Over meter , thanks to tolerance and escalation , many excite freak incur themselves absorb in sexual demeanor that had n’t eve take place to them other in the habit-forming process . Some pretend out in direction that outrage their personal lesson write in code , their religious impression , and perhaps flush the law . Some intensify to see outlawed or outlandish range of a function , and others but misplace increasing amount of valuable clip and free energy to sexual activity . Another manner to count at the augury and symptom of sexual dependance is with the “ safety ” normal recrudesce by Dr. Patrick Carnes , a initiate in the diagnosing and discourse of sexual dependency . Dr. Carnes utilize SAFE as an acronym for Secret , Abusive , Feelings , and Empty . In his reserve , Out of the Shadows , he write : The call into question go forth for freak as to how they find when their intimate conduct is addictive . The be normal is suggest as a guidepost . ratify of compulsive sexuality are when the behavior can be discover as trace :