Sexual Addiction and Compulsion: Recognition, Treatment, and Recovery

Abstract

The management of patients with compulsive sexual behavior requires an understanding of the profile of the sexually compulsive or addicted patient. This article summarizes patient characteristics and their implications for treatment. Data from a study of the recovery of 957 patients who had problematic, sexually excessive behavior are presented. Spanning 5 years, the study shows six distinct stages patients experienced and the clinical activities that were most useful to them. A trajectory of a typical diagnosis and treatment path is provided, as well as important resources for physicians and patients.

Sex addiction and gambling disorder: similarities and differences

“…Similarly, previous studies observed that gambling is used to regulate negative emotions associated with life-events, distress and frustrations [65,66]. At the same time, high levels of psychopathology in the form of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and stress have been described in samples with compulsive sexual behavior [41,67], and previous studies [68,69] have concluded that sexual compulsions are a mechanism for regulating negative affect.…”

Clinicians’ Beliefs, Observations, and Treatment Effectiveness Regarding Clients’ Sexual Addiction and Internet Pornography Use

“…Although it is beyond the scope of this article to review this literature thoroughly, we note that other commentators have described specific criteria or measures that can be used to assess offline and online sexual behaviors, including IP use (Grubbs et al 2015;. Regarding treatments, several psychosocial interventions have shown promise for treating sexual addiction (Bird 2006;Fong et al 2012), including cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, 12-step programs, and couples therapy (Bird 2006;Carnes 2000;Goodman, 1992;Parker and Guest 2002;Reid and Woolley 2006). The pharmacological agent naltrexone has also shown some success (Grant and Kim 2001;Raymond et al 2003).…”

A Systematic Review of Online Sex Addiction and Clinical Treatments Using CONSORT Evaluation

“…Carnes [67] highlighted that the first point of contact for treatment is typically with a physician. This was evidenced in Bhatia et al's [56] case study where the young man initially visited the GP for Bseminal retention^issues before actually disclosing he was cybersexually addicted.…”