Sexual addiction and compulsion: recognition, treatment, and recovery.

The management of patients with compulsive sexual behavior requires an understanding of the profile of the sexually compulsive or addicted patient. This article summarizes patient characteristics and their implications for treatment. Data from a study of the recovery of 957 patients who had problematic, sexually excessive behavior are presented. Spanning 5 years, the study shows six distinct stages patients experienced and the clinical activities that were most useful to them. A trajectory of a typical diagnosis and treatment path is provided, as well as important resources for physicians and patients.

Virtual sex addiction: when cybersex becomes the drug of choice.

This article explores how the concepts of cybersex and sexual addiction overlap. Sexual addiction is explained briefly to provide the reader with the necessary information to understand how this overlap may occur. Examination of data from recent studies in cybersex are presented. In addition, several cybersex case examples are provided to illuminate numerical findings with real-life clinical examples. Recommendations for future research are presented along with the Internet Sex Screening Test to help assess whether someone may need help with their cybersexual addiction.