Most frequently found are the terms “hypersexuality,” “compulsive sexual behavior,” and “sex addiction.” Other terms that have been introduced for this condition are “Don Juanism” or “satyriasis” in men and “nymphomania” in women.
Compulsive sexual behavior is sometimes called hypersexuality, hypersexuality disorder or sexual addiction. It's an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges or behaviors that is difficult to control, causes you distress, or negatively affects your health, job, relationships or other parts of your life.
When we sexualize our feelings (or eat over them), we use dissociative and/or arousing fantasies to self-soothe and distract the mind. Sexualization of feelings is a psychological coping mechanism. Typically, sexualization as a coping skill is learned in childhood and linked to early-life attachment trauma.
The causes of hypersexual behaviour are not well understood. However, sex addiction and hypersexuality may sometimes be caused by traumatic experiences, distress, or by mental illness, such as bipolar disorder. Adults who have been sexually abused as children may display increased sexual behaviour.
A study investigating sexual behavioral patterns in a female online sample reported a 3.1% prevalence of hypersexuality and stated that high masturbation frequency, increased number of sexual partners, and frequent pornography use are associated factors (Klein et al., 2014. (2014).
Diagnosis criteria
A person should contact a mental health professional if they think they are experiencing hypersexuality. Although it is not an official diagnosis according to the DSM-5, the WHO's ICD-11 recognizes it as a compulsive sexual disorder.
A 2021 study in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that hypersexual behavior may be a reaction to past trauma, and that it's linked to post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Sexual abuse both before and after age 18 differentiated between low and high hypersexuality groups for women, with sexual abuse associated with high hypersexuality.
Paraphilias are frequent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies or behaviors that involve inanimate objects, children or nonconsenting adults, or suffering or humiliation of oneself or the partner.
Case vignettes are provided to illustrate the most common profiles of hypersexuality referral that presented to a large, hospital-based sexual behaviors clinic, including: (1) Paraphilic Hypersexuality, (2) Avoidant Masturbation, (3) Chronic Adultery, (4) Sexual Guilt, (5) the Designated Patient, and (6) better ...
[1] Hypersexuality is usually seen in mania, but can also be seen in depression and anxiety disorders. Persons afflicted with these conditions are currently diagnosed as sexual disorder not otherwise specified on diagnostic and statistical manual IV edition text revision (DSM IV-TR).
While hypersexuality can occur with PTSD, sexual avoidance is also a consequence in some cases. Many people feel hypersexual impulses as their brains are focused on the trauma. They can enter an unhealthy cycle where they seemingly reenact their trauma. As mentioned, this can be a coping mechanism for many.
n. an abnormally low level of sexual behavior. Hyposexual individuals may show no sex drive or interest in sexual activity. —hyposexual adj.
The amygdalae. Findings from animal studies have clearly demonstrated that within the temporal lobe it is the amygdala that is the pivotal structure in mediating sexual behaviour. A recent study has directly examined the role of the amygdala in human sexual functioning.
Hypersexuality may cause some people to frequently make sexual overtures to their partners. This can feel like sexual pressure and may even become coercive. Fears of cheating. The partner who has a lower libido may fear infidelity.
Although hypersexuality is commonly associated with mania, interestingly studies have reported hypersexuality in persons suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.
Results: Testosterone has a primary role in controlling and synchronizing male sexual desire and arousal, acting at multiple levels.
People are typically characterized as hypersexual when their desire for sexual interactions interferes with everyday life. For example, people who engage in risky sexual behavior, such as paying for sex, or consume pornography excessively to satiate sexual desires are sometimes characterized as hypersexual.
Scientists aren't totally sure what causes hypersexuality. Possible theories include: Imbalance of mood chemicals in your brain. High levels or overactivity of certain chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin) might result in increased sexual desire and behavior.
autassassinophilia (uncountable) (psychiatry) A paraphilia in which an individual is sexually aroused by the risk of being killed.
Dendrophilia (or less often arborphilia or dendrophily) literally means "love of trees". The term may sometimes refer to a paraphilia in which people are sexually attracted to or sexually aroused by trees. This may involve sexual contact or veneration as phallic symbols or both.
If rape is the only way for an individual to get sexual satisfaction, it meets the criteria of paraphilia, i.e. a disorder of sexual preference. The correct technical term is "biastophilia".
is a kind of: mental disorder » Paraphilias. Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders » Paraphilias.