Sex Addiction Thought To Be Real Disorder
Celebrities such as Russell Brand have claimed to suffer from being a sex addict, without much belief from the public, but now researchers are claiming it can be a real addiction for some people.
Psychologists from the University of California, Los Angeles, have now managed to define hypersexual disorder, the formal name for sex addiction.
Study researcher Rory Reid, an assistant professor and research psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles has said that someone who just frequently indulges in sex would not classify.
Rather, someone whose sexual activity is excessive, frequently used to cope with stress and interfere with their ability to function in daily life could qualify as suffering from the disorder.
The researchers made a point of saying that they are not simply trying to turn things such as having lots of sex or watching porn into disorders, instead they are focusing on people with hypersexual disorder who report feeling out of control, and act on their sexual urges, disregarding the repercussions.
Dr Reid told website MyHealthNewsDaily, “They might consider the consequences momentarily, but somehow feel their need for sex is more important, and choose sex even in situations where such choices might cause significant problems or harm, such as job loss, relationship problems or financial difficulties.”
The study has officially defined hypersexual disorder as ‘recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges, and sexual behavior’, which they believe to last over six months.
In order to be diagnosed with the disorder the person must not have their sexual cravings brought on by drugs, alcohol or another mental disorder.
The sexual fantasies, urges and behaviours must cause the patient distress, or interfere with some aspect of the patient's life, such as the patient's job or social life.
To come to these conclusions the researchers interviewed 200 people who had been referred to mental health clinics, without knowing the reason for their referral.
Out of the 200, 150 were thought to have sexual behaviour problems and out of them 134 were diagnosed with hypersexual disorder, with 92 per cent of those cases being agreed with by professionals.
It seemed that the most problematic activities for those who suffered from the disorder were masturbation and pornography, with some people having been fired from work because they were unable to refrain from these activities.
Rory Reid said that the diagnosis wouldn’t avoid things such as divorce but would be very advantageous when the person is trying to seek help and change their ways.
The results of the study are published online in the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Dr Reid now wants to establish how common the disorder is and whether the people who suffer from it have the same changes in their brains as those who suffer addictions.
Cara Mason @FemaleFirst_UK
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