What to Know About Hypersexuality

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristicsWhat Causes Hypersexuality?Diagnosing HypersexualityComplicationsTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Characteristics

What Causes Hypersexuality?

Diagnosing Hypersexuality

Complications

Treatment

Coping

Close

Hypersexuality, also known as hypersexual disorder, or more commonly, sex addiction, is an obsessive fixation on sex, sexual acts, and sexual fantasies.

This fixation is typically so severe that it might disrupt a person’s daily functioning. Some research shows that up to 3% to 6% of people are living with some form of sexual addiction disorder or related disorder and that this condition predominantly affects men.

People with hypersexual disorder might exhibit a host of problematic sexual behaviors likeconsuming pornographic contentexcessively,excessive masturbation, or engaging in sexual activities with a large number of partners. The lack of recognition of hypersexuality as a mental disorder has resulted in many people living with the condition without an official diagnosis.

Read on to learn more about the signs of hypersexuality, its causes, and the potential treatment options available.

Characteristics of Hypersexuality

Hypersexuality looks different in every individual who has the condition. While one person might primarily struggle with controlling their sexual fantasies, another might struggle with controlling the urge to carry out certain sexual acts like masturbation, for instance.

Some of the most common characteristics of a hypersexual person include:

Hypersexuality vs. High Sex DriveA high sex drive is an increased sexual desire. On the other hand, hypersexuality involves out-of-control feelings and urges to have sex as well as high-frequency sexual behavior.

Hypersexuality vs. High Sex Drive

A high sex drive is an increased sexual desire. On the other hand, hypersexuality involves out-of-control feelings and urges to have sex as well as high-frequency sexual behavior.

Symptoms of Sex Addiction

It’s unclear as to what exactly causes hypersexuality. Research points out the following as possible causes for the condition:

In addition, certain risk factors could make some people more likely to develop the condition than others. These include substance use, a family history of mental health conditions, and sexual abuse.

Hypersexuality may be linked with ADHD. One study found that people with ADHD reported engaging in a significantly higher number of hypersexual behaviors than people without ADHD.However, more research is still needed to understand the link between ADHD and hypersexuality.

What Does It Mean to Be Hyposexual?

Identifying hypersexuality can be difficult, as theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-TR), which provides for the diagnosis of several mental health conditions, fails to provide criteria for diagnosing hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior.

Some mental health professionals use the diagnostic criteria for conditions such asbehavioral addictionto help diagnose hypersexuality. This is because hypersexuality could be considered a form of behavioral addiction or animpulse control disorder.

A lot more research needs to be done on the condition to provide exact criteria for diagnosing hypersexuality. However, when a doctor or mental health professional is assessing whether you’re experiencing hypersexuality, they often look for the following:

What to Know about Masturbation Addiction

Complications of Hypersexuality

There are potential negative effects of hypersexuality that may impact your physical and emotional health. They include:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

How Do You Treat Hypersexuality?

Like with many other mental health conditions, hypersexuality is most commonly treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy.

Medications

One of the likely causes of hypersexuality is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Medications can help with this and help alleviate symptoms of the condition. Medications often prescribed to help with hypersexuality include:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy provides a person living with hypersexuality with the tools they need to manage their condition. The most common form of psychotherapy used in treating this condition include:

What Is Sex Therapy?

How Do I Cope With Hypersexuality?

Many people with hypersexuality report feeling a deep sense of shame or embarrassment. Like with any other mental condition, the right treatment and coping strategies can help you live a healthy life and keep your urges under control.

Try to set these emotions aside and focus on getting the help you need.

Here are some tips to keep in mind besides the treatment plan a doctor or mental health professional has given you:

What This Means For YouIf you or someone you know is dealing with hypersexual disorder, please know that treatment and recovery are possible. You are not alone. A trained mental health professional can help you identify underlying causes and develop a treatment plan to help you move forward. Contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

What This Means For You

If you or someone you know is dealing with hypersexual disorder, please know that treatment and recovery are possible. You are not alone. A trained mental health professional can help you identify underlying causes and develop a treatment plan to help you move forward. Contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or someone you know is dealing with hypersexual disorder, please know that treatment and recovery are possible. You are not alone. A trained mental health professional can help you identify underlying causes and develop a treatment plan to help you move forward. Contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

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9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Laurent K, Aline W, Aviv W, et al.Sexual addiction or hypersexual disorder: different terms for the same problem? A review of the literature.Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2014;20(25):4012-4020. doi:10.2174/13816128113199990619

Kraus SW, Voon V, Potenza MN.Neurobiology of compulsive sexual behavior: emerging science.Neuropsychopharmacology. 2016;41(1):385-386. doi:10.1038/npp.2015.300

Hertz PG, Turner D, Barra S, et al.Sexuality in adults with ADHD: Results of an online survey.Front Psychiatry.2022;13. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.868278

van Tuijl P, Tamminga A, Meerkerk GJ, et al.Three diagnoses for problematic hypersexuality; which criteria predict help-seeking behavior?.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(18):6907. doi:10.3390/ijerph17186907

Mayo Clinic.Compulsive sexual behavior.

Heare MR, Barsky M, Faziola LR.A case of mania presenting with hypersexual behavior and gender dysphoria that resolved with valproic acid.Mental Illness. 2016;8(2):6546. doi:10.4081/mi.2016.6546

Winder B.The management of hypersexuality in men.Trends in Urology & Men’s Health. 2016;7(5):9-12.

Raymond NC, Grant JE, Coleman E.Augmentation with naltrexone to treat compulsive sexual behavior: a case series.Annals of Clinical Psychiatry. 2010;22(1):56-62.

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