Women and Sex Addiction

Did you know that sex addiction is not strictly a male problem? A friend of mine working in the hotel industry was shattered when her husband left her. She thought that he will never be able to find out what she was up to until one day the cat came out of the bag. “I was lonely and depressed. My husband always felt that I was not well turned –out and did he not give me enough time. My boss made me feel desirable. My clients in the hotel made me feel that I was the most irresistible creature on this mother Earth. I enjoyed and relished every bit of the attention that was given to me,” says Sahana.

34-year-old Sahana struggled for a year before she became sexually intimate with another colleague. “Since my husband never made me feel wanted, I craved for more male attention,” adds Sahana. Soon people in the hotel got to know that this woman is easily available for sex. Now the obvious question that comes to our mind is why did she throw herself around with men and became an easy lay? Well, this is a classic case of sex addiction.

Sexologist, Dr. Suresh Mehta says, “Sex is linked with self esteem and for women, her self esteem goes down when she realizes that her husband or boy friend does not find her to be desirable enough to make love. So these women randomly start sleeping with men to  boost their self-confidence. It is considered to be unethical in our society, but it happens.” So it is not just men who are addicted to sex. Around 12 per cent of women too are affected by this psychological condition which requires treatment.

Sex addiction is more of a psychological problem than a physical problem. Like any other addiction, a person addicted to sex also faces withdrawal syndrome. She has to learn that sex is just a temporary outlet for her frustration and that it can never can be a permanent solution. It will give you the initial emotional high, but after some time the patient feels that she has been used and that is the time when she starts hating herself. So it is never too late to rectify the problem by consulting a psychologist.