Most addicts, have experienced several reasons for their sexual addiction. What I have experienced in working with sexual addicts is that there is a need to escape and not feel the pain they have experienced in the past. Many sex addicts have developed a coping mechanism to escape from the pain of a childhood and/or adolescent trauma. This coping mechanism has been an escape, that has carried the addict through most of his adult life. When things get difficult for the sex addict, he will do something to medicate the pain by taking an emotional aspirin (act out) to avoid dealing with the trauma from the past.
There are many pain agents, that move the addict into the beginning of the sexual addiction cycle. The beginning of this cycle often starts with a shameful experience. In recovery, when the addict begins to understand this cycle, he will be able to short circuit the necessity to act out.