Unless you’ve been tuned out the past few days, you’ve probably heard about Rep. Anthony Weiner’s resignation from Congress. After Weiner found himself in the midst of a sexually charged Twitter controversy, fellow Congress members urged the Congressman to resign. 

Now that he has, it leads us to wonder: Is Internet sex addiction more common than we think? In an age where sexting and celebrity sex tapes have become cool, it’s hard to wrap your head around just how serious a sex addiction really can be, so we consulted Dr. Marc Siegel, author of The Inner Pulse: Unlocking the Secret Code of Sickness and Health, to get his thoughts on the problem. Here’s what he had to say.

When Do You Know It’s a Sex Addiction?

When does a little bit of sexting turn into a sex addiction? Well, in the impersonal age of the Internet, addictions can pop up without you even realizing it, Dr. Siegel says: “In this particular kind of addiction, it’s depersonalized. It’s easy to be the ‘Wizard of Oz man behind the curtain’ and not think that you’re that person or that player. So you may not even realize you’re addicted because you’re living in a different world than your own world.”

And while some addicts have a clear physical trigger to indicate they have a problem (think alcoholics), it’s a bit different with sex addictions like Rep. Weiner’s. “We’re not taught to understand that the Internet has the same kind of affect,” Dr. Siegel says, so it can often seem that the addiction doesn’t even exist when it’s mostly perpetuated online.  

And even though a sex addiction can be examined quite clinically, it’s important to remember that ethics and morals both play a part in the development of an addiction.

How common is sex addiction and who does it affect?

In our digital age, sexting seems to be en vogue, but sex addiction like Rep. Weiner’s is pretty uncommon, Dr. Siegel says. And the public now has a chance to learn from his example and see just how dangerous sex addictions can be.

While women certainly aren’t immune to it, Internet sex addiction of this kind is probably most common in men, according to Dr. Siegel, who sees it as an “overblown” example of the macho male stereotype. And in fact, there’s actually a bit of irony to the situation: “Men who act like [Rep. Weiner] feel that women are going to respond… when in reality, many women are more subtle in their responses and may be turned off by this.”

What are the dangers?

Sex addictions can present a number of repercussions for anyone, and dangers range from the personal (broken relationships) to the professional (ruined careers) and the legal. Being exposed as a sex addict can also carry a certain amount of shame, but Dr. Siegel says the biggest danger comes from within.

“The number one issue is self esteem…because if you have a low self esteem, you might be attracted to a kind of superhero solution where you take on a different identity and that identity allows you to feel better about yourself,” Dr. Siegel says. “If you were in touch with your inner pulse and your own spiritual inner center, you would never make that mistake; you’d be aware that there was a problem and you would go to seek help.”

Since the anonymous nature of chat rooms and faceless social media accounts can tempt you to live a second life, Dr. Siegel cautions people to “watch out for this need to be someone else and to respond to the voyeurism of the Internet.”

How can you get help?

Like any other addiction, sex addiction can be treated with therapy and/or rehab. But there’s no quick fix, and Dr. Siegel cautions that it can take years of therapy—during which patients can really explore the self-esteem issues connected to their addiction—to reach recovery. Since addictions can spark personal and professional crises, it’s also helpful for patients to have a strong support system to get through the recovery process.

Chrissy Callahan is a freelance writer for EndlessBeauty.com. She's covered everything from NY Fashion Week to interviews with top industry professionals. Follow her on Twitter.