About hypersexual disorder

About hypersexual disorder

Psychiatrists have proposed adding hypersexual disorder to the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A description of the disorder includes having four or more of the following criteria over at least six months. The symptoms must be severe and not caused by something else, such as drug abuse or medication.

* A great deal of time is consumed by sexual fantasies and urges and by planning for and engaging in sexual behavior.

* Repetitively engaging in this behavior in response to certain moods, such as anxiety or depression.

* Repetitively engaging in this behavior in response to stressful life events.

* Repetitive but unsuccessful efforts to control or reduce the behavior.

* Repetitively engaging in the behavior while disregarding the risk for physical or emotional harm to self or others.

Source: Times staff reports; DSM-5 proposed revision, American Psychiatric Assn.