Am I Addicted to Sex?

Q: I'm a 34 year-old man, and I have a really high sex drive. I want to have sex about twice a day or more, and this creates problems in my relationships. Whenever I'm with somebody and I'm sexually attracted to them, all they have to do is brush up against me and it is on. Will my sex drive eventually diminish?

— Brian


A: It is natural when you are with someone you are attracted to to feel aroused when they brush up against you and think, "I wish I could have sex right now" or to have a sexual thought. But to feel that need to actually carry though with the act several times a day or more is a red flag. You could be a sex addict.

Do you feel like there is this vacuum that you have to constantly be filling or that you are sort of on this treadmill and feel you can never get enough? If these sexual urges are accompanied by feelings of emptiness or sadness, despair or anxiety and are getting in the way of you having successful relationships, you could be a sex addict. If you were 18 and telling me you want to have sex twice a day, that may be normal, but at your age and stage in life, I would suggest you talk to a professional about this issue.

— Dr. Laura Berman