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THE SEXUAL ADDICTION TREATMENT AND TRAINING INSTITUTE ®
A MEMBER OF THE SATTI GROUP One Patchin Place • New York, New York l0011 (212) 366 – 1490 • [email protected] • www.thesattigroup.com
AM I A SEX ADDICT?
Twenty Questions to Help You Assess Yourself
1. Do the time and money you spend on sexual activity interfere with the needs and demands of your daily life? Have you sometimes been so preoccupied with sexual thoughts or fantasies that you didn't meet important responsibilities or failed to complete important tasks? 2. After engaging in sexual activity, have you ever felt so guilty or had such feelings of shame that you promised yourself that you wouldn't do those things again? Do you get high on sex, and then come crashing down afterwards? 3. Despite promises to yourself, have you found that you were unable to stop yourself from engaging in certain sexual behaviors or from spending so much time in sexual fantasy? Do you sometimes feel that sex controls you? 4. Do you sometimes engage in sex with people that you don't like, or have sex in places that are inappropriate or dangerous? Do you engage in unsafe sexual practices? Have your ever risked your reputation or status in the pursuit of sexual activity? 5. Are you uncomfortable with how often you masturbate, or where? Do the fantasies that accompany masturbation or the props that you use disturb and shame you? l 6. Do you find that you need to make excuses to yourself about how often you engage in sexual behavior? 7. Do you require more variety or greater frequency of sexual behavior than you used to in order to achieve the levels of excitement and relief you are seeking? 8. Have you ever worried what other people might think if they knew how often you engage in sexual activity or how much time you spend on sexual fantasy? 9. Do you feel the need to hide your sexual activities or conceal your choices of sexual partners from others? Do you lead a double life as far as your sexual behavior is concerned? 10. Have you ever lost an important relationship because you were unable to refrain from engaging in sexual activity either within or outside of that relationship? Have you ever hurt someone emotionally because of your sexual behavior? 11. Were you physically or sexually abused as a child or adolescent? 12. As an adolescent, did you engage in compulsive masturbation or obsessive sexual fantasy to help you cope with uncomfortable feelings or stressful situations?
13. Do you find that you use sex for a variety of emotional needs, such as to alleviate depression, relieve anxiety, or to numb pain? Is sex a problem-solver for you? 14. Are you afraid to get close to other people for fear that it will automatically lead to sex? Do you have any nonsexual relationships? Do you have mostly short-term relationships that seem to end for basically the same reasons? 15. Do you have trouble distinguishing between love, sex, and affection? Do you sexualize most relationships and situations? 16. Have you spent long periods when you weren't sexual at all, only to find yourself becoming sexually overactive once you resumed sexual behavior? 17. Do you feel that life is empty and boring when you are not either engaged in a sexual relationship with someone or else looking for someone to get involved with? 18. Does it sometimes seem to you that the pursuit and conquest of a sexual partner is almost more important and exciting than the sexual behavior itself is? 19. Have you ever risked arrest or legal complications because of your sexual behavior? Have you ever crossed important sexual boundaries, such as being sexual with a child, a student, or an employee? 20. Have you ever felt frightened about your sexual behavior or your preoccupation with sex? Do you feel different from other people as a result of your sexual activity and fantasies? Do you think you need help in order to regain control of your life?
The above questionnaire is designed to help you sort out your concerns about your sexual behavior and your use of sexual fantasy. If you answered more than three questions YES, the probability is high that you are engaging in compulsive sexual activity and obsessional sexual fantasy and are addicted to sex. Sexual addiction is a treatable problem. Recovery means freedom from the feeling that your sex life and your need for sexual fantasy control you. Both healthy sexuality and intimacy become possible when the sex addict comes into recovery. Resources--both trained professionals and knowledgeable peers--are increasingly becoming available to help the sex addict in his or her progression into mental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being.
Copyright © by The Sexual Addiction Treatment and Training Institute
A MEMBER OF THE SATTI GROUP One Patchin Place • New York, New York l0011 (212) 366 – 1490 • [email protected] • www.thesattigroup.com
AM I A SEX ADDICT?
Twenty Questions to Help You Assess Yourself
1. Do the time and money you spend on sexual activity interfere with the needs and demands of your daily life? Have you sometimes been so preoccupied with sexual thoughts or fantasies that you didn't meet important responsibilities or failed to complete important tasks? 2. After engaging in sexual activity, have you ever felt so guilty or had such feelings of shame that you promised yourself that you wouldn't do those things again? Do you get high on sex, and then come crashing down afterwards? 3. Despite promises to yourself, have you found that you were unable to stop yourself from engaging in certain sexual behaviors or from spending so much time in sexual fantasy? Do you sometimes feel that sex controls you? 4. Do you sometimes engage in sex with people that you don't like, or have sex in places that are inappropriate or dangerous? Do you engage in unsafe sexual practices? Have your ever risked your reputation or status in the pursuit of sexual activity? 5. Are you uncomfortable with how often you masturbate, or where? Do the fantasies that accompany masturbation or the props that you use disturb and shame you? l 6. Do you find that you need to make excuses to yourself about how often you engage in sexual behavior? 7. Do you require more variety or greater frequency of sexual behavior than you used to in order to achieve the levels of excitement and relief you are seeking? 8. Have you ever worried what other people might think if they knew how often you engage in sexual activity or how much time you spend on sexual fantasy? 9. Do you feel the need to hide your sexual activities or conceal your choices of sexual partners from others? Do you lead a double life as far as your sexual behavior is concerned? 10. Have you ever lost an important relationship because you were unable to refrain from engaging in sexual activity either within or outside of that relationship? Have you ever hurt someone emotionally because of your sexual behavior? 11. Were you physically or sexually abused as a child or adolescent? 12. As an adolescent, did you engage in compulsive masturbation or obsessive sexual fantasy to help you cope with uncomfortable feelings or stressful situations?
13. Do you find that you use sex for a variety of emotional needs, such as to alleviate depression, relieve anxiety, or to numb pain? Is sex a problem-solver for you? 14. Are you afraid to get close to other people for fear that it will automatically lead to sex? Do you have any nonsexual relationships? Do you have mostly short-term relationships that seem to end for basically the same reasons? 15. Do you have trouble distinguishing between love, sex, and affection? Do you sexualize most relationships and situations? 16. Have you spent long periods when you weren't sexual at all, only to find yourself becoming sexually overactive once you resumed sexual behavior? 17. Do you feel that life is empty and boring when you are not either engaged in a sexual relationship with someone or else looking for someone to get involved with? 18. Does it sometimes seem to you that the pursuit and conquest of a sexual partner is almost more important and exciting than the sexual behavior itself is? 19. Have you ever risked arrest or legal complications because of your sexual behavior? Have you ever crossed important sexual boundaries, such as being sexual with a child, a student, or an employee? 20. Have you ever felt frightened about your sexual behavior or your preoccupation with sex? Do you feel different from other people as a result of your sexual activity and fantasies? Do you think you need help in order to regain control of your life?
The above questionnaire is designed to help you sort out your concerns about your sexual behavior and your use of sexual fantasy. If you answered more than three questions YES, the probability is high that you are engaging in compulsive sexual activity and obsessional sexual fantasy and are addicted to sex. Sexual addiction is a treatable problem. Recovery means freedom from the feeling that your sex life and your need for sexual fantasy control you. Both healthy sexuality and intimacy become possible when the sex addict comes into recovery. Resources--both trained professionals and knowledgeable peers--are increasingly becoming available to help the sex addict in his or her progression into mental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being.
Copyright © by The Sexual Addiction Treatment and Training Institute
