Sex Addiction Criteria

Review the following ten criteria for sex addiction.  At least three of the following criteria must be met to show addiction may be present:

1. LOSS OF CONTROL – recurrent failure (pattern) to resist impulses to engage in specific sexual behavior.
   
2. COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR - a pattern of out of control behavior over time, a pattern of loss of control.  
   
3. EFFORTS TO STOP: repeated, specific efforts to stop the behavior, which fail.  Repeated violation of their own value system, yet unable to stop.
   
4. LOSS OF TIME: Significant amounts of time spent in obtaining sex, being sexual, or recovering from sexual experience.
   
5. PREOCCUPATION: obsessing about the behavior or preparatory activities.  Preoccupation becomes a means of escape
   
6. INABILITY TO FULLFILL OBLIGATIONS: the behavior interferes with work, school, family and friends.
   
7. CONTINUENCE: the failure to stop the behavior even though you are having problems because of it – these may be social, legal, financial, work.  
   
8. ESCALATION: the need to make the behavior more intense, more frequent and, often, more risky.
   
9. LOSSES - losing, limiting or sacrificing valued parts of life, such as relationships, work and family.
   
10. WITHDRAWAL: stopping behavior causes considerable distress, anxiety, restlessness, irritability and physical discomfort.  Often involves a high degree of restlessness, an inability to sleep, being very easily triggered into anger and a high degree of reactivity.  (Carnes, "Facing the Shadow" 2006)