She explains says: “Sex addiction is something people associate with men, but
it took hold of my life for more than 13 years.
“It was a craving and a fear of how I’d feel if I couldn’t get it.
“Once I did, it was a huge relief, like a weight was lifted.
“It’s like any addiction. It made me selfish, self-destructive and depressed
but it was a cycle I couldn’t escape.”
She adds: “I lost my virginity when I was 13 with my first boyfriend.
“I was shocked when I fell pregnant. I gave birth when I was 14. It was a very
difficult time.”
Social services arranged a nanny to look after her daughter, Sarah, from six
weeks old.
Being a young mum scarred Seyi’s childhood. She says: “I moved out of home
when I was 16 with Sarah and lived in a mother and baby unit. I felt
terribly lonely. I craved affection, I was miserable.”
Moving into a housing association home at 17, Seyi met then-boyfriend Paul, 31.
It was now that she began to use sex to replace her feelings of loneliness.
She says: “When I started having sex with my boyfriend I thought it was the
answer and would stop me feeling so lonely. But it wasn’t enough.”
Going to bars, Seyi, from Birmingham, cheated on Paul at least once a week
with strangers or men she would meet regularly.
She says: “I needed sex and afterwards it was a relief. When I couldn’t have
sex my confidence would plummet, I felt ugly and went into a spiral of upset
and frustration, feeling unworthy and needing another fix as soon as
possible.”
Seyi fell pregnant at 17 with son, Andrew. She says: “I told Paul it was his
although there was some doubt in my mind. After I gave birth I tried to stay
faithful. I wanted sex with him four to five times a day, but the attention
from him wasn’t enough.
“When the pent-up sexual frustration became too much, I’d go elsewhere and get
validation through sex.
“I cheated on him three times in six months, then fell pregnant again.”
Devastated and unable to look after another child, Seyi made the decision to
have her baby terminated.
She says: “It wasn’t fair on the child to have them. I didn’t know whose baby
it was so I didn’t tell Paul. I wanted our relationship to work but we split
up when I was 19.”
Seyi’s heartbreak made her sex addiction go wild. She says: “The only cure for
my loneliness was sex. I had five guys I could meet with for sex when I
wanted and was also sleeping with strangers. I’d go to bars and easily pick
one up. Being good in bed made me feel worthy.”
By 22 Seyi had caught chlamydia twice. Going out almost every night while her
children were looked after by friends and family, all she could think about
was sex.
She says: “Between the ages of 22 to 30, life was a blur, my addiction had
taken over.
“I was sleeping with five to six men, or meeting strangers for sex at bars
weekly. I fell pregnant again at 26. I felt I had no choice but to have a
termination. I got drunk and had sex
After the procedure.
“I don’t know how I managed to keep my job as a management consultant. I took
lots of sick days when I craved sex and couldn’t face the office. I even
slept with a colleague.
“I was evicted for not paying rent when I was 29 and had to send my children
to live with my family.”
While staying with a friend Seyi saw the documentary The Secret, about the
laws of attraction. She says: “I knew I had a problem but never stopped to
think about being a sex addict. I realised I needed help.”
After quitting her job to concentrate on her recovery Seyi, then 31, went to
an addiction meeting.
She says: “There were six others there and when I listened to their stories it
cured my nerves. I didn’t stop craving sex straight away but cut down
slowly.” Since August 2009 she has been celibate.
She says: “I’m so proud of myself. I’ve craved sex but the programme lets me
know the trigger signs.
“I don’t plan on having sex any time soon. If the right guy comes along and I
feel I’m in a stable, loving relationship, I’d feel safe to do it. I have my
children back living with me and feel I’m no longer a sex addict.
“I’d hate to think where my life would be now if I hadn’t sought help.”
Despite her recovery, Seyi lives with the guilt of her addiction. She says: “I
could have passed on STIs, I had two terminations and my kids didn’t have
the attention they deserved.
“I’ve now trained as an inspirational speaker and happiness advocate. At
workshops and seminars I can help others understand what sex addiction is,
where it comes from and recovery.
“Being celibate has given me my life back. I want to help others do the same.”
Source:
The Sun UK
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