Are you someone who wonders why you seem to want to have sex more than others you know?  Do you think you are somehow odd for wanting to have sex as much as you do? Do you wonder if you might have sex addiction or compulsion because of this?  If any of these questions pertains to you, this blog post is for you.

Not All Libidos Are Created Equal

Just as people have different drives and energy levels, so also do they have different degrees of sex drive.  The tendency we have to compare ourselves to others is also innate as well, but when we are tempted to compare ourselves to others in the area of libido, this tends to be counterproductive.  If you live in a community that tends to support people who suppress their sex drive, this can leave you feeling out of place and like there’s something wrong with you. That is when your mental health can start to suffer.

The Difference Between High Libido And Sex Addiction

First of all, I do not want to give anybody the idea that there is some average or normal amount of sex drive that everybody should have.  That should be clear from what I’ve said so far. By the same token, if you want to have sex all the time and this creates problems for you in terms of your day to day activities, then that deserves some attention.  One of the main symptoms of sex addiction or out of control sexual behavior is that it feels out of control. There is a subjective feeling that you can’t control your behavior. Note I didn’t use the term sex drive here.  The reason is that regardless of what how strong your sex drive is, if you have a feeling of control over it, then sex addiction or compulsive sexual behavior need not be a concern. Nobody can diagnose that for you. If you see a therapist like me and they say they think you have a problem, then that is different; but if you feel like your sexual behavior is within your control, then sex addiction or compulsion isn’t so much of a concern.  By the way, if you use drugs to increase your sex drive, this isn’t the same as what I’m talking about here.

What To Do If Things Start To Feel Out Of Control

The main thing here is to ask for help and support from someone you trust.  If you live in a repressive community or family, asking someone from that community might not be the best place to start.  Find someone you trust and try to confide in them, and that can be your starting point at finding others who can give you the help and support you need to overcome addictive or compulsive sexual behavior.  

What I Can Do To Help

I am a therapist who is trained in helping men to identify and overcome compulsive or addictive sexual behavior, and have helped many men to overcome addictive and compulsive sexual behavior.  If all you have is a strong libido, I can probably help you figure that out. There have been many people in history who have had this characteristic who haven’t felt the need to seek help for it and haven’t had problems with it.  If you do suffer because of your sex drive and it has that flavor of feeling out of control, then you owe it to yourself to get help. At least trying to figure out whether it really is a problem, and helping you to live in accordance with sexual health principles (which have been identified by the WHO and the psychologist who trained me) can be my job.  You can call me at 512-648-3053, or leave your contact information in the space at the bottom of this post. If you’re in this latter category then it need not take long to figure that out and to develop a plan to help guide your sex life. My purpose as a therapist is to promote sexual health principles and sexual health for my clients, and that is something worth having no matter what your situation is.

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 years old and up in private practice.

Visit our page on sex addiction therapy to learn more about how Scott can help you with compulsive or addictive sexual behavior.