Free Essay Example: Women Sex Addict

Sexual addiction refers to the condition whereby an individual becomes unable to manage their sexual behaviors. In most cases, the persistent sexual thoughts impact their capability of working, maintaining relationships, as well as fulfilling their daily activities. There are many terms that may refer to the sexual addiction, these include sexual dependency, compulsive sexual behaviors, and hypersexuality, these terms can be used interchangeably while referring to compulsive sexual behaviors, both in men and women (Carnes, Patrick, and Kenneth 15). In women, the uncontrollable sexual behaviors are referred to as nymphomania, while in men, the condition is referred to as satyriasis. While sexual addiction may strongly be related to substance addiction, in this case, an individual becomes addicted to an activity, and not a substance. However, treatment may help in reducing the condition; on the same note, lack of treatment may just lead to the worsening of the condition. In women, understanding codependency and interrelationship is the best way of appreciating sex addiction in women. In most cases, some women become sex addicts with the aim of trying to fix their perceived sense of vulnerability and weaknesses or in other words, the codependency by engaging in the initiative to act out sexually. Most women have realized the feelings of love and sex to be useful in reducing the shameful feelings that often come with the obsessive sexual behaviors; however, in most cases, this is the first step towards stopping this behavior. Women usually score high when it comes to sex fantasy, trading sex, seductive role sex, as well as the pain exchange. Unlike men, frequently, women sex addicts do not seem to be adhering to the intensified trends that are already in existence in the general culture. Succicinlty, by acting out sexually, these females usually seem to be reacting against the culturally prescribed norms. In the normal female development in women, there is always the early need for intimacy skills with the autonomy frequently becoming an issue when women become older, in the ages between the thirties and forties. On the other hand, men are usually encouraged to identify their autonomous identities first before actually exploring intimacy skills.

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Types of Female Sex Addicts

In Women, sex addiction initiates the behaviors in different forms, in other words, people tend to react in different ways in order to find satisfaction or to quench their sexual desires. In most cases, females tend to engage in the act of masturbation, self-sex satisfaction for them to satiate their thirst. The acts of masturbation are usually initiated through watching pornographic movies or other sexual contents that may lead to the frequent desire for sex. Sex addiction is a real issue that impacts millions of women and men across the globe. It also impacts families, marriages and personal relationships across the world (Fattore et al., 23). The consequences of sex addiction are normally felt in the life of the addicts and their surrounding friends and family members. However, there is always the chance of recovery especially for those in the relationship Sex addicts should understand that they are not alone and that the problem impacts many people from all parts of the globe. Some types of female sex addicts include:

Psychological Addicts

Quite often, some women sex addicts have suffered some forms of past sexual neglects or abuse. Such people often find the combination of messages in the imagined world and the sexual chemical cocktail within their brains to be the balsam for their aching soul. They frequently medicate the past pains within their souls and through fantasizing sex, they tend to get relaxed or free themselves from past challenges or problems. Most women who struggle or suffer from sexual addiction possess the history of abandonment, neglects or abuse. The past painful events thus need to be addressed for them to heal. Therefore, they often find addiction to sex as the best approach to forgetting the problems in their past. There are many signs to look at while trying to identify psychological addicts (Tuchman, 32). First, the addiction is associated with fantasy and as a result, depends on protecting values and self-image through engaging in sexual acts. Psychological addicts use sexual addiction to self-medicate the past problems related to abandonment, neglects or abuse. In the psychological point of view, the brain normally uplifts self-image, perceived worth and the personal values because of the endorphin highs.

The treatment of psychological sex addiction is possible through first realizing that an individual is dependent on the sexual behaviors to heal from their past issues. After becoming aware of the above scenario, there is the need for addressing abuse, abandonment, and the neglects and to avoid self-medicating the emotional pain. An individual can then rebuild their values and self-image through another health mean. The above intervention can, however, be accomplished with the assistance from the professional psychologists or a counselor.

Spiritual Addicts

Women with spiritual sex addiction are always searching for a spiritual connection in the wrong places. In the process of recovering from past problems, there is the issue of the spiritual hole. Spiritual addicts tend to engage in several sex encounters to feel the void but in most cases, it does not become useful. Spiritual addicts often engage in seeking spiritual fulfillment through involving in sexual behaviors. Through frequent sexual activities, women addicts may be looking for acceptance, love, or even higher divine connection. However, the enlightening sexual experience does not always lead to the satisfaction of the needs or make one feel more spiritual; it is only a short term solution that can even increase the behaviors. The divine or spiritual sex addiction can be treated through the appreciation that human is spiritual beings, therefore, the spirituality needs to be fostered through the right approaches. For women who need treatments, understanding that acceptance, love, as well as the enlightening experience, do not exist in the sexual behaviors, but within the understanding, they are human with inner spirits that are connected to the spiritual world with the extra powers. The best recovery process can be realized through working in collaboration with professionals such as spiritual leaders who have an advanced understanding of the spiritual approaches to sexual behaviors.

