Although different, many people confuse both sex and love addictions. They can be intertwined, but they are naturally two different types of addictive behavior and therefore, are treated with different types of therapy. Sexual addiction and love addiction both involve compulsive thinking and acting out behavior that results in obtrusive thoughts. There is a distinct difference between these addictions based on the behaviors that can be involved.

What is Love Addiction?

In love addiction, one feels euphoria when seduced; a love addict might experience lust, but it is more interested in the intoxicating feeling of the emotional side of a relationship. Those who are addicted to love tend to be extremely intense or painful in their relationships. They may also be clingy, desperate, or insecure in their current relationships. A love addict may also be someone who is love-averse or “love avoidant” (unable to form lasting attachments), but who are either addicted to a pattern of usually unsuccessful relationships or has “emotional anorexia,” avoiding connection or commitment.

What is Sex Addiction?

Sexual addiction is a condition in which one’s life is impacted or distorted by compulsions and obsessions with sexual activity. Males, as well as females, are prone to sexual addiction. Symptoms of sex addiction include obsession with pornography, masturbation (compulsion to engage in sex for pay), voyeurism or exhibitionism, repeated anonymous sexual encounters, or feeling unable to stop behaviors that lead to repeated infidelity. Over time, sexual addiction becomes more and more compulsive, resulting in increasingly disturbing behaviors. In order to avoid problems or avoid intimacy, people engage in sex to numb out, but the consequences of shame, guilt or broken relationships incite more and more acting out.