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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What Causes Sex Addiction?









ChildAbuse
Image credit: Art by
catnapping on Flickr
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In a comment on a recent Second Road post, patti asked what the possible causes of sex addiction are. I imagine nearly everyone whose life has been affected by addiction asks some version of the same question: Why do addicts do what they do? What made addicts what they are? No one really knows for certain why any of us (addicts or not) are the way we are (although many of us will torture ourselves looking anyway). However, there are some biological and environmental factors that show a correlation to sex addiction.

Biological

Researchers believe that, like other addictions, compulsive behaviors such as sex addiction may be related to dopamine receptors in the brain, which regulate pleasure drives and natural rewards for activities like eating and sex. Sex addicts are likely to have fewer dopamine receptors than non-addicts.

Environmental

Abuse. Abuse. Abuse. In his book The Betrayal Bond, Patrick Carnes cites research estimating that 81% of sex addicts were sexually abused as children, 72% suffered non-sexual physical abuse (in addition to or instead of sexual abuse) and nearly all (97%) suffered some form of emotional abuse. Obviously, not all children who are abused become sex addicts, but for those who do, abuse is an enormous contributing factor. And keep in mind the adults abusing these children were likely to have been abused themselves as children. The very best way, in my deeply heartfelt opinion, to prevent help addiction is to help prevent child abuse.

Addicts also tend to grow up in dysfunctional families where some type of addiction is present in one or both parents. Carnes' research estimates that 87% of sex addicts grew up in families where another addiction was present.

This post was originally published at The Second Road.
Posted by at 5:38 AM
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4 comments:

  1. You wonder, are addicts born or are they made? Is it genetics? Or environment? Nature vs nurture. I personally believe there is something in a human's genetic code that causes him or her to be an addict (to whatever). I'm pretty sure I wrote something about this a few years ago on my blog about my dad being an alcoholic. The nature vs nurture debate, the how and the why, will always be up for debate I think.
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  2. I’ve been visiting your blog for a while now and I always find your posts interesting. Thanks for sharing!

    Here are 5 symptoms that ndicate you have an addiction:

    Unable to meet responsibilities at home, school or office.

    Continues to use substances or engage in behavior even when it is dangerous.

    The need increases to engage in behavior or use more of a substance to achieve the same effect or feeling.

    Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior.

    Continues to engage in the behavior or use the substances even when they are aware of the dangers.
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  3. The idea is to discuss the most important cornerstones, such as images, pornography, and masturbation. Through them we will try to study what this addiction – in which so many can be tied up, even suffer from it – is like, and what is the life like of a such person who fills his or her time with these things, thinks about them, and is directed by them. There is also a spiritual viewpoint to the same issue.

    Imagination and daydreams are very ordinary for most people. It is certainly true that almost everyone has them, but a person addicted to sex is different in that they are in a main part in his or her life. It means that there will be fantasies and images connected to sex all the time, either old experiences or plans for the future. Sex addicts can think and dream about sex with persons they have met, with porn magazine lovers, or to look at films, which will lead to the same. They do not always even need pornographic material, but they can form these images in quite ordinary situations, in which other people do not see anything provocative. Very minor issues can spike their imagination, often leading to masturbation. In addition, the sexual interest of some people can be directed only at certain parts of the body, such as breasts and legs, and these people especially dream of touching these parts. There are many variations.

    Pornography, which is especially the problem of men, is the second main factor in the life of a sex addict. This can mean porn magazines, films or material on the Internet that is used to seek for satisfaction.

    One problem with pornography is that it does not bring long-lasting satisfaction to us. These magazines or films kind of promise that you will find the erotic picture you have always been looking and longing for, but the satisfaction does not last for long. As time goes by, many may experience the same as alcoholics and drug addicts: they need more and more powerful stimulus to experience the same stimulation as before, because the amount of pleasure diminishes.

    Also the man in the story before told how he got old magazines in order to get the same experiences as he had when he was younger. This proves how we can get used to things, and thus they will no longer feel the same. Instead, the tolerance and addiction can grow and grow, but we will feel more empty all the time. This happens with almost everything that we experience daily: we do not feel the same as before. Therefore, the sex of older people who have practiced it for decades, is usually not as passionate as when they were younger.

    More info: http://koti.phnet.fi/elohim/sexaddiction
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  4. Hello,I love reading through your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.
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