Since then, thousands of people have come forward seeking help, and more and more professionals are being trained to identify and treat sexual addiction. One of NCSA's missions is to decrease the stigma surrounding sexual addiction problems and treatment. Sexual addiction can be understood by comparing it to other types of addictions. In sexual addiction, a parallel situation exists. They substitute unhealthy relationships for healthy ones.
Sexual addiction follows the same progressive nature of other addictions.
Sexual addicts struggle to control their behaviors, and experience despair over their constant failure to do so. Their loss of self-esteem grows, fueling the need to escape even further into their addictive behaviors. A sense of powerlessness pervades the lives of addicts. Estimates range from three to six percent of the population. Multiple addictions National surveys revealed that most sexual addicts come from severely dysfunctional families.