Am I a Sex Addict
Am I a Sex Addict?
“Before coming to Sex Addicts Anonymous, many of us never knew that our problem had a name. All we knew was that we couldn’t control our sexual behavior. For us, sex was a consuming way of life. Although the details of our stories were different, our problem was the same. We were addicted to sexual behaviors that we returned to over and over, despite the consequences.”
— Sex Addicts Anonymous, p. 3
Who Is a Sex Addict?
Although sex addicts may act out sexually in many different ways, there are common elements that seem to characterize our addiction:
- Powerlessness over addictive sexual behavior.
- Resulting unmanageability of his/her life.
- Feelings of shame, pain, and self-loathing.
- Failed promises and attempts to stop acting out.
- Preoccupation with sex leading to ritual.
- Progressive worsening of negative consequences.
If you are unsure whether you may be a sex addict, we suggest that you complete the following self-assessment.
- Do you keep secrets about your sexual behavior or romantic fantasies from those important to you? Do you lead a double life?
Yes No - Have your desires driven you to have sex in places or with people you would not normally choose?
Yes No - Do you need greater variety, increased frequency, or more extreme sexual activities to achieve the same level of excitement or relief?
Yes No - Does your use of pornography occupy large amounts of time and/or jeopardize your significant relationships or employment?
Yes No - Do your relationships become distorted with sexual preoccupation? Does each new relationship have the same destructive pattern which prompted you to leave the last one?
Yes No - Do you frequently want to get away from a partner after having sex? Do you feel remorse, shame, or guilt after a sexual encounter?
Yes No - Have your sexual practices caused you legal problems? Could your sexual practices cause you legal problems?
Yes No - Does your pursuit of sex or sexual fantasy conflict with your moral standards or interfere with your personal spiritual journey?
Yes No - Do your sexual activities involve coercion, violence, or the threat of disease?
Yes No - Has your sexual behavior or pursuit of sexual relationships ever left you feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?
Yes No - Does your preoccupation with sexual fantasies cause problems in any area of your life - even when you do not act out your fantasies?
Yes No - Do you compulsively avoid sexual activity due to fear of sex or intimacy? Does your sexual avoidance consume you mentally?
Yes No
Number of "Yes" answers: 0
If you answered “Yes” to more than one of these questions, we encourage you to seek help.
- Call one of the help lines from the home page.
- Find a meeting in-person. The Zoom meeting page is password protected for safety reasons. The password can be obtained from someone at an in-person meeting.
- Read additional material about sex addiction.
Is SAA for you?
In Sex Addicts Anonymous we are a fellowship of men and women who share our experience, strength, and hope with each other for the purpose of finding freedom from addictive sexual behavior and helping others recover from sex addiction. Local meetings offer an accepting, non-threatening environment where we can share our common struggles and learn how to apply the principles of the Twelve Steps to our everyday lives.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. There are no fees or dues.
We practice strict anonymity and confidentiality, so that our meetings are a safe place for all of us. Who we meet or what is said in a meeting is considered as confidential.