You don’t have to figure this out alone. Confidential, compassionate help is available.
At Therapy Utah, we provide specialized, evidence-based care for people struggling with compulsive sexual behavior, pornography use, and the relationships affected by it. If you are reading this because you feel out of control, ashamed, or afraid of being found out, please know two things: you are not alone, and meaningful change is possible. This guide explains what sex addiction is (and isn’t), what the research actually says, and how effective, compassionate treatment works.
What Is Sex Addiction?
“Sex addiction” is the everyday term many people use to describe a persistent pattern of feeling unable to control sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors despite negative consequences. In clinical settings, this experience is now formally recognized by the World Health Organization as Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder (CSBD), an impulse-control disorder added to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). According to the foundational paper introducing the diagnosis, CSBD is defined by “a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges, resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour” over an extended period that causes marked distress or impairment (Kraus et al., 2018, World Psychiatry).
Importantly, the diagnosis focuses on loss of control and distress — not on how much sex a person has or on any particular moral standard. A healthy, values-aligned sex life is not a disorder. The clinical concern is the felt inability to stop a behavior that is harming your wellbeing, relationships, or sense of self.
How Common Is It?
Struggles with sexual self-control are far more common than most people assume. A nationally representative U.S. study published in JAMA Network Open found that 8.6% of adults (10.3% of men and 7.0% of women) reported clinically significant distress or impairment related to difficulty controlling sexual feelings, urges, and behaviors (Dickenson et al., 2018). In other words, roughly one in eleven adults has felt this way. The shame that keeps people silent is rarely warranted by how unusual the experience actually is.
Signs and Symptoms
Everyone is different, but common signs that sexual behavior has become compulsive include:
- Repeated, unsuccessful attempts to cut back or stop
- Sexual activity or pornography use becoming a central focus that crowds out work, relationships, health, or interests
- Continuing despite clear negative consequences, or getting little real satisfaction from it
- Using sex or pornography to escape stress, loneliness, anxiety, or emotional pain
- Escalation — needing more time, novelty, or intensity to get the same relief
- Secrecy, lying, or a growing double life
- Intense shame, anxiety, or hopelessness about the behavior
If several of these resonate, a confidential clinical assessment can help clarify what is going on and what would actually help.
Is Sex Addiction “Real”? Understanding the Nuance
This is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — questions in the field. Research by Joshua Grubbs and colleagues shows that for many people, especially those with strong moral or religious convictions, distress and a sense of “addiction” can be driven less by the behavior itself and more by moral incongruence: the painful gap between what someone does and what they believe they should do (Grubbs et al., 2020, Clinical Psychological Science).
Why does this matter? Because it changes treatment. Two people can describe identical pornography use and have completely different needs — one may be wrestling with genuine behavioral dysregulation, while another is wrestling with shame and values conflict. Effective therapy distinguishes between them rather than applying a one-size-fits-all “addiction” label. We take this nuance seriously, which is part of why we offer faith- and values-sensitive care for clients whose beliefs are central to their distress.
Pornography Addiction
For many clients, the entry point is problematic pornography use. What often begins as a private habit can gradually escalate, consume hours, and erode intimacy, focus, and self-respect. Whether the right frame is “addiction,” compulsive behavior, or values conflict, the path forward is the same: honest assessment, skills to interrupt the cycle, and addressing the emotional drivers underneath. Learn more about the withdrawal symptoms people commonly experience when they step away.
The Ripple Effect: Betrayal Trauma and Relationships
Compulsive sexual behavior rarely affects only one person. Partners who discover hidden behavior often experience genuine trauma — intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and a shattered sense of safety — a response clinicians call betrayal trauma. Healing usually involves care for both partners, on parallel but distinct tracks. If this is your situation, our overview of the stages of betrayal trauma and our couples and marriage therapy can help you understand what recovery can look like.
Ready to talk to someone who understands? We’re here when you are.
How Sex Addiction Is Treated
Compulsive sexual behavior is treatable, and you do not have to white-knuckle it alone. Evidence-based approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), trauma-informed care, and group support. A randomized controlled trial conducted at Utah State University found that a 12-session ACT protocol produced large, durable reductions in problematic pornography use compared with a waitlist control (Crosby & Twohig, 2016, Behavior Therapy). Good treatment typically works on several levels at once: interrupting the behavioral cycle, building emotion-regulation and relational skills, healing underlying trauma or shame, and rebuilding trust.
Treatment at Therapy Utah
Our therapists bring advanced training and years of experience to this work, and we tailor care to the person in front of us rather than to a label. Depending on your needs, treatment may include:
- Our dedicated Sex Addiction & Betrayal Trauma (SA/BT) program
- Individual therapy to address the roots of the behavior
- Couples and marriage therapy to rebuild trust and intimacy
- Group support to reduce shame and isolation
We work exclusively with trained, licensed professionals, and we hold your story in confidence. We do not weaponize shame to change behavior — we help you build the tools to make real, lasting change on your own terms.
Faith- and Values-Sensitive Care
For many people in Utah, faith is central to both the distress and the path forward. We offer care that respects your beliefs and, when you wish, can coordinate thoughtfully with your ecclesiastical leaders. If this is important to you, read our companion guide on faith-sensitive therapy for Latter-day Saint members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is what I’m experiencing really a disorder?
Not necessarily. Only a qualified clinician can help you understand whether your experience reflects compulsive sexual behavior, a values conflict, another issue, or some combination. The goal of assessment is clarity and the right kind of help — not a label.
Will therapy be confidential?
Yes. Your privacy is protected, and what you share stays between you and your therapist within the limits of the law. You decide whether and how to involve a partner or ecclesiastical leader.
Can my marriage recover?
Many couples do rebuild trust and intimacy with time, honesty, and support — though every relationship is different. Working with both partners gives the best chance of a healthy outcome.
Take the First Step
Reaching out is hard, and doing it is a sign of strength, not weakness. When you’re ready, we’re here. Contact Therapy Utah to ask a question or schedule a confidential consultation.
Explore These Topics
- Pornography Addiction Treatment
- Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD)
- Sex Addiction Recovery: What to Expect
- Betrayal Trauma Therapy for Partners
- Faith-Sensitive Therapy for Latter-day Saints
Take the first step toward healing — reach out today.
This page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized clinical assessment or treatment. Sources: Kraus et al. (2018), World Psychiatry; Dickenson et al. (2018), JAMA Network Open; Grubbs et al. (2020), Clinical Psychological Science; Crosby & Twohig (2016), Behavior Therapy.