Sex addiction has a purely biological origin, according to a new study.
- Sexual addiction concerns 3 to 6% of the general population.
- This health problem is still extremely taboo.
Variations in the amount of oxytocin in the body explain why some men suffer from sex addiction and others do not, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Loss of control, anxiety, depression
If sex is excellent for health, those who are addicted to it suffer from the same problems triggered by all addictions: loss of control, anxiety, depression… Can go so far as to destroy the patient’s personal and professional life, or even drive to suicide.
In order to improve the care offered to people suffering from sex addiction, researchers wanted to know what caused it. So they analyzed the blood samples of 64 men undergoing therapy to treat their addiction, and compared them to those of 38 men with a healthy sex life. Conclusion: the sex addicts had levels of oxytocin in their organism much higher than the others.
Higher oxytocin levels
To confirm their result, the researchers analyzed the blood of sex-addicted men before and after they had undergone behavioral and cognitive therapy (CBT) intended to treat their problem. They then found that the patients’ oxytocin levels were lower once they had finished all their psychology sessions.
“We found that men with compulsive sexual behavior disorder had higher levels of oxytocin than men who were sexually stable,” said study author Dr. Andreas Chatzittofis. “Behavioral and cognitive therapy led to a reduction in patients’ urges and their oxytocin levels,” he concludes. Finally, it should be noted that women can also suffer from sex addiction, even if the researchers were not interested in this test.
.
