Why are some men addicted to sex? The answer in a study – Researchers have found that oxytocin, known as the love hormone, could explain why some men have hypersexual disorder.
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Hypersexuality or sex addiction falls under the category of “behavioral addictions,” meaning pathological behaviors toward seemingly harmless objects or activities (such as eating, gambling, work, shopping, and sexuality). Sometimes this disorder is mistakenly confused with high frequency of sexual intercourse. But while in the latter case people experience sexual excesses that they are able to manage, sex addicts experience a complete loss of control over their ability to say no and choose when it comes to sex. The behavior of the hypersexual is, in fact, characterized by recurrent sexual fantasies, promiscuous impulses, and behaviors that he cannot control in any way and for which he feels ashamed or guilty. Among the most common are relationships with many different and paid partners, phone sex, cybersex, recurrent use of pornography, compulsive masturbation. Behaviors that are markedly impulsive and/or compulsive in nature and that are accompanied by obsessive thoughts about the fantasies and behaviors in question. Obviously, these sexual “excesses” create a strong discomfort to the point of interfering with social, professional and couple life.
Although the recent recognition of hypersexuality as a compulsive sexual behavior disorder represents a significant step forward in the identification and treatment of sufferers, the causes of sexual addiction are still unknown. It is certain that hypersexuals experience sexuality as a response to unpleasant states (eg, depression) or as a stress reduction strategy. Although research so far on sexual response has noted an involvement of brain structures in the mesolimbic reward system (involved in every process related to motivation) and dopamine (a neurotransmitter that controls the sensation of pleasure), it is still unclear how sexual impulses can become difficult to control and can cause hypersexuality. A Swedish study by the University of Umeå and Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm), published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism of the Endocrine Society, discovered a little more about the causes of this disorder. Researchers have found that oxytocin, known as the “love hormone”, may explain why some men have hypersexual disorder, and they have found that cognitive behavioral therapy is a possible remedy for its effective management.
Researchers study
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 64 healthy men with hypersexual disorder and compared them with blood samples from 38 men without hypersexual disorder, completing a questionnaire for both groups. Initial results showed that the group of men with sex addiction had higher levels of oxytocin than those without the disorder, and that higher levels were associated with a higher score for hypersexual behavior.
Oxytocin and sex addiction
Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, involved in social bonding, stress regulation of sexual behavior, and the reward pathway. Scientific evidence suggests that central oxytocin release contributes to the modulation and maintenance of cortisol levels that favor a rapid return to pre-stress baseline states, as well as a neuromodulatory role in the reward pathway with inhibitory effects on addictive behaviors.
One study in particular shows how this hormone plays a central role in controlling erectile function and male sexual behavior. Swedish research also went in this direction, showing how while normal levels of oxytocin are necessary for healthy sexual behavior, high levels of this hormone in men could be the cause of hypersexuality.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy as a remedy
In the second phase of the study, Swedish researchers tested cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT (now internationally considered one of the most reliable and effective models for understanding and treating psychopathological disorders) on 30 men with hypersexual disorder and found that this treatment is able to bring oxytocin back to normal levels. Subsequent blood tests showed that after a 7-week course of CBT, the hypersexual men had decreased oxytocin levels from their baseline concentrations. Thus, CBT therapy both reduced oxytocin levels and managed sex addiction and its associated behaviors.
“Through our study – said Dr. Andreas Chatzittofis, from the University of Umeå – we have demonstrated that oxytocin plays an important role in sex addiction. This hormone – he concluded – could be a potential drug target for the future pharmacological treatment of hypersexuality”.