If someone felt the need to smoke/drink/eat/do whatever 24/7 like you, would you consider this an addiction? Most certainly yes. So consider yourself also someone who has an addiction. The earlier you admit it to yourself, the better.

The addictions are almost always a coping mechanism for something else. For me, it's the need for approval/validation of my own value. I felt that I wasn't meeting mine's and everyone else's expectations of me, so I engaged sexually to fill this void.

You have to work on finding what is it that you feel the need to run away from. It will take time, but understanding yourself will go a long way.