Hypersexuality may be a way of coping with anxiety for some people. Engaging in sexual behavior can release endorphins, which can help reduce anxiety symptoms. However, the relief is often temporary and can lead to a cycle of compulsive sexual behavior.
Use as a coping skill: Hypersexuality can also be used as a mechanism to deal with past trauma. The individual can become compulsive about undoing the trauma, redoing it differently, or understanding it.
When we sexualize our feelings (or eat over them), we use dissociative and/or arousing fantasies to self-soothe and distract the mind. Sexualization of feelings is a psychological coping mechanism. Typically, sexualization as a coping skill is learned in childhood and linked to early-life attachment trauma.
Like other disorders, people with hypersexuality can experience internal or external triggers. Typically, hypersexuality triggers are either a strong desire to escape a feeling or a strong reminder of the pleasure experienced through sexual fantasy or activity.
Hypersexuality is derived from particular pathways of post-traumatic symptoms. Depression is strongly related to hypersexuality, although gender has an important role in our model. Depression and guilt are serial mediators of trauma-hypersexual behavior relations.
Problems with alcohol or drug use. Another mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety or a gambling addiction. Family conflicts or family members with problems such as addiction. A history of physical or sexual abuse.
The causes of hypersexual behaviour are not well understood. However, sex addiction and hypersexuality may sometimes be caused by traumatic experiences, distress, or by mental illness, such as bipolar disorder. Adults who have been sexually abused as children may display increased sexual behaviour.
ADHD can impact a person's sex life in many ways, including hypersexual tendencies. This could be due to symptoms of ADHD, lower dopamine levels, or medication side effects.
What Does Hypersexuality Feel Like? Hypersexuality can feel like an uncontrollable sensation of sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors, and it can be difficult to manage and cause distress or impairment. People may notice its effects on occupational and other important areas of life.
While hypersexuality can occur with PTSD, sexual avoidance is also a consequence in some cases. Many people feel hypersexual impulses as their brains are focused on the trauma. They can enter an unhealthy cycle where they seemingly reenact their trauma. As mentioned, this can be a coping mechanism for many.
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5) does not recognize hypersexuality as an official disorder or diagnosis.
Although there's no established criteria for hypersexuality, traits that are commonly seen in a hypersexual person or sexual addict include: You're obsessed with sex. You spend a lot of time fantasizing about your sexual urges and engaging in sexual behavior.
Individuals with ASD seem to have more hypersexual and paraphilic fantasies and behaviors than general-population studies suggest.
Furthermore, individuals with ADHD reported significantly more often about paraphilic fantasies and behaviors including fetishistic and sadistic sexual fantasies.
Some people with ADHD report changes in their sex drive. Some experience hyposexuality or the loss of the desire for sex. A person experiencing hyposexuality may have no interest in sexual activity whatsoever.
ADHD hyperfixation refers to an intense and often prolonged state of concentration on a particular activity or object. This may lead to happiness, satisfaction, and, at times, increased productivity.
People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) occasionally exhibit strong impulsivity, seduction, and excessive sexuality. For both men and women with BPD, sexual promiscuity, sexual obsessions, and hypersexuality or sexual addiction are common symptoms.
As mentioned, hypersexuality may also be linked to depression and anxiety. Some individuals may avoid difficult emotions, such as sadness or shame, and seek temporary relief by engaging in sexual behavior. Sexual cravings, therefore, can mask other issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
Problematic hypersexuality (PH) can be defined as the experience of problems due to intense and/or highly frequent sexual behavior, preoccupations, thoughts, feelings, urges, or fantasies that are out of control [1,2].
What other mental illnesses cause hypersexuality? In addition to bipolar disorders, major depressive disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder may be underlying mental illnesses for people with out-of-control sexual issues.