What is Sex addiction ?

It's estimated that six per cent or more of the population experience sex addiction and one in five are women.

Maybe if you look at the sheer physical damage that addictions such as heroin or cocaine can wreak on the body then sex addiction may indeed seem like a different sort of problem. But sex addiction certainly meets some of the criteria for an addiction. Like other addictions, the person is driven by a compulsion to seek out and engage in the behaviour that brings them the benefits or a sort of intoxication that they seek, even though it may cause enormous disruption and even harm to their life. 

If you've a sex addiction you may find you need a markedly increased amount of sex to feel sexually fulfilled. And you may have such a persistent desire that you'll spend abnormal amounts of time involved in activities necessary to fulfil cravings, or recover from its effects. 

As a result this addiction may interfere with work, hobbies and relationships with family and friends. You may struggle to cut down or control your behaviour, and continue despite being well aware of the psychological or even physical damage that it's doing.

Sex addiction symptoms

Of course most people enjoy sex, get a buzz from it and welcome the chance to engage in it. So when does sex become addiction?

One clue comes from a definition often used by experts, who suggest that sexual addiction is any sexual behaviour that feels out of control. Another important feature is that, like other addictions, those affected find their emotions swing between intense highs and lows. 

Following the gratification and sought–after high that the sexual behaviour brings, emotional lows follow. Typically you may feel:

• Shame
• Regret
• Remorse
• Anxiety about your behaviour
• Trapped by your helpless need

The only way to relieve these feelings may be another sexual encounter, so you go in search of more sex.

Warning symptoms of a sex addiction might include:

• Certain types of behaviour such as frequent casual sex, multiple affairs when you're in a relationship or high-risk sex
• Excessive use of pornography
• Feeling worried about the possible behavior
• Wanting to stop or change your sexual behaviour
• Feeling unable to stop, despite wanting to
• Using sex as a way to cope with other problems
• Needing more sex to get the same fulfillment
• Feeling very low or guilty after
• Spending large amounts of time planning or engaging in sex
• Missing important social events or even work in order to pursue sex

The debris of a sex addiction includes consequences such as breakdown of meaningful relationships, loss of job opportunities, sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancy. Depression is common among sex addicts (it may even be a factor which leads to the addiction or aggravates the problem) and as many as one in five may have contemplated suicide. 

Advice and support

It may be very difficult to admit to a sex addiction and seek help. Many of those addicted feel intense shame about their behaviour and are reluctant to talk about it. But few are able to change their behaviour without some professional help to explore why it has developed and how the behaviour can be changed. 

So recognising that you have a problem is the first step. Then talk to your GP or local counseling service. There are also some support groups especially for sex addicts. 

Whether sex addiction is a true addiction or a form of compulsive behaviour, the main approach to treatment is the same, and consists of psychological therapies, especially cognitive behavioural therapy, which involves learning about and understanding your condition, and how to make changes to your behaviour.

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What is methadone?

Methadone is a long-acting synthetic painkiller that mimics the effects of heroin, but is less addictive. It is widely used as a substitute for patients who are attempting to combat addiction to heroin. 

Like heroin, it produces feelings of euphoria and sedation, but to a lesser degree. The drug is usually provided to addicts under the supervision of a specially trained pharmacist or healthcare professional. It comes in the form of a green liquid. 

Methadone uses

Methadone is used as a way to wean addicts off heroin, but it can be addictive itself.

Doctors must first issue a prescription for the dose, specifying the amount, the days on which it can be administered, and restricting the person who can collect the methadone to the addict him or herself. Initially, a drug abuser is prescribed slowly increasing amounts of methadone to increase tolerance to the drug. Then the amount is slowly decreased until they are cured of the need for the drug altogether. However, some addicts are kept on a steady dose of the drug to avoid a return to heroin once the dosage drops. 

Methadone is also an effective painkiller, and is often used to ease moderate to severe pain in patients recovering from operations and serious injuries in injectable or tablet form. It is also used to ease the pain of terminal illnesses. A linctus is licensed for use in relief of coughing spasms in lung cancer. 

Risks of methadone

When methadone is taken in large amounts it produces side effects similar to heroin. These include drowsiness, apathy, confusion, nausea, vomiting, suppression of breathing reflexes and constricted pupils. In excessive quantities it will lead to coma and eventually to death. 

Some addicts become as reliant on methadone as they were on heroin. Department of Health figures show that methadone was responsible for the deaths of 421 people in 1997. Heroin addicts had created a vast methadone black market by selling on their doses for as little as £2. 

However, death rates are much reduced nowadays due to the implementation of supervised consumption of methadone, particularly in the early stages of treatment of heroin addiction. Over 1,500 drug related deaths were recorded in 2005, many more than those due to methadone overdose. 

