Signs and Symptoms of Sex Addiction

sex addiction signsSex addiction is far more common than many people realize. Many people are addicted to sex and do not even realize it. They may consider sex a big part of their identity or believe they are just sexually liberated, but many of these people are, in fact, consumed in an addiction to some form of sex. The signs that you or someone you know are addicted to sex are as follows:

  • Overly flirtatious, wandering hands. Often, a sex addiction can be seen in a person’s non-verbal behavior. If they are too frequently flirting with people who are their type, or if they cannot seem to keep their hands to themselves, they are a likely candidate for a sex addiction.
  • Constant thoughts about sex. One can only judge this thought pattern in themselves, but it is a telling way of knowing whether or not you have a sex addiction. If thoughts about sex distract you from the rest of your life constantly, it is likely due to a sex addiction.
  • Excessive masturbation. If you need to masturbate frequently in order to stay even, and you become stressed out and hostile when you are unable, this could indicate a sex addiction. Many people think masturbation is unrelated to sex addiction, but a sex addiction can actually be nothing but excessive masturbation.
  • Anonymous sex and one night stands. When someone repeatedly has sex with anonymous partners and engages in risky sexual activities such as one night stands, they are displaying signs of being addicted to sex.
  • Secretive behavior, caught lying. Any time a person is caught lying or is clearly keeping secrets, it is a strong indication that they are hiding an addiction of some sort. This sign occurring in conjunction with any other signs in this list strongly point toward a sex addiction.
  • Another person’s scent or make up. Anyone caught repeatedly with tells of engaging in sexual activity, such as make up on a man’s collar or the smell of a man’s cologne on a woman’s clothes, should be confronted about their possible sexual addiction.