I can see how someone could become addicted to the dopamine, seratonin feeling one gets from sex, but to what degree is considered an addiction. That would be substance addiction, like drug addiction. It doesn't make sense to me to go by a group of best sellers 2 slap a lable on it and of course try to move over to the medical world so they can drop the real issue drug addiction with compulsion to which the worst drugs for you. Perscription drugs the Medical Doctors perscribe ( all about the $$)eg. oxytocin will be administered. or the worst anti-depressants, anxiety medication which reinforces the real issue, drug addiction and 12-step has a low success rate. For the bestdrug and alcohol addiction web site and help for addiction go to Drug rehab

The analogy to addiction with sexual compulsion is using sex as a mind or mood altering "substance"; the same analogy applies to "food addiction" (for example, weight control depends on eating only for sustenance, not to cheer up).
The problem with the compulsion model is that most people with true compulsions don't find them rewarding in any (direct) way; so having to check that the door is locked 15 times is never fun. I agree it is sometimes overly facile to call the sex or food excesses addictions, but if one can treat sufferers analogically (i.e., helping patients control using them primarily to alter mood), some people can finally grasp a way out of their problems.

Thank you for this direct and much needed essay on Sexual Addiction. Sadly, I have had to educate myself about this new movement in 12-step programs: labeling otherwise natural behaviors as "addictive" and "shameful" and needing of "treatment." And, sadly, I have also had to educate myself about treatment facilities such as The Meadows and their self-proclaimed GuRu's, like Pia Mellody and Maureen Canning Fulton, who have either no formal education or clearly not enough to write books pushing their "theories" to those who are vulnerable enough to read and buy into them.

Yes, the DSM does NOT identify "sex addiction" at all, yet there are "scholars" self-defining it's characteristics, writing books, and laughing all the way to the bank. But, what is most dangerous, is that these "scholars" truly believe their own B.S. And, they preach it to others: alpha males who may inherently just be wired for more sexual conquests or others who find masturbating several times a week fulfilling and NOT dangerous or shameful.

As I said, I have learned all about this new wave in psycho-babble the hard way. I lost my only, beautiful, younger brother to inpatient suicide in November of 2004 while he was an inpatient at (precisely) The Meadows in Wickenburg, AZ. Yes, THE MEADOWS that boasts of "experts" Pia Mellody and her crew. He was there for depression as the result of the break up of a long term relationship made only more difficult by his inability to commit and be faithful. He was the Alpha male. However, after four days of "treatment"at The Meadows for "sexual addiction," his guilt and shame peaked. That, combined with a too quick detox from Xanax that was being used to treat his high levels of anxiety, pushed him over the edge. He hanged himself on a horse farm adjacent to The Meadows property. No one knew he was missing from that facilty for over three hours.

KUDOS for having the courage to question not only the existence of this new "sexual addiction," but to expose some of the people making lots of money from it.

For more information, please visit my web site at:

www.Break-the-Silence.org

Thank you,
Denise Burne Fein
President/Founder
Break the Silence

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't seratonin spelled serotonin?

The correct spelling is SEROTONIN. Many people spell it as Seratonin, but it is not correct. A common mistake.

Excuse me Gambling is in the DSM and what is the substance there DUH
Not a very logical argument from this author and Psychology Today once more shows it is a pop rag and not too professional.

Sex addiction would seem to have most in common with pathological gambling (in DSM), "Internet addiction" (not in DSM but another currently popular trend), and and binge-eating disorder (not in DSM but some serious people think it should be). All of these are kinds of impulse-control disorders that seem to have features of both addictions and compulsions but don't neatly fit into either. Actually, cutting and other forms of self-mutilation may qualify too.

arspsychiatrica.blogspot.com

Romantic addiction is the only condition which will flourish in total absence of the object/substance of attraction. When people are apart the Object doesn't interfere with the Ideal Script. Put the Object into a War Zone or on a Death Bed of any sort and Romantic Love will explode through the roof! It's truly wonderful - as it is pure dedication to your own ideal story.
When the Object is back near - sex is a confirmation and reassuring activity to prove that the Ideal scrip was real. So, you never have enough of it.
I know it all... And still alive!
www.svetlanasavrasova.com

The consequences of sexual compulsivity are as severe as those of any other addiction. They will impact on all areas of an individual’s life: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, legal and financial.

Sex addicts are presented with an even greater challenge when realising that this is, indeed, an addiction; shame and secrecy are at the core of the disorder, and because of this, it can be profoundly frightening and difficult to ask for help.

Lifeworks offer several treatment options that have been specifically designed to address the complex tangle of issues that sex addicts face with loved ones, family members, employers and most importantly, within themselves.

For more information visit www.lifeworkscommunity.com

as someone else metioned there is no "substance" in gambling addiction but that is still included in the DSM. I understand that "sex addiction" dosent fit into either the current compulsion or addiction category but these people feel out of control and unable to stop. Denise Burn Fein says that "some males masturbate several times a week and dont feel shame"...woo hoo...good for them....no one ever said that was sex addiction. He brother hanged himself in the meadows while in treatment for sex addiction and i think her emotion and desire for retribution is clouding her judgement. Sex addiction, in the sense that ppl will mastubate until their genitals bleed (even women) DOES exist....modern psychology hasnt come up with a way of categorising it yet. Because they cannot do this - it therefore must not exist. I would argue otherwise. Categories are human constructions they are not God - given. How can what I have described above be anything but an addiction? albeit one we cannot fully pin down or define yet.

