An office worker who was fired and lost her friends due to a sex addiction found an "adventurous" man in the bedroom who is her lover and "therapist".

When Sami Walton and James Keates abandon a night out early, James' friends wink and snigger as his girlfriend can't keep her hands off him.

But Sami's addiction has previously wreaked havoc in her life and she has "exhausted" her boyfriend by having sex more than 10 times a day.

"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."

The couple try to have sex at least once a day to keep Sami satisfied and she owns a £1,500 collection of adult toys in case James is too tired.

He said: “All my mates are jealous of me and it’s a bit of a running joke when we sneak away from the pub early for sex.

“I’d be lying if I said a girlfriend who wants sex constantly doesn’t have its advantages. 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.”

The financial worker steers away from medication or advice from doctors as she believes they don't understand the problem.

She added: “I would rather try to manage it on my own, with help from James.

“I don’t think doctors really get what sex ­addiction means and how it can affect your life.”

When Sami broke up with a long-term partner in her 20s she became aware of her addiction.

She had a series of flings and one-night encounters with strangers and friends but had assumed her urges were all part of being on the rebound.

Sami even slept with women, although she is not bisexual, to satisfy her lust.

“Things spiralled out of control completely and I drove my friends away because all I cared about was sex. I had a huge network of people I’d sleep with regularly – I’d call them my friends with benefits – but I’d also sleep with strangers.

“Some evenings if I had nothing else to do I’d go to a wine bar, order myself a drink and sit at the bar until I got chatting to someone in the hope of sleeping with them.

“I was so desperate for some action, I’d do anything for sex. I consider myself straight but I’d sleep with women just to satisfy my cravings," Sami continued.

After travelling to the other side of the country for sex Sami awoke miles away from home and she was often late to work or didn't show up at all.

Eventually, Sami told her boss she had an addiction and confided in her mother who helped her to make a doctor's appointment.

She said: “I had to phone my boss and tell her I couldn’t come into work ­because I was stranded in Birmingham following a one-night stand. I broke down and told her I was a sex addict.

“She was understanding at first but when I continually failed to turn up for work, she eventually told me she couldn’t keep paying me.”

After being prescribed anti-anxiety medication Sami felt her addiction hadn't been taken seriously and the long waiting list for counselling discouraged her from using talking therapies.

Luckily, Sami met James six months later and although she wasn't ready for a new relationship, the couple became close.

James said: “Sami didn’t have to tell me she was a sex addict. As soon as we got together it was pretty obvious.

"I reassured her that she could talk to me about her problem and since then we’ve always been open with each other.

“We have had some good times as I’m quite adventurous in bed too.

"One Bank Holiday ­weekend we had sex around 40 times.

"But now I’m getting a bit older I do get tired more easily so I’m glad she has her sex toys as well.”

Although they have told a few of their close friends about Sami's addiction, she has had a few embarrassing encounters.

Sami said: “My bag of sex toys were lying open on the couch when James and his friend walked in. It was embarrassing. I tried to hide them but it was too late. In the end, I just laughed it off. Sometimes, I find it difficult to get through the day with no stimulation.

“In one of my previous jobs, I became really snappy with colleagues and my manager had to speak to me.

“I didn’t want to get sacked again so I knew I had to deal with it.

“Now if I’m feeling overwhelmed I just pop out and call James.

“He’s my therapist as well as my lover.”

Despite her high sex drive, James is confident in their relationship and doesn't worry about her cheating.

He said: “Most men would be scared Sami might be unfaithful but I’m a very secure person. We are so open with each other that I know I can trust Sami. I try to keep up with her as best I can. I think that stops her from looking elsewhere.”