culled from:pulse.ng
Enjoy her!
Sex is a healthy part of life, but for some people, it can become all-consuming. Could you be addicted to sex?
Sex is a basic part of human nature, and it’s perfectly normal - and healthy - to have a vigorous libido.
But there’s a tipping point: when sexual desire can go from being healthy to out of control.
Usually, the difference between enjoying sex and being addicted to sex is apparent. A renowned sex experts, Tina B. Tessina, PhD, this to say about sexual addiction:
'A healthy sexual appetite can be controlled. If sex is unavailable, it is disappointing but not devastating.'
With a sexual addiction, the addict feels desperate to have his or her sexual outlet, no matter the COST.
How to spot a sex addict.
Sexual
addiction can manifest itself in many ways, so you will need to look
for a variety of possible warning signs that you or your spouse or
partner is a sex addict.
Kathryn A. Cunningham, PhD, identifies the following possibilities:
- Sex dominates an individual’s life to the exclusion of other activities.
- The individual engages in phone sex, computer sex, use of prostitutes, pornography, or exhibitionism.
- The person habitually masturbates.
- The individual has multiple sexual partners or cheats on partners.
- In extreme cases, the person engages in criminal activities, including stalking, rape, incest, or child molestation.
The difference between healthy sex and sexual addiction
The
challenging thing about a sexual addiction is that some obsession with
sex is healthy. We should have a libido that makes us desire sex. But it
goes too far when the person cares more about the act itself than the
other person involved.
Kathleen Nickerson, PhD, the founder of FeelBetterNetwork.com says:
'Sexual
addiction most often manifests in ONE of TWO ways: substituting sex for
love and pursuing different, varied, or extreme sexual activities that
are focused on the sex acts, not on any type of connection between two
people.'
Though the term “sexual addiction”
is commonly used to describe the person’s condition, Nickerson says it’s
often a sign of a deeper mental struggle.
'Sexual
addiction is a fine descriptor, but it is likely incomplete. Typically,
we’d need to say more about what is going on with a person that is
making them seek out the excessive sexual behavior.'
When is sexual addiction counseling necessary?
If
you or your partner or spouse is a sex addict, he or she will need
sexual addiction counseling. This is ONE clear-cut situation in which
the assistance of a therapist, support groups, and self-help books can
be very important.
If you are in a relationship
and the other person’s behavior is hurting the relationship, you should
discuss this and come up with an action plan for how the two of you will
respond and support each other.
Ultimately, you cannot make anyone else change, but you can encourage actions that will help result in positive change.
Being
the loved one of a sex addict is especially difficult because you often
become the addiction. Setting your own boundaries and comfort limits is
very hard to do with a sex partner, but you have the right to do what
is best for you, so you need to risk telling them how you feel and what
you need also.
Share your feelings and talk about
what you are and are not willing to do. Always act in ways that make you
feel comfortable, good about yourself, and safe.
If the relationship is healthy, a person will respond to the needs of his partner or spouse with a sex addiction.
So be clear about expressing what you need, how you feel, and how the addiction is impacting you.
ADESIYAN OMOLADE OLUWASEUN: A good relationship should be a healthy one
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