Sex addiction is a phenomenon we’re hearing about more and more these days. Of all the addictions, however, it’s the one that people struggle to understand and take seriously.
When someone has a dependency on drugs or alcohol, nobody questions the legitimacy of this. As a society, we accept the existence of addictions to these substances and the harm they can cause. When it comes to sex, however, even the experts still disagree over whether sex addiction is real or a myth.
Is sexual addiction real?
It’s thought that up to 6% of the US population is affected by sex addiction. Despite the fact that it can cause a multitude of dysfunctions ranging from compulsive masturbation and uncontrollable infidelity, to illegal behaviors such as exhibitionism and child pornography, the disorder isn’t listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
The argument against sex addiction
The DSM is used by practitioners in both the US and the UK to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. One of the reasons for the exclusion of sex addiction is the fact that it doesn’t cause physical symptoms when a patient goes through withdrawal. The physical symptoms are however incredibly prevalent among those withdrawing from drugs or alcohol.
Another concern is that some people may simply enjoy non-monogamous behavior and other out-of-the-accepted ‘normal’ standards of sexuality. Some people even say that calling sex addiction a disease simply gives people an excuse to indulge in irresponsible, unethical and greedy behavior.
What makes sex addiction even more difficult to understand is that even once someone has experienced good recovery, they’re able to go on to lead a healthy sex life. Again, this can cause people to question if sex addiction is even real because if you were addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling, once you’ve entered rehab, the obvious aim is to refrain from engaging in these activities ever again.
Some psychologists simply believe that behaviors commonly labelled as sex addiction are in fact the symptoms of untreated mood and anxiety disorders. It has also been suggested that the concepts of sex addiction are based on moral values of what healthy sex is. If you went to a therapist for example, they could diagnose you with sex addiction simply because you have more sex, or different sex than what they deem to be ‘normal’ or appropriate.
It’s also feared that labelling sex addiction as a real addiction could lead to blurred lines. How do you separate sex addiction from someone who simply has high levels of sexual interest and behavior for example?
The argument for sex addiction
Sex addiction was considered for inclusion in the latest 2013 edition of the DSM, but was rejected because of a lack of evidence. This doesn’t necessarily mean that sex addiction isn’t real however. Gambling was previously considered in the category of compulsive behaviors, but was given formal diagnostic status as an addiction in 2013, along with binge-eating disorder after new evidence emerged. Therapists believe that sex addiction could follow a similar route.
What’s more, ‘compulsive sexual behavior’ is now included in the International Classification of Disease (ICD) manual produced by the World Health Organization.
Something scientists do know with absolute certainty is that sex addiction triggers the same reward system in the brain that other addictions do. A study published in 2014 also suggested that brain activity in those suffering with sex addiction who watched porn was similar to that of those suffering with drug addiction when shown their drug of choice.
This supports the idea that sex addiction has a similar physiological and psychological process as other addictions.
Patients with sex addiction often have other dependencies as well. Some authors argue that the existence of crossover addictions lends support to the legitimacy of sex addiction as a real addiction and that, if recognized, cross-over risk can be addressed directly to prevent it from happening after treatment for other addictions.
Sex addiction can also result in significant distress and impairments in functioning. Sexual desire is commonly reported to be unmanageable and unpleasant, in stark contrast with the way that healthy sexual experiences are reported, which are typically described as fulfilling and satisfying both physically and emotionally.
The symptoms of sex addiction are also very similar to other addictions and include pre-occupation, loss of interest in things you used to love doing, your work might start suffering, personal relationships are breaking down, you’re lying to cover up your problem, behaviors are escalating and you may become incredibly defensive when people express concern about your activities.
Dr Abigael San, a clinical psychologist from the UK believes that sexual behaviors could be addictive. She argues that for people struggling with feeling out of control, that the sex itself is secondary to other underlying problems such as depression, anxiety or trauma. It’s often these undiagnosed issues that leads to someone using sexual behaviors as a coping mechanism.
San commented:
“Different activities and substances activate reward pathways in different ways but they still activate those reward pathways. There’s no reason to believe sex doesn’t work in the same way – it’s just we don’t have enough evidence for it yet.”
Why sex addiction needs to be taken seriously
While many continue to ask, ‘is sex addiction real?’ it’s important that the condition is taken seriously.
Having a clinical label is about ensuring that people who are in distress can receive help – whether the addictive behavior is the problem in itself or the symptom of another deeper issue.
Addictions to food and gambling have been recognized as diagnosable conditions while sex addiction hasn’t. This means more people have come forward seeking clinical help, providing more evidence to support their existence as a condition. Sex addiction on the other hand remains unreported and undiagnosed because of the stigmas attached to it.
If you think that you or someone you know may have an addiction to sex, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling and we’ll be more than happy to help.
