Hypersexuality

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "Man-crazy", "Nympho" and "Sexual dependency" redirect here. For the 1997 American novel, see Man Crazy. For the 2005 house music album, see Nympho (album). For the 2003 Bolivian film, see Sexual Dependency (film). Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased sexual urges or sexual activity. Hypersexuality is typically associated with lowered sexual inhibitions. Although hypersexuality can be caused by some medical conditions or medications, in most cases the cause is unknown. Medical conditions such as bipolar disorders can give rise to hypersexuality,[1] and alcohol and some drugs can affect social and sexual inhibitions in some people. A number of theoretical models have been used to explain or treat hypersexuality. The most common one, especially in the popular media, is the sexual addiction approach, but sexologists have not reached any consensus. Alternative explanations for the condition include compulsive and impulsive behavioral models. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) of the World Health Organization includes Excessive Sexual Drive (coded F52.8),[2] which is divided into satyriasis for males and nymphomania for females, and Excessive Masturbation (coded F98.8).[3] The American Psychiatric Association (APA) considered and rejected a proposal to add sexual addiction to its list of psychiatric disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). A proposal to include a diagnosis called Hypersexual Disorder, simply describing the symptom without implying any specific theory, is under consideration for inclusion in the appendix of the DSM, but not in the main list of official diagnoses.[4] Some authors have questioned whether it makes sense to discuss hypersexuality at all, arguing that extreme sexual urges merely stigmatize persons who do not conform to the norms of their culture or peer group.[5]

Contents
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1 Epidemiology 2 Possible Causes 3 Models and labels o 3.1 Addiction model of hypersexuality o 3.2 Compulsivity model of hypersexuality o 3.3 Impulsivity model of hypersexuality o 3.4 Medical disorders and drugs causing hypersexuality 4 Official diagnostic status 5 Treatment 6 Historical uses o 6.1 Richard von Krafft-Ebing

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o 6.2 Nymphomania in the Victorian age 7 See also 8 References

[edit] Epidemiology
The number of people who are hypersexual, or believe that they are hypersexual, is unknown. Although several estimates have been published, it is not clear on what basis they were made.[6] The estimates asserted are usually 36%.[6] Many proposed definitions of hypersexuality are relative to cultural or peer group norms. Surveys of "convenience samples" suggest that 35% of high school or college age males masturbate on a daily basis.[7] In the Kinsey studies, 7.6% of males engaged in some sexual behavior leading to orgasm (masturbation, sexual intercourse, oral sex, etc.) on a daily basis or more.[8] In the Laumann study (a large-scale representative survey of sexual behavior),[9] 1.9% of men ages 1859 masturbated daily, and 1.2% masturbated more than once per day.[10]

[edit] Possible Causes

Research has shown that the behavior of some cases to be linked to biochemical or physiological changes that accompany dementia. Psychological needs also complicate the biological explanation, which identifies the temporal/frontal lobe of the brain as the area for regulating libido. Persons suffering from injuries to this part of the brain often are accounted for aggressive behavior and other behavioral problems including personality changes and socially inappropriate sexual behavior such as hypersexuality.[11]

[edit] Models and labels

Sexologists have been describing cases of hypersexuality since the late 1800s.[10] In some cases, the hypersexuality was a symptom of another medical disease, such as Klver-Bucy syndrome or bipolar disorder, or the side effect of a medication, such as the drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease. In other cases, the hypersexuality was reported to be the primary problem. Sexologists have not reached a consensus over how best to describe when hypersexuality is the primary problem.[12][13][14] Some researchers assert that such situations represent a literal addiction;[15][16] other researchers assert that such situations represent a type of obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) or OCD-spectrum disorder; and other researchers assert that it is a disorder of impulsivity. Moreover, some authors assert that there is no such thing as hypersexuality at all[17] and that the condition merely reflects a cultural dislike of exceptional sexual behavior.[5][18] Consistent with there not being any consensus over what causes hypersexuality,[10] authors have used many different labels to refer to it, sometimes interchangeably, but often depending on

which theory they favor or which specific behavior they were studying. Contemporary names include compulsive masturbation, compulsive sexual behavior,[19][20] cybersex addiction, erotomania, excessive sexual drive,[21] hyperphilia,[22] hypersexuality,[23][24] hypersexual disorder,[25] problematic hypersexuality,[26] sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity,[27] sexual dependency,[18] sexual impulsivity,[28] out of control sexual behavior,[29] and paraphilia-related disorder.[30][31][32] Other, mostly historical, names include Don Juanism, the Messalina complex,[33] nymphomania,[34] and satyriasis.

