The December 5th issue of Newsweek magazine features their cover story by Chris Lee on "The Sex Addiction Epidemic." Quoting figures from the Society For The Advancement of Sexual Health, more than 9 million Americans are said to be affected. Chris Lee notes that the growth of compulsive sexual behavior "has been fueled by the digital revolution...whereas previous generations had to risk public embarrassment at dirty bookstores and X-rated movie theatres, the Web has made pornography accessible, free and anonymous." But if that's true, then the number affected may be much higher, with Lee reporting that the the Internet Filter Software Review estimates 40 million Americans log in daily on 4.2 million internet pornography websites.
Chris Lee quotes Dr. David Sacks, chief executive of Los Angeles's Promises Treatment Center, who observed, "Not everyone who looks at a nude image is going to become a sex addict. But the constant exposure is going to trigger people who are susceptible."
The accompanying story also promotes the highly acclaimed new film "Shame" premiering nationwide this month, featuring the star of "X-Men:First Class", Michael Fassbender, as "a corporate Manhattanite tortured by his compulsive pursuit of sex." "This movie has as much to do with sex as alocholism has to do with being thirsty,"said Director Steve McQueen. ""It's just an outlet. We drink or do drugs or have sex as a distraction. That's because it's hard to be a human being. Anything to numb the pain—that's what we do."
As we have mentioned on this blog previously, sex addiction is not a medical or psychiatric diagnosis. Sexual and Gender Identity Disorder or Impulse Control Disorder Not Elsewhere Classfied are the best fit for "sex addiction." We believe impulse control disorders (which also includes compulsive behavior) best describes sex addiction. First one needs to rule out other medical or psychiatric illnesses for which compulsive sexual behavior may be an underlying symptom.
The term "sex addiction" comes from the Twelve Step tradition describing any type of compulsive behavior which eventually disrupts the personal and professional life. In Tiger Woods case, his womanizing with at least 14 different partners led to the end of his marriage to Elin Nordegren, the loss of an estimated $750 million dollars in the divorce settlement, the loss of millions more in endorsement deals and his absence from his job as a professional golfer for almost five months and the severe decline in his professional performance for the past 2 years. In New York Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner's case, his sending lewd pictures of himself to women resulted in the destruction of a successful political career.
(Hat tip to Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld for the title)