Comprehensive guidelines by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse on Drug Misuse and Dependence were published for the Department of Health in 2007.

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What are mephedrone and naphyrone?

Mephedrone (dimethylmethcathinone, to give it its scientific name) and naphyrone (naphthylpyrovalerone) are two of a group of chemicals called cathinones, which are found in the African plant khat. Other cathinones include methadrone, methylone and related compounds. 

For centuries people in countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen have chewed khat leaves to produce effects such as a mild euphoria, loss of inhibitions and suppression of appetite. The active chemicals are now known to be stimulants closely related to amphetamines.

In recent years people have discovered how to synthesise these chemicals, with the result that mephedrone and naphyrone have become widely available. Initially, mephedrone and naphyrone were not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act and so were legal to buy and sell. They became popular as legal highs through the club scene and many internet sites sold the drugs which, although not illegal, were often disguised as 'plant feeder' or 'research chemicals' which were 'not for human consumption'. 

Mephedrone and naphyrone are now Class B illegal drugs with severe penalties for possession and sale.

Mephedrone comes as a white, off-white, creamy or yellowish powder. It's usually snorted up into the nose (like cocaine). However, it may also be swallowed as pills, capsules or 'bombs' (small amounts of powder wrapped up in paper). Very occasionally, it's smoked or injected.

Mephedrone may also be known as meph, MCAT, miaow, bubbles, bath salts, white magic and plant feeder or just plant.

Naphyrone comes as a white crystalline powder which is snorted, swallowed or also taken as 'bombs'. It may also be known as, or found mixed with other drugs in, NRG-1, Energy1, O-2482 

Effects of mephedrone and naphyrone

We still have a lot to learn about mephedrone, naphyrone and related cathinones, and how they act, because there isn't a lot of research. But they're known to be stimulants, working on the brain's messaging chemicals called neurotransmitters, with effects similar to amphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine.

This means they may make a user feel euphoric (happy or 'high') and more awake or alert. They may feel more confident, become very talkative and lose some of their inhibitions. This can make them feel relaxed and stress-free, but may also make them more likely to do things that they wouldn't normally do.

They may feel particularly empathetic or friendly to those around them.

These effects usually last about an hour.

Risks of mephedrone and naphyrone

The risks and side effects are also not yet clearly defined but include adverse psychological and psychiatric effects such as psychosis, paranoia and extreme anxiety. As a person comes down from the drug, especially after a binge, they may experience a very low mood and other symptoms. 

Mephedrone and naphyrone have physical effects, for example on the cardiovascular system. They may cause the heart to beat very fast (tachycardia) and the arteries to constrict or narrow leading to cold, blue hands and feet. Excessive stimulation of the nervous system may cause headaches, insomnia, agitation and hallucinations, and increase the risk of seizures, which may be fatal. 

Snorting the drug can damage the lining of the nose, causing nose bleeds. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, appetite suppression, sweating and changes in body temperature. It's thought that both drugs and others related to them may have contributed to a number of deaths in the UK and abroad. 

Naphyrone is much more potent than mephedrone, perhaps even 10 times more so, and this could lead to a greater risk of overdose as the temptation is to use it in amounts similar to mephedrone. There is also a possible risk of naphyrone causing cancer - the napthyl part of the compound is known to be carcinogenic.

Some people seem to find mephedrone especially compulsive, so that when they start taking some, it's very hard to stop until all the drug is gone. Psychological dependence can develop, especially with regular or heavy use (this means the person wants to keep taking the drug because it makes them feel good, and if they stop they may develop psychological withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety).

Talk to your doctor or local substance abuse centre if you are worried or want more information.

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What is gambling addiction?

Problem gambling, pathological gambling or gambling addiction all describe a destructive behaviour where people spend so much time or money on making bets that they're causing harm to the other aspects of their life such as family or work. 

They become addicted to their behaviour, unable to stop and drawn to continually gambling, while falling into debt, damaging important relationships and causing problems with their job. 

It's easy to think of gambling as simply about the chance to make money. But most people with a gambling problem don't stop when they have a big win - they just spend the money to place more bets until it has all gone. 

American research suggests that as many as six per cent of adults have a problem with compulsive gambling at some point in their lives. As gambling becomes more easily available (for example, with increasing amounts of online gambling) it's also likely that this addiction will become more common. 

Effects of gambling addiction

Experts mostly view the effects of gambling as an addiction to an altered psychological state. It's thought to be similar to the effects of stimulant drugs with feelings of thrill and excitement linked to risk taking, inducing a natural high. Research suggests that these sensations are related to increases in levels of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline in the brain. 

With time, the gambler becomes increasingly preoccupied with their habit, as do many drug addicts. They often feel the need to increase to size of their bet to get the same psychological effect, and struggle to control or stop their behaviour. 

