Complications

Compulsive sexual behavior can have many negative consequences that affect both you and others. You may:

• Struggle with feelings of guilt, shame and low self-esteem
• Develop other mental health conditions, such as depression, suicide, severe distress and anxiety
• Neglect or lie to your partner and family, harming or destroying meaningful relationships
• Lose your focus or engage in sexual activity or search internet pornography at work, risking your job
• Accumulate financial debts buying pornography and sexual services
• Contract HIV, hepatitis or another sexually transmitted infection or pass a sexually transmitted infection to someone else
• Engage in unhealthy substance use, such as using recreational drugs or drinking excessive alcohol
• Be arrested for sexual offenses