What is Compulsive Sexual Behavior?

Whether you are the wife or husband, significant other or loved one of someone who engages in compulsive sexual behavior – or if you are the person with the problem yourself – you likely have a lot of conflicting emotions about the situation, and not the least of which is what you should or even coulde do about it. Amid the nagging doubts is the agonizing thought that maybe such behavior, especially if it has gone on for a long time, can’t be stopped. But if it can be stopped, wouldn’t you want to do everything in your power to help the individual (or you) overcome compulsive sexual behavior? Obviously, the answer is yes, you would want to. So the question becomes, can you stop compulsive sexual behavior?



Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved.

What is Compulsive Sexual Behavior?

Getting down to basics, there’s no single universally-accepted definition of compulsive sexual behavior. But there are some general statements that, taken together, form a definition that will likely suffice for our purposes. A person who is obsessed with sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that affect his or her relationships, health, job, or other parts of life, he or she may have compulsive sexual behavior.

You may have heard the terms hypersexuality, sexual addiction, or nymphomania used to describe what is considered compulsive sexual behavior. These are all appropriate terms for sexual behavior that has become obsessive. In fact, it’s the obsessiveness that gives it away. What may begin as normal sexual behavior somehow crosses the line into obsession. It may also involve fantasies or actions and activities that are far outside the bounds of what is considered culturally, legally, and morally sexually acceptable behavior.

Activities that May be Warning Signs of Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Looking at the subject of compulsive sexual behavior, it’s important to clarify what types of feelings, thoughts, or activities may be warning signs that there’s a problem. It may, in fact, be something other than what you think. In reality, compulsive sexual behavior includes a number of different behaviors – taken to extreme. Here are a few examples:

• Multiple sexual partners or multiple extramarital affairs
• Sex with anonymous partners or prostitutes
• Deliberately avoiding emotional attachment in relationships
• Fixation on a partner that is unattainable
• Exhibitionism
• Masochistic or sadistic sex
• Frequent use of pornographic materials
• Use of commercially available and sexually explicit phone and Internet services