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we've all heard the term sex addiction , but exactly what does it mean ?? i mean who here doesn't like sex . how much do you have to like it before its an addiction ?? how often and for how long at a time ?? when does everyday ordinary garden variety sex cross the line and become an addiction ?? and why does someone become a sex addict anyway ?? is it because sex just feels so much better to them that they lose their mind over it ?? or is it because they can never seem to reach that place .. you know where you feel like wow that was the spot .. you scratched that itch .. i've heard the term so many times but gettin a true definition is kinda hard to nail down .. some shrinks will even say it don't exist while others will argue just as hard sayin it does .. ( of course the ones who say it does probably base a lot of their practice and income on the idea that it is true cause you can't treat a non existant illness can you ?? or can you ?? ) so what do you think ? sex addiction , just a ploy for shrinks to play freud and get rich ?? or is it a real thing ?? and why do you think one way or the other ??   

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It's an addiction if it's actually harming yours or someone else's life, and if, no matter how much you're getting, the hit only makes you want a bigger hit. 

Over-indulgence is not the same thing as addiction. Over-indulgence scratches an itch; Addiction IS the itch, and all it does is grow. Over-indulgence can certainly have it's bad results, but it's not an uncontrollable drive to possible (or probable) self-destruction, like addiction.

i agree snag .. i was makin that very point . i think i overindulged more than anybody i knew and i can attest there were some not so good results fer sure .. but how often do you hear about someone ( usually the story starts out i knew this guy who knew a guy ) and from there the guys life goes right in the crapper .. but i've never known a bona fide diagnosed sex addict personally ..has anyone here ?? eh.. maybe i'll go to one of them sex addicts annonamous things and see what they have to say .. if they don't throw me outta there ..    

I was no wallflower myself - It was "The 70's", as they called it, and I splashed around in some questionable pools without ever going into the deep end. A few brushes with the local clinic, but nothing permanent - Lucky me.

Addiction runs in my family, so I was always wary of indulging in anything too much, and I couldn't trust myself to always know if or when I'd crossed a line. If I'm an addict, the only way I've allowed it to bloom is my unending pursuit of unorthodox music and new, trail-blazing bands. Not quite as socially unacceptable as substance addiction, but nothing I'd be needing court-ordered therapy or a lawyer for either.

i got an addiction to music too snag .. i can relate .. guitars too .. but i do sell quite a few of em too .. i don't keep em all .. i'd like to .. but then i'd need a bigger house .. a much much much bigger house .. 

Good Information if you are interested...ya know facts so to speak....with sources...

What Is Sex Addiction?
Can People Really Be Addicted to Sex?
By Elizabeth Hartney, PhD
Updated May 28, 2014

