Exploring the applicability of criteria for substance dependence to sexual addiction

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Abstract
Since the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s, there has been increasing interest in the study of addiction to mood-altering substances. One of the outcomes of research into this phenomenon has been the development of criteria to diagnose substance dependence. In addition, many researchers have been exploring the possibility of addictions to behaviors such as eating, gambling, and sex. The focus of this study was to explore the applicability of criteria given for substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), a standard reference for diagnosing mental disorders to the emerging concept of sexual addiction. This was accomplished by surveying self-identified sex addicts in recovery to ascertain patterns indicative of sexual addiction and provide data that could be directly compared with criteria established for substance dependence in the DSM-IV. Analysis of the data indicated that a majority of persons surveyed reported having experiences in their sexual addiction that were similar to criteria for substance dependence.

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