Sami Walton(pictured) has lost her job and many of her friends. She is not under the power of drugs or alcohol, but rather a slave to her own lust.
The 29-year-old has a s*x addiction that leaves her unable to keep her hands off her partner of four years James Keates. Office worker Miss Walton leaves the 38-year-old exhausted by having sex more
than 10 times a day on some occasions.
But she is keen to dispel the myths around the issue and make people realise it is a real problem and not something to laugh about.
Miss Walton, of Ascot, Berkshire, told the Sunday People:
'Most men think they would love a partner who needs s*x so much, but none of my previous boyfriends could handle it.
'I'm lucky to have James. Not only does he have the stamina to keep up with me, he's really supportive and doesn't judge me when I'm having a bad day.'
If Mr Keates is too tired to sustain her addiction she has a £1,500 collection of s*x toys to turn to.
He told the People:
'In the early days I felt like I'd won the lottery. But now I'm getting a bit older it can be exhausting and I know it gets Sami down. I just try my best to be understanding.'
Miss Walton said she has shunned medical treatment in the past because she did not feel doctors understood what she was going through.
She developed the problem in her early 20s after a break-up with a long term partner, and ended up travelling all over the country for casual rendezvous with both men and women.
It led to her failing to turn up to work and her life 'spiralled out of control', sleeping with regular 'friends with benefits' and complete strangers.
She added it led to 'dangerous situations' because she would go home with people she 'knew nothing about'.
Miss Walton said a life-changing moment came in 2010 when she woke up hundreds of miles away from home and she realised she had a genuine problem and was not just 'on the rebound'.
She soon lost her job and went to see her GP about the issue, but was only prescribed anti-anxiety medication, while the waiting list to see a counsellor was 'too long'.
But six months later her life began to turn around after meeting Mr Keates through a mutual friend, and he has become a source of comfort and reassurance for her.
Mr Keates said it was 'obvious' his new partner was a s*x addict straight away but that he told her they could talk about the issue and have always been open about it.
He added he is 'quite adventurous' and they once had s*x more than 40 times over a Bank Holiday weekend.
Miss Walton describes her boyfriend as her 'therapist and lover' and said if she is ever feeling overwhelmed she calls him for support.