What makes sex addiction an addiction, as opposed to some other sexual problem, is this repetitive pattern of thought processes and behaviors, which continues despite negative consequences for the addict, and in some cases, for other people. The addictive behavior continues over an extended period of time, and once consequences become obvious and the addicted person is unable to stop the behavior, they feel they are losing control.
There are many different sexual behaviors that people can get addicted to, ranging from the benign to the criminal. There are many different consequences that can arise, some of which affect everyone with sex addictions (such as relationship problems), and some of which affect fewer people (sexually transmitted diseases, wounding, financial problems, legal problems).
As with other addictions, help is available and can be effective if adhered to. Similar approaches to treating other addictions have been successfully applied to sex addictions. Some addiction centers originally set up to help people overcome alcohol and drug problems also treat people with sex addictions, although this is not the case with all addictions clinics.
Specialist clinics also exist which provide treatment specifically for sex addiction, although these are likely to be private, and people will generally not receive financial support as easily as they do with alcohol and drug addictions.
There are also several 12-step support groups available for people with sex addictions.
The Controversy of Sex Addiction
Like other behavioral addictions, sex addiction is a controversial idea. Many experts balk at the idea that excessive sexuality can constitute an addiction, believing that there has to be a psychoactive substance which produces symptoms such as physical tolerance and withdrawal for an activity to be a true addiction. However, there is increasing evidence that sex addiction follows similar cognitive and behavioral patterns, and involves similar brain mechanisms to other addictions.
Sex addiction is not currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, although a new diagnosis of Hypersexual Disorder has been proposed for DSM-V, the next edition of the manual, due to be published in 2012. There are, however, a number of sexual behaviors that fall outside of the norm, which are included as "paraphilias".
Sex addiction is a difficult concept for both professionals and the public to take seriously. There are several reasons for this:
Sex covers a wide and varied range of behaviors. Some, such as masturbation, are so commonplace that almost everyone has engaged in it to some extent at some point in their lives, while others, such as unusual fetishes, are so unexpected and far removed from “normal” behavior that many people find them it difficult to relate to or understand the appeal of such behavior.
The discipline of sexology is based on unconditional acceptance of sexual desire as a universal and empowering force.
Confusion around what would constitute “recovery” from a sex addiction, as abstinence would not be considered a healthy course of action for most people.
Sex remains one of the most taboo topics in society, so people with sex addictions are often the subject of mockery and scorn in a way that people with other conditions are not subject to.
Because some people with sex addictions are, in some instances, sexually abusive to others, sex addiction can be seen as an “excuse” for irresponsible and abusive behavior.
The concept of sex addiction can be helpful in explaining some people’s difficulties with their sexual expression. It may or may not be a factor in understanding the behavior of sexually deviant individuals, as each case is different. Sex addiction does not explain all sexually troublesome behaviors, or excuse harm caused as a result of sexual acting out.
We have a responsibility as a society to provide sufficient and appropriate support and treatment to people who need it. Many who have sex addictions are a far cry from the stereotypical rapist, and are law-abiding men and women who are suffering unnecessarily as a result of their addiction. Many sex addicts who are imprisoned for sex crimes could turn their lives around and no longer be a threat to others with appropriate treatment.
And many of those who fall somewhere in between –- they do not break the law, but they wreck havoc with the lives and families of their partners –- could overcome their damaging behaviors and live happy and loving lives with fulfilling relationships, if they were able to access appropriate treatment.
Sources
Canning, M. Lust, Anger, Love: Understanding Sexual Addiction and the Road to Healthy Intimacy. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. 2008.
Carnes, P. “Addiction or Compulsion: Politics or Illness?” Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 3:127-150. 1997.
Carnes, P. “Sexual Addiction.” Normal Human Sexuality and Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, 90-100.
Cheever, S. “Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction." New York: Simon & Schuster. 2008.
Klein, Ph.D, M. “Sex Addiction: A Dangerous Clinical Concept.” Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, 5. 2002.
Orford, J. Excessive Appetites: A Psychological View of Addictions. (Second Edition). Chicester: Wiley.
The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health. "Sexual Addiction." 12 Jan 2009.

yeah i read what you posted vickie and i've read it before but none of it really gives any specifics .. just vague references that it can be a problem .. or that it may or may not even exist .. but anything i've read so far just leaves me wonderin .. where are these people ?? who are these people ?? have i ever known one ?? i think i might have but i'm not sure if that applies to her or not ..when i was younger if i looked around at all my friends and had to pick out who the shithead was who was the sex addict i'd probably have to say it was me.. yet i don't think i am .. and i really don't think i'm in denial .. i know i kid and tease and goof around but my head is screwed on pretty straight for the most part .. 

so again i'll ask has anyone ever known a bona fide sex addict ??  and don't say me ..... ok .. 

if we haven't known some, we probably have known OF some. but i doubt anything is cut and dried in the pathology of humans and sexuality. i was trying to remember the name of the big band leader who was married at least a dozen times and those are only the legal marriages here in the us. as he said 'the ones in mexico don't count' so altogether he might have had 18 or 20...now the question is 'does this count as sexual addiction? or an addiction to being married (like some kind of rampant insecurity?) or what about the ones who keep chasing even tho they keep getting caught and they know they will? dammmmm this could make your head hurt

Xavier Cugat ?

I've been acquainted with a few folks who could have met the admittedly-vague medical definitions of sex addict - But not in that sense of the word "acquainted". Just heard of their habits, and didn't need the drama.

it wasn't cugat.it was a big band guy who came from a wealthy family. see what happens after a certain age? oh it just popped back in,.charlie barnet  

Sex addiction is not currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, although a new diagnosis of Hypersexual Disorder has been proposed for DSM-V, the next edition of the manual, due to be published in 2012. There are, however, a number of sexual behaviors that fall outside of the norm, which are included as "paraphilias".
According to the article I shared, It's not considered an official diagnosis.

And no, I haven't known anyone I would consider a "bonafide sex addict" except in the minds of some horny teenagers in their dreams.

People who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder often show sexual hypermania behaviors during their manic states.

of course the question is are you addicted to sex or addicted to the feeling of being in love? there IS a difference...sometimes we want to feel that excitement of being special to someone...

(i went back and reread this thread and ...

As May West said, "A hard man is good to find."

Sometimes psychological addictions are harder to break than physical ones.  Once when I was in therapy with my son who was abusing drugs, the therapist said I was no different from him because I was in a relationship to which I was addicted.  My son hated the guy, so he told the therapist stories about fights the man and I had and issues we dealt with.  When I realized the therapist was right, I broke it off and met my husband shortly thereafter.

YOWCH...you broke it off? that really must have hurt! he'll never forget you then...)

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