelings. They seek the feeling over and over by repeating the same behaviors or often exceed the behaviors when they feel they need more. Some also combine sex with thrill seeking behavior, exhibitionism, voyeurism and pornography.

Like any addiction, sex addiction can cause people to spiral into lifestyles centering around their behaviors. Bad outcomes include unwanted pregnancies, STDs, HIVs, arrest for sexual crimes, loss of marriage, family or jobs, depression and even suicide.

Sex addiction can be treated by professionals and should be manageable if the client is fully engaged in the treatment.

CommentThe zest of some people for melodrama about sex is amazing.

Obviously, there is much more to life than sex, but the above answer and especially its talk about crimes and suicide (!) needs taking with several tablespoons full of salt. It's perfectly obvious that the answer is trying to frighten people.

In any case, where sex is concerned, talk of addiction is figurative, not literal. There's no question of any chemical dependency of the kind one gets with nicotine ot alcohol, for example.

If you have a personality that is susceptible to addiction, it is possible to be addicted to anything, even sex. More likely, though, you wouldn't be addicted to the act of sex as much as you would be addicted to the pleasurable release of hormones associated with an orgasm.

Answer 2

Why would you ask about that? That is just wrong......

Answer 3

Addiction to a person is called codependency. See the link below for more information.