Non-Paraphilic Hypersexual Disorder – Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder or Sexual Addiction

Abstract

The conceptualization of excessive sexual behavior has been intensely debated over the years, and the concept of hypersexuality is still controversial. After long debates, the indexation in ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, World Health Organization, 2018) of excessive and problematic sexual behavior as a compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) is welcome. There are still debates about the category of the disorder. In ICD-11, CSBD is classified as an impulse control disorder, but this classification is controversial, as there is evidence that CSBD has many addictive features (Kraus et al., 2016). Although the diagnosis of hypersexual disorder, proposed by Kafka, was not included in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, American Psychiatric Association, 2013), this diagnosis was supported by both clinical contexts as well as by some research that indicates that excessive sexual behavior can have serious consequences in an individual’s life (Kafka, 2010; Kaplan & Krueger, 2010, Reid et al., 2012). Understanding, defining and correctly diagnosing this disorder are important prerequisites for proper treatment, and allow also warning of certain risk factors for the development of this disorder.