Background and aimsCompulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) has been a long debated issue. While formerly the discussion was about whether to regard CSBD as a distinctive disorder, the current debate is dealing with the classification of this phenomenon. One of the prominent voices in this field considers CSBD as a behavioral addiction and proposes CSBD to be called and diagnosed as sexual addiction (SA). This present debate paper will review the existing evidence supporting this view and it will argue against it.ResultsWe have found that a great deal of the current literature is anecdotal while empirical evidence is insufficient. First, the reports about the prevalence of CSBD are contradictory. Additionally, the field mainly suffers from inconsistent defining criteria of CSBD and a consensus which symptoms should be included. As a result, the empirical evidence that does exist is mostly about some symptoms individually and not on the disorder as a whole construct.ConclusionsWe conclude that currently, there is not enough data supporting CSBD as a behavioral addiction. Further research has to be done, examining CSBD phenomenology as a whole construct and based on a homogeneous criterion.

There is evidence that compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) and problematic pornography use (PPU) can be associated with selfcriticism, shame and guilt. The aim of the current study was to investigate further these relationships. Study 1-Participants were 121 adults, mean age 26.82 years (18-45), 58 males and 63 females. They filled in a demographic questionnaire, the Hypersexual Behaviour Inventory (HBI), self-criticizing/attacking and self-reassuring scale (FSCRS) and the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, (TOSCA). In a second study participants were 186 male adults, mean age 26.35 years (18-40). They filled in a demographic questionnaire, the Short Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT-sex), adapted for pornography use, FSCRS and TOSCA. The first study showed positive associations between CSB and self-criticism. Multiple regression analysis revealed that self-criticism has contributed to ratings of CSB and it explained 32% of the variance. The second study using a structural equation modelling showed that self-criticism predicted shame-and-guilt, which in turn predicted PPU, thus explaining 20% of PPU variance. CSB entails with self-criticism while PPU adds feelings of shame and guilt that become more dominant and it mediates self-criticism.