Although there is not a single cause of sex addiction, many health professionals have agreed on several factors that contribute to individuals engaging in compulsive sexual activity. These risk factors are often categorized as biological, psychological, or social in nature. Factors in each category can overlap.
Biological Causes
Most people don’t think of their bodies in terms of chemicals, but biochemical activity in the brain plays a role in addiction. Imbalances in a class of chemicals known as neurotransmitters can lead to compulsive behavior. Although sex hormones are necessary for normal activity, imbalances can cause disturbances in libido.
Physical diseases, especially those that affect the brain, such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, and epilepsy, are known to lead to excessive sexual activity. Medical treatment that affects brain chemistry, such as the use of dopamine to treat Parkinson's disease, can create compulsive sexuality. Long-time sexual addition can lead to changes in nerves in the brain, creating “pleasure pathways” that reward addiction and make it incredibly difficult to kick negative habits.
Psychological Causes
Emotions and mental disorders are also risk factors for sex addiction, depending on the type and severity of the condition. Stress, the culprit in so many health issues, can lead individuals into seeking relief in excessive sexual behavior. Initial experiences may be controllable, but like anything else done for pleasure, need may escalate over time and become an addiction. Depression and chronic anxiety can also lead to the development of a sex addiction.
Social Causes
Childhood molestation can lead to adult sexual addiction, as can a lack of emotional support and nurturing during developmental years. Members of dysfunctional families are at high risk for developing a variety of related compulsive behaviors. Dependence on drugs or alcohol, eating disorders, gambling, and other excessive activities often accompany sex addiction and may even reinforce it.
Considerations
Although the causes of sexual addiction can be divided into various classifications, there are often overlapping aspects. For example, a person suffering from chemical imbalances might have a normal sex life until he or she experiences a job loss. The subsequent worry over finances can lead to loss of control over sexual activity. It is important to consider all possible causes behind a sexual addiction.
