Sexual addiction and how to deal with it

Even though the problem is multifaceted, the genuineness of worry and coalesced societal concern accorded to low sex libido will be higher than that accorded to hypersexual tendencies, this sort of attention places low sex libido high up in the hierarchy of reported sexual problems at the expense of what lies at the opposite end of the spectrum.

High sex libido is usually viewed with a grim, cursory, and pretentious look that reeks of the snobbery associated with the narrative that affected individuals wear it as a cloak to hide or compensate for their loose or thinly veiled morals. But we will discuss it with much openness here.

High sexual libido is defined as extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. Like drugs of abuse, addictive sexual fantasies trigger the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that cause euphoria, excitement, pleasure all of which are combinations that may manifest with the inappropriateness of the behavior of an individual hence hypersexuality as a likely outcome.

Affected individuals usually unconsciously abuse the neurochemical response and this fuels compulsive behavior. The condition has been studied in two ways, as a primary condition or as a symptom of other disorders.

Cause

The causes of hypersexuality have been subject to much debate but with little consensus on how much they contribute to the condition. Some authors have dismissed it as a pathological condition.

Biochemical and physiological changes that lead to fluctuations in hormonal or neurotransmitter levels have been studied as causes of hypersexuality.

Injuries suffered at the temporal lobe of the brain which centers on regulation of auditory stimuli, memory and emotion have been proposed as causes. Damage to this area has been seen to lead to behavioral problems that foster deviant personalities of which hypersexuality might present.

There are other conditions such as bipolar disorder that have been discovered to co-exist with the condition. The solution presents itself as a symptom of many other neurological and mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, schizoaffective disorder, picks disease.

The condition has also been known to manifest as a side effect of other medications such as drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease. These have been said to contribute to pathogenic overactivity of the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway in the brain contributing to high sexual drive.

Factors such as sexual trauma, intimacy anorexia, and mood disorders have been studied as causes of sexual addiction.

Management

The condition may negatively impact the quality of life of an individual by negatively affecting his ability to form or maintain relationships perpetuated by the perceived inappropriate behavior, which is often followed by the stigmatization of the individual. And for this reason, the failure to control one’s sexual drive is often a cause of worry for an individual suffering from the condition often leading to other mental problems such as chronic depression due to shame and guilt which is common once the condition has stopped.

Psychotherapy, self-help groups, and counseling are some of the ways hypersexual individuals have chosen as ways to alleviate the condition or its consequences.

Anaphrodisiacs such as chasteberry that have been proposed to lower sexual drive have been used by some hypersexual individuals to manage the condition.

Medication such as Cyproterone acetate which is a steroidal anti-androgen medication is prescribed for some hypersexual individuals.