My mind is in the gutter 24/7 and it brings me shame

I frequently entertain sexual daydreams at all hours of the day — while working, running errands, driving, before falling asleep, etc. I’m 22 years old and it seems like the frequency of these thoughts is increasing for me.

The most shameful thing about this is that for the past few months, I have been fantasizing almost exclusively every single day about someone I work with. I was raised Christian under the belief that lust is a sin, so I feel guilt about this. Lately, my mind drifts into daydreams about situations with this person completely on accident. I feel like this is bad and I need to stop.

I don’t think the fantasies are driven by libido, but more a desire for safety, intimacy, passion and an escape. I’ve been single for pretty much my whole life. Romance feels more like a distant fantasy than something that could actually happen in my life. It’s hard to turn off the part of my brain that craves it, even though I can’t see myself getting into a relationship or even a casual arrangement with anyone in the near future. Most people my age (especially men) seem too unhealed and immature for that.

The older I get, the less romance I experience and the more stress I feel about my life, the more I seem to take comfort in the sexual daydreams I have — even though I sometimes question whether the habit is healthy or morally acceptable.

Do other women struggle with the same thing? The frequency of these thoughts makes me feel like I’m perverted sometimes. I’m not sure how to conquer the emotional issues I have surrounding it.