Article: You might engage in risky situations which could hurt your emotional or physical health. Exposing yourself to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be a long-term cost to what you consider a little bit of fun. You might put yourself in dangerous situations in the pursuit of sexual pleasure such as illegal prostitution. If you know the risks yet continue to put yourself in risky situations, this might be part of an addiction. You might feel stressed or overworked and use sex as a way to feel better. Just like drug addicts turn to drugs when life feel overwhelming, you might turn to sex. If you start to feel out of sorts or 'off,' you may use sex as a reset to return to normal. When you feel stressed, you might turn to sex as your first option to relieve stress over other options available to you. If you use sex as a stress reliever or if you have trouble stopping, then you may have a sex addiction. Some people with a sex addiction have trouble experiencing true intimacy. This can include being intimate with someone on an emotional level or sexual level. You may form little attachment to your sexual partners or fail to truly connect with any love interests beyond sex. You may want to have a relationship yet not know how to connect in an intimate way beyond sex. Sex may not feel fulfilling as a form of intimacy. You might feel as if you use sex to feel like 'more of a man' or 'more of a woman.' You might feel like you don't know who you are without engaging in sexual activities or not have friends outside of a certain social circle that also engage the same way you do. If you take a break from sex, you might feel lost as to who you are. Outside of your sexual activity, you might have low self-esteem.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Consider if you engage in risky sexual activity. Ask yourself if you use sex to cope or feel normal. Notice if you struggle with true intimacy. Ask if your self-worth is tied to sex.