Reply #108: The idea of sex addiction seems to have been misrepresented...

[MellowDem]

The idea is that the chemicals that are released in the run up to and during an orgasm can become a chemical addiction for some people, depending on how much their body releases, and that is the main idea behind sex addiction. If someone has a sex addiction, they will go to great lengths to get that feeling, even doing dangerous things such as having sex without protection with strangers. Of course, there can be a mental side to it as well. There are a lot of people who enter into sexual relationships because of emotional dysfunction and needs that can end up worse off than before. I don't think there is such a thing as having "too much sex", but rather what kind of potentially dangerous situations one might put themselves into in order to get it.

A lot of people say Tiger Woods was stupid for having done what he did, since it was obvious he would eventually get caught as he had more and more partners. But if you have an addiction, you don't really consider the consequences of your actions per se. And so now Tiger has hurt his family and lost millions in endorsements over an addiction. There's nothing morally wrong with having lots of sexual partners, but there is something wrong with going back on your word to your wife and involving your children and family in something like this. If Tiger was single none of this would matter, but because he was a married man with more repsonsibilities, it does.

Cheating on your wife doesn't make you a sexual addict, but to me, the obvious disregard of the possible consequences in this case and the need for lots of different partners points to a possible addiction, be it mental or chemical. Tiger was in a unique situation as well in that he was able to fufill his addiction easily and (I'm guessing) in a safe way because of his status, but like any other addiction, if you don't have much money or status, you might go to much more dangerous lengths to fulfill your addiction.