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Sexual Addiction In The United States

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Michael Douglas, David Duchovny, Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods and Russel Brand. Some of many famous celebrities in the entertainment field. Iconic figures but also famous for a more darker, scrunity aspect of their life. They are all considered Sex Addicts, a term used to describe men and women who have an unnatural high amount of sex on a weekly or even daily basis which in term can cause serious personal issues in their life. Sexual addiction can lead to physical, mental and social issues. Nearly 12 million people suffer from sexual addiction in the United States.
Keywords: Sex, Addiction, Hypersexual Disorder, Substance, abuse.

The Addiction Called Sex Defining Sex Addiction
Sexual Addiction is a conceptual model that describes compulsive …show more content…

Over time, the addict usually has to increase the addictive behavior to achieve the constant same results. But unlike drugs, alcohol and gambling, those substances or activities have no necessary relationship to human survival. Anybody can go through life without ever sipping a drink or playing a slot machine, but sexual activity is different. Human sexuality is a natural impulse in our biological system and even a necessary habit for human survival. According to the internet article “What is Sexual Addiction” by Michael Herkov, Ph.D. He states that “Although some people are celibate some not by choice, while others choose celibacy for cultural or religious reasons healthy humans have a strong desire for sex. In fact, lack of interest or low interest in sex can indicate a medical problem or psychiatric illness.”(Herkov, …show more content…

Patrick Carnes, a counselor was the leading man in the Sexual Addiction Theory and even coined the term “Sex Addiction”. His claims of how sex addiction is no different from alcohol addiction helped put the issue on the mainstream media of discussion and debate. His work let him to believe that a person’s addiction is rooted to the addict’s belief system. In his book Out of the shadows: understanding sexual addiction, he states "Generally, addicts do not perceive themselves as worthwhile persons. Nor do they believe that other people would care for them or meet their needs if everything was known about them, including the addiction. Finally, they believe that sex is their most important need. Sex is what makes isolation bearable. If you do not trust people, one thing that is true about sex – and alcohol, food, gambling, and risk – is that it always does what it promises--for the moment. Thus, as in our definition of addiction, the relationship is with sex – and not people."(Carnes,

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