[edit] Addiction model of hypersexuality

Main article: Sexual addiction The most commonly discussed way of understanding hypersexuality is with an addiction model. The concept of hypersexuality as an addiction was started in the 1970s by former members of Alcoholics Anonymous who believed that their sexual behaviors meant the same thing as their alcohol use.[35][5] Multiple 12-step style self-help groups now exist for people who identify as sex addicts, including Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous.

[edit] Compulsivity model of hypersexuality

Compulsions are behaviors a person performs in order to reduce feelings of anxiety or tension. According to this explanation of hypersexuality, persons engage in whatever sexual behavior in order to reduce feelings of tension, instead of to express sexual desire. Because engaging in the behavior can worsen the situation causing the tension, the person experiences a longer-term increase in tension, despite the shorter-term relief, resulting in a self-perpetuating cycle.[36][37]

[edit] Impulsivity model of hypersexuality

Barth and Kinder (1987) argued against classifying hypersexuality as an addiction or as a compulsion, arguing instead for classifying it as an impulsivity problem.[38] They argued that an addiction entails a substance and withdrawal states, whereas sexual behavior has neither, and that compulsive behaviors exclude intrinsically enjoyable activities, whereas sexual behavior is intrinsically enjoyable. Hypersexuality does, however, contain the essential elements of an impulsivity problem: (1) It pertains to the failure to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation. (2) There is an increasing sense of tension before the behavior. (3) There is an experience of either pleasure, gratification, or release at the time of committing the behavior.

[edit] Medical disorders and drugs causing hypersexuality

People who suffer from bipolar disorder may often display tremendous swings in sex drive depending on their mood. As defined in the DSM-IV-TR, hypersexuality can be a symptom of hypomania or mania in bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. Picks disease causes damage to the temporal/frontal lobe of the brain; people suffering with Picks disease show a range of socially inappropriate behaviors.[39]

Several neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease,[40] various types of brain injury,[41] Klver-Bucy syndrome,[42] Kleine-Levin syndrome,[43] and many more neuro-degenerative diseases can cause hypersexual behavior. Hypersexuality has also been reported to result as a side-effect of some medications used to treat Parkinson's disease.[44][45] Some street drugs, such as methamphetamine, may also contribute to hypersexual behavior.[46] Hypersexuality can be caused by dementia in a number of ways, including disinhibition due to organic disease, misreading of social cues, understimulation, the persistence of learned sexual behaviour after other behaviours have been lost, and the side-effects of the drugs used to treat dementia.[47] Other possible causes of dementia-related hypersexuality include an inappropriately expressed psychological need for intimacy and forgetfulness of the recent past. [48] Some patients with autism also exhibit hypersexuality. A variety of treatments have been tried for hypersexuality in autistic patients, with no clear consensus as to their applicability.[49]

[edit] Official diagnostic status

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) includes an entry called Sexual Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Sexual Disorder NOS) to apply to, among other conditions, distress about a pattern of repeated sexual relationships involving a succession of lovers who are experienced by the individual only as things to be used.[50] A proposal to add Hypersexual Disorder to the appendix (but not the main list of official diagnoses) of the DSM is currently under consideration by the APA.[4] The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) of the World Health Organization (WHO), includes two relevant entries: One is Excessive Sexual Drive (coded F52.8),[51] which is divided into satyriasis for males and nymphomania for females. The other is Excessive Masturbation or Onanism (excessive) (coded F98.8).[52] A proposal to add Sexual Addiction to the DSM system has been rejected by the APA, as not enough evidence suggested to them that the condition is analogous to substance addictions, as that name would imply.[53][54][55]

[edit] Treatment
There does not yet exist any treatment approach uniformly endorsed by experts and/or community groups. Most clinical authors recommend a multifaceted or multimodal approach that includes a variety of treatments, including certain classes of anti-depressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) that reduce sex drive in some people, motivational interviewing,[26] and individual, group, or couples' therapy (including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and relapse-prevention).[56][6]

[edit] Historical uses

[edit] Richard von Krafft-Ebing

Krafft-Ebing described several cases of extreme sexual behaviours in his seminal 1886 book, Psychopathia Sexualis.[57] Although he also used the term "hypersexuality" in that book, he was describing conditions that would now be called premature ejaculation.

[edit] Nymphomania in the Victorian age

Many Victorian era mental institutions treated nymphomania as an exclusively female mental illness. Women were classified as mentally ill for nymphomania if they were a victim of sexual assault,[citation needed] bore illegitimate children, "abused themselves" (i.e. masturbated), or were deemed promiscuous. Upon arrival at the asylum, doctors would give the woman a pelvic exam. If doctors felt that the woman had an enlarged clitoris, she would undergo treatments. These treatments included induced vomiting, bloodletting, leeches, restricted diet, douches to the head or breasts, and, at times, clitoridectomies.[58

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Mental Health and Behavior Overview Introduction Symptoms Causes Treatments | View all Mental Health and Behavior Articles

How is nymphomania treated?

