Am I an Addict?
What is Sexual Addiction?
If you answer yes to 5 or more of the following questions, you may benefit from making an appointment for a full assessment.
- Does your sexual behaviour have a negative impact on other areas of your life such as relationships, work, finances, health, professional status?
- Does your sexual behaviour contradict your personal values and potentially limit your goals in life?
- Have you tried to limit your sexual behaviour or stop it all together, but failed?
- Are you more tempted to engage in sexual behaviour when you’re experiencing difficult feelings such as stress, anxiety, anger, depression or sadness?
- Are you secretive about your sexual behaviours and fearful of being discovered?
- Do you feel dependent on your sexual behaviour and struggle to feel fulfilled with any alternative?
- Have you noticed that you need more and more stimuli or risk in order to achieve the same level of arousal and excitement?
- Do you find yourself struggling to concentrate on other areas of your life because of thoughts and feelings about your sexual behaviour?
- Have you ever thought that there might be more you could do with your life if you weren’t so driven by your sexual pursuits?
- Do you feel as if your sexual behaviour is out of your control?
- Do you currently, or have you in the past, struggled with any other addictions, compulsive behaviours or eating disorders? Such as drug, alcohol addiction, compulsive gambling, gaming, work or exercise, collecting?
- Has anyone in your family currently, or in the past, struggled with any addictions, compulsive behaviours or eating disorders such as those listed above?
Measuring Severity
Sexual addiction varies in its severity with some people only struggling occasionally and others battling with the condition on a daily basis. Severity is measured not only by how often the behaviour happens but also by the actual and potential consequences of the behaviour. Answering the questions below will help you to consider how severe the problem is in your life.
| Frequently | Occasionally | Rarely | |
| Over the past 6 months, how often have you engaged in compulsive sexual behaviour? | |
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| Over the past month, how often have you fantasised about your sexual behaviour? | |
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| Over the past month, how often have you struggled with intrusive thoughts and feelings about your sexual behaviour? | |||
| Severe | Moderate | Mild | |
| What impact does your behaviour have on your every day life? | |
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| What are the potential consequences of your sexual behaviour if it was not secretive? | |
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| What impact does your sexual behaviour on your sense of self worth and self confidence? | |