By not focusing on the at-risk age groups, this kind of write-up may be giving a very false picture of the prevalence of Internet porn addiction. But it’s good to see professionals are grappling with this. Also, as Hilton pointed out in his recent journal article, the term “hypersexual” veils the advances in the neuroscience of behavioral addiction.
Curr Pharm Des. 2013 Aug 29. (Link goes to abstract)
Karila L, Wéry A, Weinstein A, Cottencin O, Reynaud M, Billieux J.
Source
Addiction Research and Treatment Center, Paul Brousse Hospital, 12 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, Villejuif 94800, France. [email protected].
Abstract
Sexual addiction, which is also known as hypersexual disorder, has largely been ignored by psychiatrists, even though the condition causes serious psychosocial problems for many people. A lack of empirical evidence on sexual addiction is the result of the disease’s complete absence from versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, people who were categorized as having a compulsive, impulsive, addictive sexual disorder or a hypersexual disorder reported having obsessive thoughts and behaviors as well as sexual fantasies. Existing prevalence rates of sexual addiction-related disorders range from 3% to 6%. Sexual addiction/hypersexual disorder is used as an umbrella construct to encompass various types of problematic behaviors, including excessive masturbation, cybersex, pornography use, sexual behavior with consenting adults, telephone sex, strip club visitation, and other behaviors. The adverse consequences of sexual addiction are similar to the consequences of other addictive disorders. Addictive, somatic and psychiatric disorders coexist with sexual addiction. In recent years, research on sexual addiction has proliferated, and screening instruments have increasingly been developed to diagnose or quantify sexual addiction disorders. In our systematic review of the existing measures, 22 questionnaires were identified. As with other behavioral addictions, the appropriate treatment of sexual addiction should combine pharmacological and psychological approaches. Psychiatric and somatic comorbidities that frequently occur with sexual addiction should be integrated into the therapeutic process. Group-based treatments should also be attempted.
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