There is no cure for nymphomania. Like many other mental illnesses, nymphomania may be treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. With treatment, it is possible to manage compulsive sexual behavior.

Treatments for nymphomania

Treatments for nymphomania are similar to treatment for other compulsive disorders, and may include:
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Cognitive behavioral therapy (to help you cope with triggers) Family or social therapy Medications, including antianxiety medications, antidepressant medications, and antipsychotic medications Talk therapy

What you can do to improve your nymphomania

In addition to following the treatment plan developed by your health care providers, you may be able to help self-manage your nymphomania by:
y y y y y

Eating a balanced and healthy diet Engaging in social activities and other activities that you find enjoyable Getting regular exercise and sleep Participating in a support group Seeking support from family and friends

Complementary treatments
Some complementary treatments may help some people to better deal with nymphomania. These treatments, sometimes referred to as alternative therapies, are used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments. Complementary treatments are not meant to substitute for full medical care. Complementary treatments may include:
y y y

Acupuncture Massage therapy Yoga

What are the potential complications of nymphomania?

The compulsive sexual behavior of nymphomania is very risky. In addition to causing social problems, it can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to seek treatment for nymphomania to prevent complications for yourself and others. Complications of untreated or poorly controlled nymphomania can be serious. You can help minimize your risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Complications of nymphomania include:
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Depression Inability to perform normally in activities Increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) Loss of employment Loss of relationships Social problems

References: Understanding compulsive sexual behavior. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct03/compulsive.aspx. Accessed June 1, 2011. When unwanted thoughts take over: Obsessive-compulsive disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/when-unwanted-thoughts-take-overobsessive-compulsive-disorder/index.shtml. Accessed June 1, 2011.

INTRODUCTION

What is nymphomania?
Nymphomania is a mental disorder marked by compulsive sexual behavior. Compulsions are unwanted actions, or rituals, that a person engages in repeatedly without getting pleasure from them or being able to control them. In the case of nymphomania, people act out their compulsions by engaging in risky behaviors such as promiscuity. Whether or not nymphomania qualifies as a true mental illnes SYMPTOMS

What are the symptoms of nymphomania?

The primary symptom of nymphomania is compulsive sexual behavior, including promiscuity. It may occur with other symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder or other mental illnesses or personality disorders.... Calling someone a nymphomaniac or accusing them of nymphomania isn't something that can be defined by science. Nymphomania is a layperson's term used to label a woman, or a nympho, whose sex drive or sexual activity is subjectively deemed too high. The term "nymphomania," is not scientifically meaningful simply because there are no specific criteria that would define a nymphomaniac. In other words, there isn't a way to determine how much sexual desire or activity is too much. The clinical conditions that include the concept of high levels of sexual desire and/or activity are hypersexuality and sexual addiction or compulsivity. The central features of these disorders are that sexual activity is an insatiable need, often interfering with other areas of everyday functioning; sex is impersonal, with no emotional intimacy; and despite frequent orgasms, sexual activity is generally not satisfying. The label of nymphomania is used in a pejorative and derogatory manner, almost exclusively in reference to women. To many men, the idea of a woman with a greater sex drive than their own is somewhat threatening, so they may use the label to preserve their own egos by "proving" that the woman is abnormal. Similarly, men with sexual dysfunction might accuse their partners of being oversexed in an effort to hide their own fears or sense of inadequacy, just as some women who object to the frequency of their partner's sexual advances might accuse him of being oversexed. The difference is that the double standard which exists in our society congratulates a man who is highly sexed and has many partners, calling him a "stud," whereas a woman with the same behavior is often called a "nympho," which carries a negative connotation.

y y y y y y

Mental Health and Behavior Overview Introduction Symptoms Causes Treatments | View all Mental Health and Behavior Articles

What is nymphomania?
Nymphomania is a mental disorder marked by compulsive sexual behavior. Compulsions are unwanted actions, or rituals, that a person engages in repeatedly without getting pleasure from them or being able to control them. In the case of nymphomania, people act out their compulsions by engaging in risky behaviors such as promiscuity. Whether or not nymphomania qualifies as a true mental illness is often debated in the medical community, but evidence suggests that compulsive sexual behavior is a real and serious illness.

