Is there an underlying cause of sexual addiction?
JS: The roots of a sexual addiction can be traced back to childhood. Children who don’t feel a strong connection to the people who are supposed to be caring for them (attachment disorder) are at risk of developing an addiction as they get older. The lack of attachment can be caused by neglect, abuse, multiple caregivers or the lack of response to the child’s needs at a young age. Many factors contribute to sexual addiction. Early sexualization, where the child is exposed to inappropriate sexual material or activity, is one of them. Other factors that play a part in sexual addiction include: • Sexual abuse (81 percent of cases) • Emotional abuse (97 percent of cases) • Physical abuse (72 percent of cases) LTK: Do all sex addicts have a pattern of acting out that includes having affairs or visiting prostitutes? JS: No, they don’t. That pattern does occur, either on its own or combined with other acting out activities, but it is not present in all cases. Being a sex addict can also be a s
