Serious Effects of Sexual Addiction
Serious Effects of Sexual Addiction
Serious Effects of Sexual Addiction
Sexual Addiction goes through a pattern of persistent failure to control the addiction and continuation of the acts notwithstanding the negative consequences. It may start from compulsive masturbation or indulging in pornography and escalating it to another sexual act to increase the pleasure. As the risk increases, the addict believes that he can get away or deal with the consequences at some other time.
The addict usually treats this condition as something that is still normal. Sometimes, it takes some significant occurrence before the addict admits that he has a problem which could be a marital problem or break-up of relationships, arrest, financial and health problem.
Sexual Addiction is risk-taking. The addict ventures into sexual activities without considering the potential negative consequences. Though sex addicts are not generally considered as sex offenders, there is, however, a great possibility that they may be involved in illegal activities such as in cases of rape, sexual harassment and molestation, among others.
The first manifestation of the effects of sexual addiction is its impact on the addict's relationships. A promiscuous person who has extra-marital affairs may, sooner or later lose his marriage and family. The innocent partner could even have a hard time understanding that the other partner's problem is beyond promiscuity. The addiction can dominate the addict's life and could impede his work performance, which later on may lead to loss of job and other work-related problems.
Another serious effect is with regard to legal consequences. While some sexual acts may not be punished under the law, other grave sexual offenses are penalized. This includes rape or molestation and sexual harassment. Once the addict is proved to transgress the law, he will be prosecuted and arrested. The most serious effect of sexual addiction relates to health as it does not give any room for reformation. If the addict acquired HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases, it will affect his health for a long time. What is worse is that the addict can be prejudiced by the society from the acquisition of such disease.
The occurrence of any of these effects tends to cause shame, intense anxiety, self-hatred, hopelessness, loneliness, moral conflict, deceit and even suicidal thoughts. However, these effects may be dealt with through proper counselling and acceptance from both the addict and his loved ones. Although the coping mechanisms may vary, what is important is to help the addict accept the consequences of his acts, reform and start anew.
Sexual Addiction involves a wide variety of sexual practices. It is often associated with Compulsive masturbation, multiple affairs, multiple or anonymous sexual partners, Phone or computer sex, exhibitionism, rape and pornography. The quintessence of sexual addiction is the inability of a person to control his acts. The addict is powerless and his addiction dominates him resulting in the unmanageability of his life. In turn, he is suffering from shame, low self-esteem, hatred, severe depression, remorse, moral conflict, loneliness, and despair. These and many other effects of sexual addiction affect both the internal and external world of the addict.
Unlike drug addiction and alcoholism, asexual addict passes through a phase of denial. The addict believes that the addiction is normal until it takes some significant occurrence before he realizes that the addiction is severely affecting his individual life, close relationships, health and work. This type of behaviour could not be easily perceptible as it does not require any drug or mood-altering chemical to take effect. The frequency of the sexual acts and its acceptability to the society is irrelevant as some individual possess a naturally strong sex drive. The factor that determines sexual addiction is the impact on the addict's life and his inability to overpower it.
The first serious effect of sexual addiction is the loss of his relationships. The addiction may lead to promiscuity and later infidelity to his partner. In effect, it produces broken marriages and families. The addict is unable to meet his responsibilities in the family. The feeling of hopelessness and remorse can be followed by more serious effects and the addiction could exist simultaneously with drug addiction and alcoholism.
The addiction is also vulnerable to lead to financial and health troubles and violation of the law. The addict may disregard his responsibilities at work because of the addiction. Low work performance, molestation and harassment may also be committed by the addict with his workmates, which can be dealt with legally and would lead to loss of job, arrest and prosecution. The gravity of the acts makes the addict more unacceptable to his society which puts the addict into self-loathing.
The most serious effect of sexual addiction is probably with regard to health as it involves a long-term effect. There is a great possibility of the acquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases which can cause irreparable injury not just to the addict but to his family as well. It cannot be cured by any counselling unlike broken marriages or relationships or loss of job. The addict can be reformed but the serious effect on the health of the addict can be permanent and fatal.
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