Substitute For Love

Tiger Woods case puts spotlight on “sexual addiction” By Andrew Stern

Golfer Tiger Woods’ admission that he is undergoing therapy after having adulterous affairs has focused attention on the issue of sex addiction, a condition some experts say is becoming much more common. But sex addiction is a controversial concept not currently recognized as an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, considered the definitive word on psychological disorders. Dr. Ken Zucker of the University of Toronto, who heads a working group dealing with the next edition of the manual, said he expected “hypersexuality disorder” to be listed. “Certainly a lot of clinicians believe there is a clinical phenomenon of people who experience a lot of distress or get into a lot of trouble from having excessive sex,” Zucker said.

“Anything in the sex and gender domain is controversial. Everyone has an opinion about sex. These issues raise the boundary between what’s normal and what isn’t - and where do you draw the line,” he said. Some psychologists opposed to conferring recognition on a diagnosis of “sexual addiction” describe it as a habit or a compulsion, akin to unrestrained gambling, and not an addiction that has a direct impact on brain chemistry.

“Sex addiction by itself is not a diagnosis we currently use,” said Craig Fabrikant, a “It’s like a lot of patterned behaviors that could be better described as obsessive-compulsive traits,” he said. “Are people in a loving relationship oversexed? Is loving sex a sign of addiction? If it feels good, you do it.” “A chronic adulterer who gets caught might hide behind the term sexual addiction,” Fabrikant said.

Nevertheless, treating someone who has numerous sex partners might be similar to treating a drug addict - prescribing medication to calm anxiety and talk therapy to learn techniques to handle the urge, Fabrikant said.

Addictive Sexual Behaviors May Include: 1 Excessive Masturbation
2 Multiple Affairs
3 Excessive use of Pornography
4 Unsafe Sex
5 Excessive Phone, Cybersex
6 Obsessive Dating
7 Prostitution