Mental Health Spotlight

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Nymphomania? Join the Discussion

Nymphomania can happen to any adult, though it is thought that it may be more common in women and homosexual men. Technically, the term nymphomaniac refers to a woman, though that definition has expanded to include anyone who engages in risky compulsive sexual behavior. In addition to compulsive sexual behavior, nymphomania may include problems thinking, unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsession), and feelings of guilt, shame or inadequacy. The underlying cause of nymphomania is not known. Nymphomania is a mental and emotional condition, and, like other such conditions, is complicated. Like other mental illnesses, nymphomania may arise as a result of environment, heredity, and life events. It may also be linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Treatment for nymphomania may involve psychotherapy and medication. Medications for nymphomania may include antidepressants or antianxiety or antipsychotic medications, similar to the medications used for other compulsive disorders. Because compulsive sexual behavior is risky, people with nymphomania are at increased risk for developing complications such as sexually transmitted diseases. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you have compulsive behaviors along with other symptoms of serious, uncontrollable mental illness or brain damage, including bizarre behavior or behavior that endangers yourself or others, including threatening, irrational or suicidal behavior. Seek prompt medical care if you are being treated for nymphomania or other compulsions, but compulsions persist or cause you concern.

How is nymphomania treated?

There is no cure for nymphomania. Like many other mental illnesses, nymphomania may be treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. With treatment, it is possible to manage compulsive sexual behavior.

Treatments for nymphomania

Treatments for nymphomania are similar to treatment for other compulsive disorders, and may include:
y y y y

Cognitive behavioral therapy (to help you cope with triggers) Family or social therapy Medications, including antianxiety medications, antidepressant medications, and antipsychotic medications Talk therapy

What you can do to improve your nymphomania

In addition to following the treatment plan developed by your health care providers, you may be able to help self-manage your nymphomania by:
y y y y y

Eating a balanced and healthy diet Engaging in social activities and other activities that you find enjoyable Getting regular exercise and sleep Participating in a support group Seeking support from family and friends

Complementary treatments
Some complementary treatments may help some people to better deal with nymphomania. These treatments, sometimes referred to as alternative therapies, are used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments. Complementary treatments are not meant to substitute for full medical care. Complementary treatments may include:
y y y

Acupuncture Massage therapy Yoga

What are the potential complications of nymphomania?

The compulsive sexual behavior of nymphomania is very risky. In addition to causing social problems, it can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to seek treatment for nymphomania to prevent complications for yourself and others.

Complications of untreated or poorly controlled nymphomania can be serious. You can help minimize your risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Complications of nymphomania include:
y y y y y y

Depression Inability to perform normally in activities Increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) Loss of employment Loss of relationships Social problems

References: Understanding compulsive sexual behavior. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct03/compulsive.aspx. Accessed June 1, 2011. When unwanted thoughts take over: Obsessive-compulsive disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/when-unwanted-thoughts-take-overobsessive-compulsive-disorder/index.shtml. Accessed June 1, 2011. INTRODUCTION

What is nymphomania?
Nymphomania is a mental disorder marked by compulsive sexual behavior. Compulsions are unwanted actions, or rituals, that a person engages in repeatedly without getting pleasure from them or being able to control them. In the case of nymphomania, people act out their compulsions by engaging in risky behaviors such as promiscuity. Whether or not nymphomania qualifies as a true mental illnes... Read more about nymphomania introduction

What are the symptoms of nymphomania?

The primary symptom of nymphomania is compulsive sexual behavior, including promiscuity. It may occur with other symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder or other mental illnesses or personality disorders.

Common symptoms of nymphomania

You may experience nymphomania symptoms daily or just once in a while. At times any of these nymphomania symptoms can be severe:
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Difficulty concentrating Feelings of shame or inadequacy Guilt Repeated, uncontrollable behaviors (compulsion)

Repeated, unwanted thoughts (obsession)

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, compulsive disorders or mental illness that occurs with nymphomania can be life threatening. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including:
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Being a danger to yourself or others, including threatening, irrational or suicidal behavior Inability to care for yourself

INTRODUCTION

What is nymphomania?
Nymphomania is a mental disorder marked by compulsive sexual behavior. Compulsions are unwanted actions, or rituals, that a person engages in repeatedly without getting pleasure from them or being able to control them. In the case of nymphomania, people act out their compulsions by engaging in risky behaviors such as promiscuity. Whether or not nymphomania qualifies as a true mental illnes... Read more about nymphomania introduction

What causes nymphomania?

The exact cause of nymphomania is not known. Nymphomania is a type of compulsive disorder marked by mental and emotional imbalance. It is thought that certain life events may trigger people who are predisposed to nymphomania (for hereditary or environmental reasons) to engage in compulsive sexual behavior. Like many other mental illnesses, nymphomania may be linked to an imbalance in chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters).

What are the risk factors for nymphomania?

A number of factors increase the risk of developing nymphomania. Not all people with risk factors will get nymphomania. Risk factors for nymphomania include:
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Age under 30 Family history of mental illness Female gender Homosexual orientation Personal history of mental illness Recent traumatic life event Stress