Sex Addiction

Sex addiction, commonly referred to as sexual addiction is a controversial term derived from modern social influences that refers to an individual's inability to manage their sexual behavior. Sex addiction is a derivative of excessive obsessive thoughts related to sexual activity or pornographic material or extreme compulsive behavior without regard to consequences when it comes to sexual activity or behavior. The exact definition of the term sex addiction is debated among many, and sexual addiction in and of itself is not currently listed as an official psychiatric or psychological diagnosis according to the DSM-IV or the ICD-10, which serve as official manuals for psychotherapists and psychiatric professionals. However, a more recent edition of the International Classification of Diseases includes "excessive sexual drive" as a diagnosis, and sex addiction is listed as a subtype of hypersexuality. Hypersexuality in and of itself is attributed as both a symptom and coexisting condition of other major mental disorders, including Mania as experienced in Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Hypersexuality and what some would consider sex addiction is also common in individuals experiencing PTSD associated with sexual trauma.

• Sex education
• Counseling
• Psychotherapy
• Medications

• Compulsive masturbation
• Unsafe sex
• Cybersex
• Voyeurism
• Exhibitionism
• Rape
• Molestation
• Sexual harassment

Many psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals disagree about whether sex addiction actually exists, but most tend to agree that the consequences of the compulsive behavior associated with it can be disastrous. A specialized group of psychologists, called sexologists adamantly deny that sex addiction exists as a condition, but instead is more a symptom of obsessive compulsive manners of thinking. Other groups of people tend to believe that sex addiction is instead nothing more than a myth created by pop culture and modern social influences. The phrase has been made popular recently due to public attention concerning a number of scandalous sexual affairs among celebrities such as Jesse James and Tiger Woods.

Similar terms, such as nymphomania and satyriasis are also not listed as disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but are also included as subtypes of hypersexuality in the ICD.

Proponents of the idea of sex addiction being officially a disorder argue that the disease itself is similar in nature to other addictions, such as alcoholism or substance abuse in that there is a recurrent pattern of failure when it comes to the individual's ability to control the sexual impulses. These proponents also point out the similarities between chemical reactions in the brain that occur during sexual activity and the reactions in the brain to external chemical influences such as drugs or alcohol. There is also evidence that those who engage in compulsive sexual activity tend to increase the intensity an severity of the behavior over time, and that there is a presence of a will or desire to stop the behavior, upon failure of which leads to depression and anxiety.

Since there is evidence that substance abuse disorder is commonly found in conjunction with Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the arguments of these proponents open the door for opponents to substantiate their claims that sex addiction or hypersexuality is really just a symptom of these other mental disorders.