Am I a sex addict?

Short answer: Seeking a diagnosis via online quizzes and forums is unwise and often severely inaccurate. If your sexual behavior feels out of control, causes distress or harm, and you’ve tried unsuccessfully to change it, you might be experiencing symptoms consistent with sex addiction.

Full answer: Determining if you are a sex addict involves an addiction professional reflecting on several key signs, symptoms and indicators to make a diagnosis or even determination. A possible tool called the PATHOS may be used to assist in the diagnostics. Sex addiction generally describes a pattern of compulsive sexual behavior that feels difficult or impossible to control, despite negative effects on your relationships, work, or health.

Key indicators include:

• Persistent, intrusive sexual thoughts or urges disrupting daily life.

• Repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop sexual behavior.

• Continuing sexual activity despite causing distress or harm.

• Withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety or emotional discomfort when abstaining.

• Escalation, needing more frequent or intense sexual activity to feel satisfied.

• Feelings of shame, guilt, or secrecy related to sexual behavior.

If you answer “Yes” to 3 or more of these questions, it is recommended that you or your client speak with a trained therapist to explore your responses. Feel free to contact me for a free consultation or click here to find a licensed clinical sex addiction counselor (CSAT).

Sources

• PATHOS screening tool and related resources

• Carnes, P. (2012). PATHOS: A brief screening application for assessing sexual addiction. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 6(1), 29–34. More info

• Sanchez, A., & Abreu, R. (2015). Using the PATHOS Questionnaire for Screening Sexual Addiction Among College Students: A Preliminary Exploration. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 22(2). More info

• Carnes, P. (2013). PATHOS: A Quick Screening Method for Assessing Sexual Addiction. The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling. More info

Warning: Determining if you are a "sex addict" involves an addiction professional reflecting on several key signs, symptoms, and indicators to make a diagnosis or even a determination. A possible tool called the PATHOS may be used to assist in the diagnostics.

Answer: With most addictions, both process and behavioral, as well as substance, the hunt to acquire the high is highly addictive in and of itself. There are studies suggesting that dopamine levels while on the "hunt" (in some scientific literature, this "hunt" is referred to as "anticipatory processes") for one’s substance of dependence are just as high or even higher than those of someone who’s actually using the substance or behavior they’re dependent upon Gu et al. (2024). Because of this, compulsively trying to bypass filters might be linked to behavioral or pornography addiction. This intense craving during the “hunt” phase is thought to contribute to why relapse and compulsive seeking are challenging aspects of recovery.

Sources:

Gu, C., Geng, Y., & Zhu, L. (2024). Dysregulation of dopamine neurotransmission in drug addicts: implications for criminal behavior and corrective interventions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1434083