The symptoms of a gambling addiction include:

• Spending increasing amounts of time gambling
• Gambling increasingly larger amounts to try to recoup losses or just get the same thrill
• Gambling starts to take precedence over personal relationships and work Lying about habits to family or colleagues
• Concealing the amount spent or the losses from family
• Stealing money in order to gamble (or 'temporarily borrowing' money but with no rational plan to pay it back)
• Lack of recognition that there is a problem ( or denial of problems) despite evidence to the contrary
• Loss of interest in other hobbies or social life
• Physical symptoms if unable to gamble for some reason, such as anxiety, irritableness and even headaches, stomach upsets, palpitations and tremors
• Stress-related symptoms, especially depression, which may be intense

Risks of gambling addiction

The harmful effects of a gambling addiction are mostly the results of the excessive time and money spent on the habit.

Serious debt is a common problem for compulsive gamblers - recent figures show that debts of £60,000 or more are not uncommon. Crime is another risk as gamblers struggle to find the money for their habit or pay off debt – many find themselves in prison mostly because of theft and fraud.

Problem gamblers risk losing their relationships and their jobs.

There's also a link with alcohol and drugs - as many as 50 per cent of gambling addicts have alcohol issues. Other mental health problems are common too, especially depression. Gamblers are twice as likely to attempt suicide.

Managing a gambling addiction

The main approach to treating a gambling addiction is by using some form of psychological support or intervention. This may involve getting help from professionals or joining a self-help group such as GamCare or Gamblers Anonymous.

These groups offer local, telephone and online help.

The first step is to try to understand why the addiction developed, and what other stresses or problems they may be trying to avoid. This may be explored through individual, or group therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy has been shown to be effective and can help understand what triggers gambling and the ways in which they might change their behaviour. Medical treatments may play an important part in relieving underlying stress or depression.

Good debt management advice, from the National Debtline for example, may be critical in helping to reduce stress.

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What is addiction?

There are a lot of misconceptions and a fair bit of uncertainty about the nature of addictions, how they're caused, what course they follow and how best to treat them. This section will shine some light on the key issues.

Impossible to control

If you ask anyone what an addiction is, they'll probably say it's being unable to stop using a substance, for example an illegal drug such as heroin, or maybe legal substances such as alcohol.

Did you know around four million people use illicit drugs each year in England and Wales, and it’s estimated that more than 280,000 have problems because of their drug use? 

Perhaps the best example is cigarette smoking. Anyone who has ever smoked will recognise the strong sense of compulsion to light up, particularly in situations where this is not allowed, such as in an plane, restaurant or pub. 

These aspects of addiction have a physiological basis related to how the substance acts on the brain (in the case of cigarettes, it’s the effects of nicotine that the person craves) and a psychological aspect relating to the reasons for taking the substance (such as smoking to improve concentration or be part of a social group).

Dependence

Dependence means feeling that you need a substance in order to carry on doing what you want to do, even if problems result from its use. If you are dependent on a substance then you might be said to be addicted to it.

But overall, we shouldn't view addiction or dependence in simple or absolute terms (that someone is either a hopeless addict or not). People may be dependent on substances in many different ways and to a variety of degrees of intensity. 

What happens next depends on the nature of the substance, how someone's using it, the problems that it may be linked with, and the various aspects of the person's psychological make-up, their personal and social relationships.

Stages of addiction

Most addictions take time to develop and almost no one deliberately sets out to become addicted to a substance. What happens is a person's consumption progresses through several stages.

Following initiation (a first try) - maybe to experiment to see what the substance is like - a person may go on to use the substance again, and perhaps begin to use on an occasional then regular basis. Meanwhile, the amount consumed may also begin to increase. For some substances, the body rapidly becomes tolerant of a dose taken and the user will increase the amount to achieve a desired effect.

Risk of harm

The harm from dependency on a chemical substance can be measured not just in how the addiction harms the body (the physical effects), but also in the way it affects an individual's mental health (the 'psychological' effects) and also their social health. In the extremes of serious addiction, the need for the substance becomes all-consuming, taking priority over work and relationships and disrupting the person’s ability to live a normal life. 

But these effects don’t always add up in a straightforward way. For instance, as well being antisocial (among the non-smoking majority), the tobacco addict faces enormous damage to his physical health from his habit, but the effects on his mental health might almost be said to be beneficial at times (stress relief, for example). Cocaine addiction is extremely damaging to a person's mental and social health, but its physical consequences would not be as marked (in most cases) as, say, heroin. 

Addictions and addictive behaviours

Addiction doesn’t stop at drugs and alcohol. People can become overly attached to gambling, sex, shopping, computer games - even using the internet. These non-drug addictive behaviours are similar in that the person has a lack of control over their behaviour.

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