Sex addiction can involve a wide variety of practices. Sometimes an addict has trouble with just one unwanted behavior, sometimes with many. A large number of sex addicts say their unhealthy use of sex has been a progressive process. It may have started with an addiction to masturbation, pornography (either printed or electronic), or a relationship, but over the years progressed to increasingly dangerous behaviors.Sexual preoccupation takes up tremendous amounts of energy. As this increases for the sex addict, a pattern of behavior (or rituals) follows, which usually leads to acting out (for some it is flirting, searching the net for pornography, or driving to the park.) When the acting out happens, there is a denial of feelings usually followed by despair and shame or a feeling of hopelessness and confusion.

How to evaluate yourself???

You can evaluate yourself by answering some of the questions which are::

Ø Have your needs driven you to have sex in places or situations or with people you would not normally choose?

Ø Do you find yourself looking for sexually arousing articles or scenes in newspapers, magazines, or other media?

Ø Do you find that romantic or sexual fantasies interfere with your relationships or are preventing you from facing problems?

Ø Do you frequently want to get away from a sex partner after having sex? Do you frequently feel remorse, shame, or guilt after a sexual encounter?

Ø Do you feel shame about your body or your sexuality, such that you avoid touching your body or engaging in sexual relationships? Do you fear that you have no sexual feelings, that you are asexual?

Ø Does each new relationship continue to have the same destructive patterns which prompted you to leave the last relationship?

Ø Is it taking more variety and frequency of sexual and romantic activities than previously to bring the same levels of excitement and relief?

Ø Have you ever been arrested or are you in danger of being arrested because of your practices of voyeurism, exhibitionism, prostitution, sex with minors, indecent phone calls, etc.?

Ø Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, then you are addicted towards sex.