I believe it was the media frenzy surrounding the Tiger Woods’ scandal that made sex addiction ‘real’ to people. Ironically the poster boy for sex addiction, Tiger Woods, doesn’t have a sex addiction: massive ego and poor judgment certainly; a sex addiction, certainly not.
A friend of mine came home one day and found her (now ex) husband in a, ahem, compromising situation. (He was masturbating for anyone who didn’t get my attempt at being subtle.)