Sex Addiction (or hypersexuality) refers to a behavioral pattern that involves excessive engagement in sex-related behaviors, which result in disruption to daily life as well as distress with a partner, family members, or friends.

The life of an individual with sex addiction is preoccupied with sex-related thoughts, which are regarded as more important than any other aspect in their life. When sex dominates a person’s life, he or she may choose to give up or ignore things that were once important to him or her in order to have sexual encounters. There is no one single profile for people with sex addiction because any sex-related matter may dominate the person’s life to the extent that it is out of control. Common behaviors manifested by people with sex addiction include masturbation, heterosexual or homosexual sexual intercourse, browsing pornographic materials through the internet, obtaining sexual services from prostitutes, exhibitionism, voyeurism, sexual harassment over the phone, or cybersex.

Some of the characteristics of sex addiction include:

• Preoccupied with sexual activities including spending a significant amount of time in obtaining and creating opportunities to engage in sexual behaviors
• Increase the frequency and intensity of sexual behaviors to obtain same effects
• Engage in sexual behaviors uncontrollably and persistently
• Continue to engage in sexual activities despite of the negatives impacts such as health problems, distress in relationships with partners, family members, or friends, financial problems, loss of interest in work, study or hobbies.
• Unsuccessful attempts to reduce the frequency of sexual behaviors
• Use sexual behaviors to cope with the negative emotions and problems