Is Sex Addiction Real?
That’s the million-dollar question and while “sex addiction” is considered to be a real problem by those who suffer from it, it is not a diagnosable condition in and of itself.
As we mentioned earlier, “sex addiction” is a term often used to describe compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), a condition for which diagnostic criteria have been published in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).
But even CSBD is not considered an addiction.
On the topic of CSBD as it relates to “sex addiction,” the ICD-11 states:
“Individuals who make religious or moral judgments about their own sexual behaviour or view it with disapproval, or who are concerned about the judgments and disapproval of others or about other potential consequences of their sexual behaviour, may describe themselves as ‘sex addicts’ or describe their sexual behaviour as ‘compulsive’ or using similar terms.”
The term “sex addict” is self-described and may refer to CSBD — but only if “other diagnostic requirements of Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder are actually present.”
Some mental health practitioners may turn to a portion of the diagnostic criteria published on addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is provided by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Those with a “sex addiction” have an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with sexual thoughts and behaviors, typically to the point where it may interfere with a person’s work, relationships, and other areas of their life.
Additionally, those affected by “sex addiction” often struggle with feelings of guilt, isolation, and shame, and medical professionals may diagnose them with a condition similar to substance abuse disorder.
But there are a couple of major differences between substance abuse disorder and “sex addiction” — the first of which is the lack of physical dependence.
A person who is addicted to a substance, whether it is alcohol or a drug, will experience physical changes in their brain and body that require them to have that substance in order to function.
That simply doesn’t happen with “sex addiction.”
And because those physical changes to the brain and body don’t occur, we also don’t see similar issues surrounding withdrawal, which is another classic sign of addiction.
When a drug addict or alcoholic stops using the substance they’re addicted to, they go through physical and mental withdrawal.
That same type of withdrawal doesn’t occur in a person who has a “sex addiction.”
They might desire sex, or continue thinking about it, but the lack of engagement in sexual activities doesn’t manifest in the same manner as withdrawal from drugs or alcohol.
As we talk about here, therapists and mental health care professionals may borrow the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-5 or the ICD-11, as they might apply to a person’s situation, but neither manual actually contains clear diagnostic criteria for “sex addiction” as a condition.
