Sexual addiction is a condition that involves the sufferer becoming
excessively preoccupied with thoughts or behaviors that give a desired sexual
effect. Sexual addictions may be eiter paraphilic or nonparaphilic. Nonparaphilic
addictions are classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) as sexual disorder, not otherwise specified. No one factor is thought to cause sexual addiction, but there are thought to
be biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to the
development of these disorders.
Sex
addicts have been described as suffering from a negative pattern of
sexual behavior that leads to significant problems or distress. As is
true with virtually any other mental-health diagnosis, there is no
one test that definitively indicates that someone has a sexual
addiction.
Therefore, health-care practitioners diagnose these disorders by
gathering
comprehensive medical, family, and mental-health information to
distinguish
sexual addiction from medical and other mental-health disorders.
When sexual
compulsions become severe, the sufferer may require inpatient treatment or
participation in an intensive outpatient treatment program. Seroetoninergic (SSRI) antidepressants, antiseizure medications, naltrexone, and medications that decrease male hormones have been found to
decrease the compulsive urges and/or impulses associated with sexual addictions
for some sufferers.
The
prognosis of sexual addictions depends on a number of factors.
Prevention of sexual addiction may involve interventions that
enhance self-esteem and self-image, addressing emotional problems,
educating children about
the dangers of excessive internet use, monitoring and limiting computer
use, and
screening out pornographic sites. Sex addiction is associated with a
number of potential medical,
occupational, legal, social, and emotional complications. Research on
sexual addiction includes exploring potential risk factors and
developing accurate screening and assessment tools for these disorders.
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