A New Generation of Sexual Addiction (2013)

COMMENTS: The content this review parallels much of what we say on YBOP – classical sex addiction models do not apply to most of the men that develop Internet porn addiction. Moreover, chronic exposure during adolescence can have profound effects.


DOI: 10.1080/10720162.2013.843067

Jennifer Riemersmaa & Michael Sytsma

pages 306-322

Published online: 22 Nov 2013

Abstract

Sexual addiction has been an increasingly observed and researched phenomenon within the past 30 years. “Classic” sexual addiction emerges from a history of abuse, insecure attachment patterns, and disordered impulse control, often presenting with cross addictions and comorbid mood disorders. In contrast, a “contemporary” form of rapid-onset sexual addiction has emerged with the explosive growth of Internet technology and is distinguished by “3Cs”: chronicity, content, and culture. Of particular concern is early exposure to graphic sexual material that disrupts normal neurochemical, sexual, and social development in youth. Treatment modalities for “classic” and “contemporary” forms are overlapping yet distinct, reflecting their unique etiologies and similar presentations.