One in six men are so addicted to sex that it is playing havoc with their personal and family lives. Once in the grip of sexaholism, it is extremely hard to break it. Doug Weiss, an American specialist on the subject, claims that the craving for brain chemicals released by sex can be ‘four times stronger than heroin’. Facing up to the problem can be difficult too as the media is saturated with sex-related coverage, and reports the sexual exploits of footballers and celebrities uncritically until their behaviour turns nasty. Weiss, a one-time sex addict himself and now 16 years sober, campaigns for greater awareness and understanding of what has been a taboo subject for ‘far too long’. He told me, when he was in London last week, how the 24/7 availability of pornography on the Internet is turning this tide of sexual obsession into an epidemic. “It has caused an explosion in sex addiction. In drug terms, this is crack cocaine.”

Addicts, who can spend up to six hours a day on line, are now getting caught more often – because of the trails left on computers while surfing porn sites. Paradoxically, he says this can be a blessing. As for many sexaholics this is the first confrontation with their obsession.

Unfortunately lack of knowledge among health professionals, social workers and the police about the causes and cures of this illness is hindering the recovery of those who suffer from it. Weiss estimates that the UK is ‘probably ten years behind the US in its awareness and treatment’ of this debilitating disease.

As with alcohol and drug dependency, sex addicts try to anaesthetise their feelings and control their own disturbed reality with their drug of choice – lust.

Once acknowledged and accepted as an illness, like alcoholism, sexaholism can be brought under control by counselling and attending support groups, such as Sexaholics Anonymous.

Over 80 per cent suffering from this sickness will have been victims of either physical or emotional abuse. Women are also afflicted with this compulsion, which has physiological, psychological and spiritual dimensions. Addiction to sex is nothing new, Weiss explains: “Alcoholism was not invented in the 1930s, the disease was just given a name. The same is now true for sexaholism.”

Weiss has a simple check-list for those who think they might have a problem with sex addiction:
1. Are you leading a secret life?
2. Are you unable to stop acting out sexually?
3. Are you engaging in sexual behaviour, such as masturbation, long after you think you should have stopped?
4. Are you engaging in behaviours which conflict with your moral code?
5. Are you spending excessive amounts of money and time on sex-related activities.

For more information: visit - www.sexaddict.com, www.sauk.org or call 07000 725463

Mark Winter