Sex addicts have no comprehension of the risks they are taking. They feel their life is out of control. To deal with the pain, the sexual addict may resort to other addictions such as alcoholism, eating disorders, and abusive drugs. Many times suicide is also a constant thought. The addiction does not’t make a person worthless, it just hides the addict’s true personality and positive qualities. Many sex addicts, however, are not involved in any public activities that would enhance their level of arousal. Instead they spend hours reading or watching pornography, with eventually masturbation as part of their activity. Sexual addiction is progressive and it rarely gets better. Over time it gets more frequent and more extreme. At other times when it seems under control, the addict is merely engaging in one of the common traits of the disease process in which he switches from sexual release to the control of it.
Many addicts seek help for there sex addictino, but discontinue it or find it not helpful. They have a growing appreciation of the reality of the problem but tend to counter this realization by minimizing the problem or thinking they can handle it by themselves. Most fear that letting go of the addiction would mean giving up sex completely.
Recovery is not a straight incline leading directly to a desired goal, but it does follow a somewhat predictable path. To get on this path, the addict must first recognize his or her problem and be able to address their addictive behavior, then must understand the role that the addiction has served. The addict must learn the value of his self as a whole person, rather than as a sexual object.