Sex addiction is a relatively new phenomenon in human history, some believe it is a legitimate disorder while other believe it is created by religious groups and conservatives out of mere disapproval and from high profile individuals who needed to justify their adultery. It can be hard for researchers to assess because unlike chemical dependencies, sex is a natural behavior, just like eating, sleeping and breathing. Studies have been done on sex addiction but no conclusions were reached(1). This is why sex addiction and hypersexuality is not listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. (2)
In 1987 the American Psychiatric Association added Sexual Addiction to the DSM-III-R(6). It stated “ this descriptor could be applied if the individual being assessed displayed distress about a pattern of repeated sexual conquests or other forms of nonparaphilic sexual addiction, involving a succession of people who exist only as things to be used.” However there was much disagreement over what the diagnostic criteria for sex addiction was or if it was even a …show more content…
There are conservative people and religious groups who have very strict boundaries as to what normal sexual behavior should be. They may consider anything outside of these boundaries a disorder. For example some religious groups may say that pornography is “of the devil” and that there is seriously something wrong with anyone who views pornography. Meanwhile people with more liberal attitudes towards sex would say that it is perfectly normal to watch pornography.
Another issue with sex addiction is that high profile men who get caught cheating will often use this as an excuse to justify their behavior. It is important to differentiate someone whose religion may have them feeling guilty and self diagnosing, someone who is using a disorder as an excuse for poor judgement and someone who feels genuinely out of control and cannot curb their risky or harmful
In 1987 the American Psychiatric Association added Sexual Addiction to the DSM-III-R(6). It stated “ this descriptor could be applied if the individual being assessed displayed distress about a pattern of repeated sexual conquests or other forms of nonparaphilic sexual addiction, involving a succession of people who exist only as things to be used.” However there was much disagreement over what the diagnostic criteria for sex addiction was or if it was even a …show more content…
There are conservative people and religious groups who have very strict boundaries as to what normal sexual behavior should be. They may consider anything outside of these boundaries a disorder. For example some religious groups may say that pornography is “of the devil” and that there is seriously something wrong with anyone who views pornography. Meanwhile people with more liberal attitudes towards sex would say that it is perfectly normal to watch pornography.
Another issue with sex addiction is that high profile men who get caught cheating will often use this as an excuse to justify their behavior. It is important to differentiate someone whose religion may have them feeling guilty and self diagnosing, someone who is using a disorder as an excuse for poor judgement and someone who feels genuinely out of control and cannot curb their risky or harmful