Spotlight on sexual addiction
More and more people are seeking advice on sexual addiction, which is only now starting to come out into the open. But what exactly do we know about this disorder?
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It would seem that Tiger Woods, Michael Douglas and David Duchovney are self-confessed sex addicts and have all undergone rehab in an effort to get cured.
How can you tell if someone is genuinely dependent on sex or just wildly hedonistic? Who are these sex-addicts? Here’s an explanation about this intriguing condition.
A sex addict or a hedonist?
The answer to this doesn’t lie in any moral distinction but obviously in how dependency is measured, rather like that of other addictions. This includes withdrawal symptoms with chest pain and insomnia, and finding it impossible to curb a compulsive desire for orgasms, despite it having a negative social impact (losing your job, breaking up with your partner, social exclusion).
Bruno’s case is fairly typical of sex addiction: he systematically sought out several partners, and masturbated excessively; an addiction which cost him several jobs and led to his own partner walking out on him.
But what is meant by excessive? “It’s difficult to determine, but with addicts, multi-daily “use” (which may reach 12 to 15 orgasms) is associated with a withdrawal syndrome. What’s more, using orgasms like this is generally associated with anxiodepressive disorder, with the orgasm playing the role of a natural tranquilizer,” explains Dr. Nathalie Dudoret.
Identikit of a sex addict
It seems that men are affected more often by sexual addiction, but some authors think that this is in part due to taboos still prevalent in the female sex. In spite of sexual liberation, if a man has loads of sexual partners, it increases his standing and it’s a sign of his virility. However, a woman in the same situation would be seen in a negative light, as being easy, or even less flattering terms...
Sex addiction also seems to affect equal numbers in all age brackets and social and professional groups. One possible root of this disorder could be in adolescence when excessive masturbation continues into adulthood.
Finally, a sex addict is more generally a ‘polyaddict’ dependent on several things at the same time, such as drugs and tobacco, or being bulimic or a workaholic. “But the most characteristic trait is undoubtedly the under-lying presence of anxiodepressive disorder,” explains Dr. Dudoret.
The end of another sexual taboo
As sexual addiction is coming out into the open (think Tiger Woods!), we tend to think it’s on the increase. Is this really the case or is it simply the media distorting a very unusual condition?
Although there aren’t any figures for this condition, sexologists seem to agree that there’s an upsurge in the number of consultations for sexual addiction. Nevertheless, they don’t see that as an increase in the appeal of sexual stimuli in adverts, the telly or the cinema but rather as a lifting of taboos and a better knowledge of addictive disorders.
Despite that, not all taboos have disappeared and so people generally come for a consultation only several years down the line. As Dr Dudoret told us, the diagnosis comes very late, after it has affected peoples’ social lives (persistent insomnia, loss of weight, social exclusion, job loss, financial problems, relationship problems...) or after erection problems or other sexual problems have occurred which mean they no longer reach their usual number of orgasms.
Once a diagnosis has been made, specific treatment can be started. “As we are generally dealing with a combination of polyaddictions and anxiodepressive disorder, it is best to grade the extent of the various dependencies and treat them in a hierarchical fashion,” explains Dr. Dudoret.
Treatment for sexual addiction consists of taking antidepressants or tranquillizers, which either help the problem to be resolved if it’s a recent addiction (of the past 3 to 6 months) or reduce the use of sex before starting a course of psychological treatment (cognitive behavioural therapy, etc.).
Group therapy based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model works well in the United States. But it is still more difficult to talk about your sexuality than about other addiction problems...
Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 02.09.2010
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