Addiction can come in many forms. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, sex, or something else, people suffer from addiction in many ways. It’s important to recognize that addiction isn’t always because of a substance, and can stem from various things in our everyday lives. Sex and love addiction is a prime example of this.
Sex and love addiction is a disease that can be just as bad as any other and lead to permanent mental illness. This article examines what addiction to sex and love is, the indicators, and how to treat it if you have it.
Sex and Love Addiction Overview
What is Sex Addiction?
To start, sex addiction can best be described as out of control sexual behavior. This could be self-pleasure, affairs, web-gaming, and others. This addiction can get to the point of controlling your life and ruining all relationships for you in the future.
Signs of Sex Addiction
There can be many signs of sex addiction. However, these seem to be the most common:
- Looking at porn several times a day
- Frequent masturbation
- Using webcams
- Cheating on partners
- Affairs
- Following pornographic creators on social media
- Extreme or violet sexual activities
While the typical signs that are prevalent in those with sex addition seem harmless, they can get worse very quickly if not treated properly. For example, they can have a significant impact on your ability to be happy in a relationship or even have a job.
What is a Love Addict?
On the other hand, love addiction is an attachment disorder. Those with this type of addiction are very dependent on their partner and will go to extreme measures to control them. Many people with love addiction are very jealous, controlling, and have low self-esteem. A lot of times, they will manipulate their partner or tolerate abuse and neglect in order to feel valid in a relationship. This is a very toxic state of mind to be in, as you can be very harmful to yourself mentally and physically.
Signs of a Love Addict
Now, there are many signs to a love addict, but the most common include:
- Codependency
- Obsessive behavior
- Controlling
- Low self-esteem
- Extremely jealousy
- Feeling like they don’t deserve love
- Self-harm
If you or someone you care about is showing signs of love addiction, it is important that you get treatment immediately, as you can be a risk for yourself or for others. With that said, let’s talk about the best treatment option.
If you’re still wondering whether you or your loved one has an addition, read about the differences between sex, love, and relationship addiction.
Treatment for Sex and Love Addiction
Most experts agree that the best treatment for love and sex addiction is therapy. Working with the right therapist can help you to identify the problem deep down and overcome it. This can also help you to better understand why you feel a need to do these things or act this way in love and sex, and help you to get back to a neutral state of mind. Above all else, it is important to reach out and find a therapist. If you don’t act on it, it can be life-threatening in the long run.
Similarly, sometimes sex and love addiction stems from obsessive love disorder. Check out our article, “4 Signs of Obsessive Love Disorder,” for more information.
Conclusion
Sex and love addiction is a lot more common than it may seem. Therefore, if you or someone you know show signs of either of these addictions, it’s best to contact a professional immediately. Doing this will help you to feel more comfortable with yourself, safer in relationships, and happier overall.
Additionally, a great article to check out for anyone who struggles with love or sex addiction is “What is Unconditional Love? How to Give and Receive it.” This may help you to better understand what a relationship is and how to create a better one.
