"Acting-out" Behaviors

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Acting-out - an inability, or lack of desire, to exert control over sexual behavior.

No form of sexual behavior in itself constitutes sexual addiction. Whether a pattern of sexual behavior qualifies as sexual addiction is determined not by the type of behavior, its object, its frequency or its social acceptability, but by the relationship between this behavior pattern and an individual's life, as indicated in the definition and specified in the diagnostic criteria.

Sex Addiction can involve a wide variety of practices. Sometimes an addict has trouble with just one unwanted behavior, sometimes with many. These behaviors are progressive in nature. It may start with an addiction to masturbation or pornography - but over the years is progressing to increasingly dangerous behaviors.

Sexual addiction has many different forms - e.g.:

• compulsive use of pornography, including internet pornography (collecting, viewing)
• cybersex (e.g.: masturbation while chatting with another person on the computer, video cameras)
• compulsive masturbation
• frequenting sexually oriented adult only establishments (such as “men’s clubs,” adult bookstores and movie theaters, massage parlors, peep shows, etc)
• prostitution or use of prostitutes, multiple affairs while in a committed relationship, multiple extramarital affairs
• destructive relationships; romantic obsession; infidelity; obsessive fantasizing, preoccupation with sexual thoughts

• escorts and sexual massage

• anonymous sex (glory hole?), sex with multiple partners
• habitual exhibitionism
• habitual voyeurism (peeping)
• sex in public places
• frotteurism - inappropriate sexual touching, touching others without permission
• acting in a sexual manner with someone who is underage, sexual abuse of children, pedophilia
• fetishism
• peeping,
• orgies,
• sadomasochism,
• indecent exposure (flashing)
• indecent telephone calls, phone sex
• nude bars
• promiscuity
• excessive fear or avoidance of sex
• compulsive cross-dressing
• using coercion and/or power to manipulate others into sex, sexual assault or molestation, episodes of rape
• other behaviors that involve risk to sex addict (physical, legal, emotional, or spiritual) and harm to others
• bestiality
• sexually compulsive episodes interspersed with periods of sexual avoidance

A preoccupation with sexual arousal and sexual release which often has little to do with who the person is (lack of intimacy) and requires no relationship.

Sexual addiction takes many forms, from obsessions with pornography and masturbation to engaging in voyeurism, cybersex, affairs, sex with strangers, incest, and rape. Though solitary forms of this addition may not be overtly risky, they can be part of a pattern of distorted thinking and identity conflict that can escalate to involve harming the self and others. The defining elements of this kind of addiction are its secrecy and escalating nature, often resulting in diminished judgment and self-control.

At each level, the incidence decreases and the legal and social consequences rise.

What may be healthy for one sex addict - could be clearly addictive (acting-out) for another.

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