There is some debate amongst mental health professionals about the term “sex addiction”. Some professionals do not believe that disordered sexual behaviors constitute a true addiction and that these behaviors are much better explained under the umbrella of obsessive compulsive disorders.
While the jury remains out on this, medications used to control obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms are sometimes prescribed with success to help sex addicts control their compulsive behaviors. These medications belong to a class of drugs known as the SSRIs; of which Prozac is a very well known example.
Doctors may also sometimes recommend medications that reduce sexual drive by reducing levels of sex hormones. These drugs are less often used, and may be reserved for people who wish to control dangerous sexual urges.
Medication is never prescribed as a single answer to sexually disorder behaviors, but it is sometimes used to compliment other therapeutic interventions, such as participation in support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy and or individual therapy, amongst others.
Page last updated Dec 17, 2012
