Introduction
Western modern society conditions men and women to think everything can be acquired and appear instantly. There is no more frustration, no more waiting but unlimited and profusion. Desire and sexuality are not facilitated: sexual behaviors follow these rules by placing sex at the same status as merchandise. The fast sex has become standardized, even normalized. What scandalized in the past is today admitted by the greatest number. If in the last century a young man who masturbated himself was promised to degeneration, today not doing could lead him to be stigmatized as “abnormal”, even sick. Pornography tends to become the new education to sexuality. However, images are very crude, even violent and change the representations of nudity and eroticism. Even if sexual liberation has changed many practices and representations, human sexuality is still an area that causes multiple disorders, inhibitions, conflicts, symptoms, and anxieties (Toubiana, 2015).
In recent years, professionals have seen the emergence of new cases, alongside the sexual liberation: sex-addicts. A sex-addict presents criteria of dependence similar to those of other addictions: freedom of the individual disappears in favor of the irrepressible need to satisfy desires, with an invasion of the daily life, a lack which appears between two orgasms, a tolerance phenomenon and a loss of control (Estellon, 2014).
A sex-addict suffers from sexual addiction, an addiction without psychoactive substance named behavioral addiction. Sexual addiction is defined as a process that leads individual peoples to become progressively subjected to their sexuality, turning it into the register of need rather than of desire (Cordier & Feray, 1994, quoted by Morellini, 2008). Carnes (1992, quoted by Morellini, 2008), psychiatrist and American researcher, talks about sexual addiction when individual peoples alienate their freedom and organize their existence around one or more behaviors. Sexual addiction evokes the idea of behaviors based on a constant and irrepressible sexual desire (invasion of sexual preoccupations), in spite of the motivation and the efforts that the subject can make to escape to it.
The vicious spiral of addiction
Sexual addictive process takes place in several stages (Valleur, 2003). First of all, experimentation of sexual behavior consists of festive and occasional use. When behavior becomes an answer to personal difficulties, an addictive problem can be set up. Individual peoples repeat the behavior and become little by little dependent. They denie their addiction and try to solve the problems aroused (example: a subject addict to the pink phone will change his operator to reduce his phone bill, rather than question the hours spent on the phone). Individual peoples do not manage to get out of it, they realize that stopping their behavior has become impossible. These unsuccessful efforts are the beginning of suffering and that is where we talk about addiction.
The repetition of behaviors follows a cycle that can be described in four stages, according to Reed and Blaine (1988, quoted by Valleur, 2003):
- Preoccupation: subject’s mind is completely overwhelmed by sexual thoughts, with an obsession for sexual stimulation
- Ritualization: particular routines that lead the subject to sexual behavior. These rituals intensify preoccupation, stimulation, and excitation
- Compulsive sexual behavior: sexual act, which is the objective of the two previous steps. It causes temporary relief
- Despondency: a heavy feeling of despair for his behavior and powerlessness to control himself
Symptoms
Goodman (1990, quoted by Valleur & Velea, 2002) describes a set of criteria for behavioral addiction, took for sexual addiction:
A. Impossibility to fight impulses to perform the behavior
B. Just before the behavior, increasing tension
C. Pleasure or relief during its duration
D. Feeling of loss of control during the behavior
E. At least five of the following criteria:
– Monopolization of thought by the behavior
– Intensity or duration of episodes larger than originally desired
– Repeated attempts to reduce, control or stop the behavior
– Increasing time to prepare, undertake and organize episodes
– Social, professional or family disinvestment in favour of the addictive behavior
– Frequent occurrences of episodes in moments of stress or obligation
– Pursuit of the behavior despite worsening problems and in spit of negative consequences
– Tolerance to effects more and more significant
– Agitation, irritability and anxiety if the acting out is deferred
F. Some elements of the syndrome lasted more than a month or repeated for a longer period
Because of this, sexual addiction has the main characteristics of substance addiction: craving, loss of control, tolerance and withdrawal. Specific criteria for sexual addiction have been defined by Coleman (1990, cited by Valleur & Velea, 2002), at least two must be present:
- Compulsive make with multiple partners, with a search for management of stress and anxiety
- Compulsive autoerotism: obsessive and compulsive self-stimulation of the genitals with an average of 5 to 15 masturbations per day, with a cohort of injuries and fatigue
- Compulsive fixation on one or more inaccessible partners
- Compulsive multiple love relationships with dissatisfaction of romantic relationships and perpetual quest for ideal love
- Compulsive multiple love relationships with dissatisfaction of romantic relationships and perpetual quest for ideal love
- Compulsive sexuality with many unsatisfied sexual experiences. Endless needs for sexual acts, loving expressions and attentions
Sexual behaviors
Practices that enter in the field of sexual addictions can be various: compulsive self-eroticism, compulsive fixation, compulsive love relationships, compulsive sexuality etc.
Sex-addicts may have many different sexual behaviors that may be paraphilic or non-paraphilic (Morellini, 2008). In paraphilic behaviors, we can find exhibitionism, fetishism, rubbing, sexual masochism, pedophilia, sexual sadism, transvestism, voyeurism, and rape. In non-paraphilic behaviors, we find masturbation, various anonymous forms of pleasure such as pornography or the pink phone, the multiplication of adventures of a night, fast sex etc.
Consequences and implications
Sexual addiction can have many negative consequences on the subject’s life: feelings of shame and guilt, partner neglect, divorce, sexual risk (sexually transmitted diseases), suicide attempt, debt accumulation (prostitution, telephone line, pornographic accessories etc.), problems with the justice having repercussions on the family, social and professional areas.
Sexual addictions are underestimated and poorly known among addiction professionals and general public, but they deserve better recognition. They generate real suffering, the consequences for others can be significant, and they can take a criminal character.
According to some authors, if sexual addiction was officially recognized as a disorder, downward slides could occur. Indeed, by the recognition of his addiction, a sex addict could justify his criminal behavior, stop feeling guilty and proclaim himself not responsible for his actions. Other authors believe that recognizing excessive sexuality as a pathology amount to a form of moralization. In other words, it would amount to judging the behavior not according to its addictive side, but rather according to its representation in accordance with social norm.
By Anne-Charlotte Nasles, M2 PCPI
Keywords
Sexual addiction
Behavioral addiction
Paraphilic and non-paraphilic behaviors
Spiral of addiction
Words I have learned
Relief: soulagement
Powerlessness: impuissance
Undertake: entreprendre
Injury: blessure (physique)
Downward slide: dérive
References
Estellon, V. (2014). Lessex-addicts. Paris : Presses universitaires de France.
Morellini, A. (2008). Addictions sexuelles : où commence la pathologie ? Perspectives psy, 41(1),38-44.
Toubiana, E. P. (2015). Addictologieclinique. Paris : Presse universitaire de France.
Valleur, M. (2003). Sexe, passion et jeux vidéo : les nouvelles formes d’addiction.Paris : Flamarion.
Valleur, M. & Velea, D. (2002). Les addictions sans drogue(s). Revue toxibase (6), 1-15.