Trauma-Based Addicts

Women addicts with the trauma-based types may have experienced sexual traumas in their childhood or at the adolescent stage. The trauma thus becomes the main repetitive behavior thereby leading to addiction. In most cases, for the trauma-based addicts, trauma defines the relish of sexual addiction. In the childhood or during adolescence, there are various experiences that can lead to the sexual addiction, the incidences such as rape can lead to the traumatic experiences, a scenario which may become difficult to overcome. Therefore, as women grow, they tend to get stuck in such experiences leading to traumatic thoughts. The trauma-based sexual habit is treatable through diverse plans. Firstly, there is the need for the addicts to understand that the addiction is resulting from the traumatic past experience; women addicts should, therefore, stop acting out. Additionally, there is a need for the addicts to recognize the forms of the traumas and how it impacts them.

Intimacy Anorexia Addicts

Women sex addicts who usually attempt to recover but they keep going back to the addiction behaviors are known as intimacy anorexics. The above form of addiction refers to withholding intimacy thereby making the partner or the spouse to usually feel like a roommate. Intimacy anorexia is treatable through the development of emotional capacity that enables an individual to open up to deeper emotions and be capable of sharing ideas and feelings (Becker, et al., 21). When the partner or spouse wants intimacy, there is a need for one to realize their feelings and share the deepest part of themselves. If an individual is capable of overcoming the false sexual truths, the practice of intimacy can get better over a given period. In most cases, it is essential to obtain professional assistance from a licensed counselor while dealing with intimacy anorexia since it is always very difficult to successfully break out of the realization and relapse the cycle individually.

Mood Disorder Addicts

Among women, individuals with depressions usually tend to have chemical imbalances in young adulthood or adolescence. Young women, therefore, find sexual release as a way of medication or alteration of their present chemical imbalance. They, therefore, apply their sexual response frequently and over a given period and unexpectedly develop addictions. Mood disorder addictions follow the chemical imbalances and thereafter, addicts attempt to use sexual addiction as the medication to the imbalance (Levine, 19). The symptoms of mood disorder addition are that an individual will always experience mood changes and shifts on a weekly or daily basis. Women addicts usually tend to apply sexual addictions as a way to balance the mood disorder. To treat the mood disorder sex addiction, there is the need for professional help and this should be done through the licensed counselors as well as the psychologists. In addition, the treatment is also possible through prescribed medications. In some cases, the chances for recovery may become impossible if an individual tries to fight through the depression and addiction on their own. The above scenario is because of rapidly changing depressed situations and mood swings which creates a potent mix when combined with sexual addiction.

Causes of Sexual Addiction in Women

In both men and women, sexual addiction normally originates from the reward center of the brain; it can take place when a specific part of the brain faults pleasure responses for the survival mechanisms. In the brain, there is the section called the midbrain that takes care of the body's reward system as well as the survival instincts. As sexual intercourse leads to the creation of the dopamine, the feel-good hormones within the brain, there is always the feeling of pleasure. Therefore, the midbrain mistakes the above feeling of pleasure as being the major factor when it comes to survival (Griffiths, 16). One of the major possibility is that in women sex addicts, the brain center of the morality and logic or the frontal cortex becomes impaired by the midbrain. On the other hand, women sex addicts are linked to dysfunctional families.

Scientifically addiction behaviors are entirely associated with the imbalances the take place within the brain. The neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine, serotonin, as well as the norepinephrine aids in the regulation of the mood (Irvine, 27). High levels of the above chemical can lead to obsessive sexual behaviors. Incontrollable sexual behaviors may also result from the changes in the brain pathways. With the continuous sexual addiction can cause alteration in the brains neural circuits, specifically within the reinforcement centers of the brain. Just like other addictions, intensive sexual stimulation and contents are naturally required over time in order to gain relief or satisfaction. There are specific diseases that affect the conditions of the brain, disorder such as dementia and epilepsy mat bring damages to the parts of the brain that impacts sexual behaviors. Additionally, the process of treating Parkinson's disease with some dopamine agonist medication can lead to habitual or uncontrollable sexual behaviors.