2. Escalating patterns of sexual activity

Uncontrolled
addiction
Sexual addiction is a degenerative disease, and the amount or level of activity will get worse. For example, it may seem normal to go to R-rated movies because lots of people do. In early stages, sex addicts may scan movie reviews to see which ones have sex actually portrayed in them. From that they graduate to R-rated movies from the video store. Next, they move on to X-rated videos, and from there they may frequent more dangerous places for hard-core pornography.
Escalating activity
 The patterns of escalation can be as varied as there are numbers of sex addicts. They may be short or long. They may vary in intensity. Remember that sex addicts can go for long periods of time without acting out. This may fool them or others into thinking that their disease is under control. More serious behaviors may alternate with less serious ones. In fact, sex addicts may commit less serious behaviors in order to stop greater ones, or reward themselves with lesser ones for not committing the more serious forms. In final analysis, however, the acting out will always escalate.