C-ptsd And Hypersexuality/risk Taking, Multiple Partners

[lostmykeysagain]

Anyone experienced this issue... I was told it can be a coping mechanism such as the saying "hugs & drugs". It's a total issue though, like so many other symptoms and behaviors. When is it diagnostically an issue?!?!

 

[Gs172003]

Anyone experienced this issue... I was told it can be a coping mechanism such as the saying "hu...

Realistically when it puts you and your relationships at risk. And other people. Honestly if you're asking, IMHO, you already know.

 

[Cannottakethis]

It's an issue when you put your life or well being in jeopardy to have sex. Whether it's strangers or aquaintences, it becomes an all consuming need where you don't really care Who it is anymore, it's just almost an obsession. When I went through this I was single, but I took crazy risks and put myself in dangerous situations. It became a compulsion.
@lostmykeysagain i never realized till after how dangerous what I was doing was. I could have been killed so many times. It's been 10 years since I jumped off that merry go round. I'm not ashamed here but irl it's a different story.

 

[Deleted member 541]

When I went through this, later I called it. Looking for love in all the wrong places. Slept with whoever I felt like sleeping with at the time. For me, sex=love. Took me yrs to figure it out. Amazingly, I never had any sexually transmitted disease, UNTIL I got married. My ex, gave me a shitload.

 

[Friday]

When is it diagnostically an issue?!?!

When it's a problem.

Which may sound overly simplistic, but really.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

Yes, I can related to this, it was one of my coping mechanisms, the risk taking was about passive suicide, and the rest was about numbing, hence I got nothing from it unless it was ultra-extreme such as many people, for long duration, non stop, plus it did not involve the emotional risk that comes from true loving relationships. In fact I was involved in such a scene just before I was hospitalized at SP. It and impulsivity was one of the reasons SP put me on Naltrexone.

I am so damaged by the past, I know I can never trust enough to have a true loving relationship with a life partner, I know it will never happen, so I don't even aspire for such. As such will just lead to more damage.

 

[QuirkyQuail]

I can relate to this. It was primarily part of my self-destruction pattern. In addition, it manifested because after the trauma I experienced I felt unworthy. For me it was a problem because I wasn't engaging with folks because I genuinely wanted to. I was engaging to punish myself.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

I think the biggest problem I have is I can never trust enough to allow some in enough to even love me appropriately. Even today, I am freaking out because I am having to deal with a therapy path that is new to me, one that I can't control to my comfort level. The two things I struggle with the most are distress tolerance and radical acceptance.

 

[Malaenis]

I went through this for some time as well. In my case it was needing validation from others, and that was an easy way to get it. As I associated people wanting me sexually as them approving of me. I also craved the attention.

I agree with what others have said, it's a problem when it interferes with your life, relationships, and when it is a desperate need.

It was after doing my work on toxic shaming from Pete Walker's book on CPTSD that I was much better. Prior to that I'd been in one relationship after another. I've since found a balance between embracing my sexuality, without going to that extreme again. I've also been single over a year and been fine with it. I'm actually enjoying single life for the first time in my life.

There is a way out. Try to figure out the reasons behind it for you, and then what you can do to help yourself "fix" it. :)