Sex Addiction: Real or an Excuse?

Now that every cheating celebrity, pro sports, player, or politician has used the term sex addiction and even sought rehab for this mental disorder, it's probably a given that you've heard the term before. However, you may not have heard what sex addiction really is, what causes it, or if it is even a real mental or medical disorder. This article should shed some light on the not-so-obvious truths about sex addiction. But first, a disclaimer: The author of this article holds a B.A. in Psychology from an accredited university. However, the author is not a doctor and not authorized to give medical advice. This article should not be seen as medical advice, but as a piece of information (note the words doctor, psychologist, registered counselor DO NOT appear beside the author's name). Now that we have that out of the way, let's continue.

First, what is sex addiction? Clinical Management of Sex Addiction states that if sexual behaviors are compulsive and the behavior continues despite any adverse consequences, then it is sex addiction (Carnes & Adams, 2002). The clear problem with this definition here is the requirement that the behavior continue in spite of adverse consequences. What if there are no negative consequences, then? If a person is so addicted to sex that the behavior is compulsive for them, and they use the appropriate protection, are not worried about possible childbirth, and are not suffering negatively from the behavior, can the behavior be considered an addiction? I realize that there are usually many negative consequences with having sex with multiple partners on a consistent basis, both medically and socially; however, the social context can only be applied in OUR culture. There are cultures where this behavior is considered normal and sex addiction is not even thought of. This leads me to ponder if sex addiction is a product of mainstream culture.

Is sex addiction really a mental disorder? That depends on who you ask. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) published by the American Psychological Association (APA) does not list compulsive sexual behavior as a clinically significant disorder. However, keep in mind, this manual was published in 1994 and will receive an update within the next year or so. It is not known whether the APA will list this behavior in the new manual. The fact that the manual does not list the compulsive sexual behavior, it is difficult to convince most insurance companies to pay for the treatment of this disorder. The new DSM (DSM-V) may include a category titled Behavioral and substance addictions which sexual addiction may be listed under (Sexual Addiction and "DSM-IV", 2008).

Dr. Clifford Lazarus published a insightful post in Psychology Today calling sex addiction a "socially dangerous myth (Lazarus, 2010). He claims that if sex addiction is published in the DSM-V and recognized as a disability, the rights and protections of ADA will create a very dangerous atmosphere at workplaces preventing sexual offenders from being terminated from employment. While I see the flaws in Lazarus' argument, I also see some truth to his statement as well. How do you prove a person has a sexual addictive disorder? Also, how do you separate the legitimate from the illegitimate patients? I can already see the answer in a "couch session" now: "Doc, I think I have a problem. I had sex with 10 different women this week. Why? Because I like sex!"

I'm going to conclude here before this article begins to sound like a rant against sex addiction. I understand there are people out there that have real problems of a sexual nature. Pedophiles exist, masochists exist, exhibitionists exist, etc. However, I believe the mainstream society has accepted sex addiction as a disorder too early, simply because a few high-profile people have claimed to suffer from the disorder. I think humans are addicted to sex as a population and it is not a mental disorder. I'm addicted to sex, yes, I'm a man. It's true. However, I don't think it's a disorder. It's the normal natural function of a man to seek out a mate to produce offspring with. It also just happens to feel good.