Our passionate, professionally trained counselors provide several areas of specialization, offering individual and group services to couples, families, and youth in the St. Louis community.

1. A V E N UE S C O UN S E L I N G C E N T E R
ABOUT SEX ADDICTTION

2. ABOUT SEX ADDICTION
• Sex addiction involves spending a large amount of
time thinking about and/or engaging in sexually
addictive behaviors. Examples of sexual addictions
may involve easily accessible or less accessible
behaviors. Examples of more easily accessible
addictive acts may include having one-night stands
or multiple affairs, contacts with prostitutes, viewing
pornographic pictures or videos, or excessive
masturbation. The sufferer may engage in behaviors
like frequenting chat rooms, engaging in personal
ads, or making obscene phone calls.

3. ABOUT SEX ADDICTION
• Addictions have the power to completely take over
everything in your life, ruining your personal
relationships and lives. Admitting you struggle with
an addiction can be hard and is a big step towards
beginning to heal.
The Following is a list of self-assessment, yes or no
questions gathered from the Sex Addicts Anonymous
website.

4. COULD YOU HAVE A SEX
ADDITION?
1. Do you keep secrets about your sexual behavior or romantic fantasies from those
important to you? Do you lead a double life?
2. Have your desires driven you to have sex in places or with people you would not
normally choose?
3. Do you need greater variety, increased frequency, or more extreme sexual activities
to achieve the same level of excitement or relief?
4. Does your use of pornography occupy large amounts of time and/or jeopardize your
significant relationships or employment?
5. Do your relationships become distorted with sexual preoccupation? Does each new
relationship have the same destructive pattern, which prompted you to leave the last
one?
6. Do you frequently want to get away from a partner after having sex? Do you feel
remorse, shame, or guilt after a sexual encounter?
7. Have your sexual practices caused you legal problems? Could your sexual practices
cause you legal problems?

5. COULD YOU HAVE A SEX ADDICTION
8. Does your pursuit of sex or sexual fantasy conflict with your moral
standards or interfere with your personal spiritual journey?
9. Do your sexual activities involve coercion, violence, or the threat
of disease?
10. Has your sexual behavior or pursuit of sexual relationships ever
left you feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?
11. Does your preoccupation with sexual fantasies cause problems
in any area of your life-even when you do not act out your
fantasies?
12. Do you compulsively avoid sexual activity due to fear of sex or
intimacy? Does your sexual avoidance consume you mentally?

6. BEGINNING TO HEAL AFTER SEX
ADDICTION:
Openness and Honesty
Expect a sex addict in recovery to be more open
and vocal about their feelings. If the addict has given
up the second life of sex addiction, they will be more
able to voice their feelings and their needs. The
addict will be practicing the new behaviors of
confronting their partner on things that matter, and
more things will matter.

7. BEGINNING TO HEAL AFTER SEX
ADDICTION:
Sexual Confusion
The person who is suffering from the addiction may be
somewhat sexually confused or even sexually
avoidant. They have given up the supercharged sexuality
of addictive behaviors and are sometimes at a loss about
how to behave in their marriage or partnership in ways
that are passionate and intimate.
As with any other addiction, sex addiction can start small
and progressively take over your life. It can manifest itself
through sexual behaviors and/or fantasies. Admitting you
need help is a hard first step. Seeking the help you
need from a trained, experienced therapist in this field is
the second hard step. Our services are confidential.

8. LEARN MORE NOW
• Call Avenues Counseling Center now to learn more
about sex addiction. Our number is 314-529-1391