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Compulsive Sexual Behavior And Mental Health Problem

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Compulsive sexual behavior or “hypersexuality” as it has been termed, is a disorder that is currently under scrutiny for whether or not it is an actual mental disorder. Some doctors claim that people who claim to be sex addicts merely have high libidos, but those who disagree see it as an intimacy disorder, a real problem. Sexual release does cause a “high,” because the body releases certain endorphins or “feel-good” hormones. Just like any other mental health problem, sex addicts have underlying symptoms such as stress, anxiety and depression; these symptoms often stimulate their behaviors. Although researchers have a hard time differentiating between high libido persons and sex addicts, they have found a simple way of drawing the line.…show more content…
What if a person constantly feels a certain way because of the chemicals in their brain? Of course, a person must be making the decisions to complete these behaviors while sober. If there are substances involved in their actions, one should first take care of the substance abuse or dependency problem before focusing on the sexual behaviors. The brain makes many different chemicals that make you feel different ways. Adrenaline, testosterone and estrogen are commonly talked about hormones, but how often does one hear about serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and androgens? An imbalance in the above listed hormones could cause negative emotions such as depression, sadness, anger and even aggression. Hypersexuality is most likely fueled by anxiety, depression, or another emotional vulnerability. Many argue that people who claim to be sex addicts are merely acting out. Many doctors do not believe that hypersexuality is a true disorder, but they do believe that it is a person acting out. By acting out in this manner, a person maybe making up for an emotion that they are lacking. With the hormonal high one gets from sexual release, one may be freed from feelings of depression for a short while. Rather than terming this sexual behavior, acting out, or being uncontrolled, a more politically correct term for this action could be coping mechanism. A coping mechanism
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