What about the effect these folks have on their children? They behaviors are immature, self involved and clearly they often have boundary issues. They are also often obcessive compulsive and, during their "cycle" of addiction they have periods where they are distracted and obcessive, followed by euphoric and preoccupied, then shameful, then irritated and out of emotional balance. Clearly not a good cycle for a functioning parent. They cannot handle real relationships with wives (husbands) or girl (boy) friends. Usually they are compulsively secretive. Who watches out for the innocent children effected by these folks?

What about the effect these folks have on their children? They behaviors are immature, self involved and clearly they often have boundary issues. They are also often obcessive compulsive and, during their "cycle" of addiction they have periods where they are distracted and obcessive, followed by euphoric and preoccupied, then shameful, then irritated and out of emotional balance. Clearly not a good cycle for a functioning parent. They cannot handle real relationships with wives (husbands) or girl (boy) friends. Usually they are compulsively secretive. Who watches out for the innocent children effected by these folks?

Nice article. It was proven that sex addiction really happen but the is there a way to cure this and how can it be prevented?

Nice article. Sex addiction really depends on what is perception of the people involve. If one person thinks that he is a sex addict then he is a sex addict. But what if you just have unusual lot of sex but you do not consider yourself a sex addict.

Does any profession have "jurisdiction" over "what is absolutely true or does not exist in the health care field" ? As we learn in medical school, "anything is possible " or "what you do not know of, you will not be able to diagnose". If LC is knowledgeable about Obsession, what is his take on Paulo Coelho's book: "the Zahir", inasfar as literature ( we could turn to Dostoievski for that matter) is an excellent repository of examples of human suffering / characters / personality / behaviors ? In my opinion LC demonstrates his ignorance of basic facts : addiction to anything can happen; his attitudes reminds me of Galileo's opponents' in the 16 th century. I think that LC has less credentials to comment on Pia's background than any donkey would have to comment on Sigmund Freud's discoveries, the Big Bang or Einstein's theory of relativity. Actually they both sound the same... Whatever LC poo-poos , he clearly does not understand . Among MD's, one can find the biggest addicts in denial - some of them clearly infatuated with themselves . Case in point : a 45 year old MD, former associate of mine, in remission from breast cancer started smoking in our office, on the pretext that this "helped deal effectively with her stress", not only puffing away in the presence of her teenage child, but also violating public places and workplace non-smoking laws, confident on her legal and health immunity. Truely sorry to hear that 2 kids hung themselves, this should never had happened. Recovery does exist too, it works ... if you work it...

Liked your article. I personally think that sex could be addictive to anyone if addiction just means that we (humans - male and female) want a lot of it. I have read that sex (or at least promiscuity - meaning sex with a lot of different partners) seems to be a symptom of BPD, a real problem with plenty of personal and social consequences. There is another article in PT that has a much tighter definition of "sex addiction" that is more realistic than what we see presented in the news. However, we are addicted to eating in the sense that we must eat, but binge eating and eating the wrong foods intentionally, lead to bad consequences for our health. There are plenty of clinics, diets, etc. for overweight people - why not for sex? For one thing eating doesn't carry all the social and religious baggage that has been placed on sex. Besides, no one (maybe except the Pope - who is supposed to be celibate) has really defined normal sex. Having said this, I would think that sexual compulsion and/or addiction is better handled by clinical psychologists and/or psychiatrists than by clinics and TV doctors. Dr. Drew is about to debut a sex addiction show on VH1 featuring celebrities and porn stars, etc. He has a spotty record to start with, but I guess the subject will draw ratings. As they say - "sex sells".

I think sexual addiction comes down not to numbers, but to control, and I think it's a very real condition. A man that happily sleeps with 40 women of his choosing a week is not necessarily a sex addict even if that number sounds exorbitantly high to us. Lets say this man chooses his partners wisely, is safe, and just has a high libido that he likes to partake in - but its by no means a necessity. If you bet him to go 1 week with out any sex, you'd loose your money. And probably one day he'll fall in love and that will be his one and only from then on.

On the flip side is the sex addict - defined by the fact that he/she can't not have sex and that he/she makes unhealthy life changes and choices to fill the addiction. While the first man would easily avoid say a cheap prostitute that he knowns might have HIV (or any prostitute for that matter), the addict when solicited has such a compulsion that saying no, despite all reasonable logic, might not be possible. The addict misses work to scour Craigslist, thereby risking their job. The addict puts him/herself into situations (sometimes subconsciously) that have the highest potential of filling the addiction even if those situations are dangerous. And there may be no guilt during the act, but the guilt after the act, when the urge is momentarily gone and the gravity of what just occurred is fully realized, is crushing. But then the urge builds again and the cycle starts over.

What I mentioned here is of course just one type of sexual addiction (sex with anonymous strangers followed by a near immediate emotional detachment from said stranger)- but other types exist, from masturbation addiction to exhibitionism. I think the best rule of thumb is the same for gambling or alcohol addiction: does it adversely affect one's life, and is one capable of winning that 'bet you can't go without it for a week' bet.