If you think that you have a sex addiction, you’re likely to be feeling overwhelmed at the moment. Even just taking the plunge to research your behaviors can be daunting so well done for taking the first step towards recovery.
If you’re not quite ready to talk to someone, that’s absolutely fine. You can take a Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) which is free, anonymous and can be done in the privacy of your own home.
There are in fact many benefits of taking the SAST online. The most important being that participants are far more likely to be honest about their sexual behavior if their answers are anonymous as opposed to if they were sat in front of their doctor or a counsellor.
What is the Sexual Addiction Screening Test?
The Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) is designed to assess sexually compulsive behavior. It has been developed in cooperation with hospitals, treatment programs, private therapists and community groups. The SAST provides a profile of responses which helps to discriminate between addictive and non-addictive behaviors.
You will be asked a simple series of yes or no questions and your answers will be compared to others who have taken the test. This will help to determine whether or not you may have a sex addiction.
There is no cost for this assessment and nobody except for you will know your results. While the test on our website is relevant to both genders, if you would prefer to take a specific women’s sexual addiction screening test or a men’s sexual addiction screening test, please feel free to contact us and we can send you one in the strictest confidence.
When taking the test, please remember that it’s important to be honest because this is the only way you will truly be able to help yourself. This sex addiction self-test is designed to help you decide whether you should seek further help. We strongly urge that diagnosis and treatment is done with a trained professional if it’s needed.
You can take the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) here.
Signs of sex addiction
If you’re worried that you could have a sex addiction, some of the most common signs include:
- Compulsive sexual behavior such as excessive masturbation, affairs, engaging in anonymous sex, cybersex, exhibitionism, voyeurism and/or paying for sex
- Lying about or hiding sexual activities
- Participating in these activities regardless of what the consequences may be
- Carrying out illegal activities in the pursuit of sex
- Engaging in sex with ulterior motives – for example, trying to deal with or escape other problems you’re facing in life.
- You can’t concentrate on other areas of your life because you have become so preoccupied with thoughts about sex
- You’re experiencing feelings of shame because of your behavior and feel like you want to stop but can’t
- You spend a lot of time looking for potential partners, visiting pornographic websites and frequenting venues where this type of behavior is encouraged
- You find that you need to increase the frequency or intensity of sexual activities in order to achieve the desired effect
- You’re neglecting other responsibilities such as work and family
- You become irritable when you’re unable to engage in your desired sexual behavior
What to do if you have a sex addiction?
If the signs are there and your sex addiction self-test has confirmed that you’re displaying addictive behaviors, what you do next is very important to put you on the right path towards recovery.
Understand what caused your addiction in the first place
Sex addiction starts the same way as any other addiction – it serves as an escape mechanism that feeds on underlying issues. It’s more than likely you’ve experienced trauma at some point in your life and you’ve never dealt with it properly. As you try to bury the emotional scars, you’re trying to heal yourself and escape reality through alcohol, drugs, sex or other addictive behaviors.
Seek help
It’s common to think that you can overcome your addiction yourself but if your efforts aren’t properly guided, you’re likely to relapse. It’s very important to seek the help of a professional counsellor when dealing with addiction issues because as we mentioned above, it’s highly likely that you need to come to terms with a traumatic event or undiagnosed mental health issues.
Avoid temptation
Avoid anything that could lure you back into temptation. People you had sexual relations with, certain websites, movies and television shows that you might find sexually stimulating and particular venues should all be avoided.
It’s also a good idea to remove people you used to engage in these behaviors with from your social circle. They may not be sympathetic towards your recovery and could easily lead you to temptation.
Instead, associate yourself with people who are going to be a positive influence. This may include friends and family who love you and therefore want to help you get better. Building up a network of people who have been through similar experiences can also be beneficial because it’s a reminder that you’re not alone, they can keep you on track when you’re feeling tempted and importantly, it’s someone to talk to when you’re having a bad day.
Re-build your relationships
Sadly, by the time you’re ready to enter rehab, your relationships with friends, family and your partner will likely have deteriorated significantly or even completely broken down. Once you’re in recovery however, there’s a good chance that people will be open to the idea of trying to re-build your relationships.
Do bear in mind however that this will take time and some might be more reluctant than others to let you back into their lives. With time and dedication, it is possible however and these people can act as a positive influence in your new life.
If you would like to complete the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) or would like to talk to us about sex addiction recovery, please feel free to contact Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to help.
