Online Sex Addiction ( Osa ) - 3312 Words

The expanding role of the internet in everyday life in a culture seemingly obsessed with sex has led to the expression of a behaviorally-complicated form of addiction referred to as Online Sex Addiction (OSA) (Griffiths, 2012). Hypersexual adults with OSA display maladaptive patterns of internet-enabled sexually compulsive thoughts and behavior leading to adverse consequences including significant clinical distress and occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas of functioning, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, mood etc. (Hook et al., 2014; Kaplan Kruegar, 2010). A relatively nascent literature has attempted to evaluate the biopsychosocial mechanisms that mediate and perpetuate OSA†¦show more content†¦This paper will review the current OSA definition, summarize recent research on the prevalence and comorbidities of OSA, and then describe and evaluate data from OSA psychotherapeutic intervention studies. Defining OSA Online sex addiction in hypersexual individuals has been defined informally as when an individual experiences an intense preoccupation with nonparaphilic and/or paraphilic sexual desires, urges and behaviors as evidenced by the complementary/exclusive use of the internet as a tool to provide comfort when experiencing dysphoric mood states and/or stressful live events (Winkler et al, 2013; Kafka, 2010). As with substance use, misuse and dependence, hypersexual adults with OSA experience symptoms on a continuum of engagement (i.e., experimental, recreational, regular and dependent/compulsive) (Cooper, Galbreath, Becker, 2004). Persons with OSA may repeatedly have unsuccessful attempts to control or diminish the amount of time spent using the internet to engage in sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors (Delmonico, Carnes, 1999; Delmonico Griffin, Carnes, 2002). Like in substance abuse/dependency, these persons can experience tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. There is controversy among researchers in the field regarding whether sex addiction is really a disorder (Kafka, 2010; Karila, 2014). The DSM-V does not contain diagnostic criteria or treatment suggestions for sex