Sexual Behavior Disorders: Proposed New Classification in the DSM-V

Sexual Addiction Counseling Competencies: Empirically-Based Tools for Preparing Clinicians to Recognize, Assess, and Treat Sexual Addiction

“…Regardless of primary certification (chemical addiction counselors versus sexual addiction counselors), the vast majority of respondents agreed that the instrument items described competencies that warrant discussion in graduate preparation programs for future clinicians. This verifies assertions made by several studies (Kafka, 1997;Manley & Koehler, 2001;Young et al, 1999) that identified the need for all clinicians, particularly addiction treatment specialists, to know about sexual addiction. Given that the vast majority of sampled participants revealed on the demographic instrument that they did not receive sexual addiction training in their formal graduate experiences, there remains a deficit between what is identified as a need in the counseling arena and what is currently taught at the graduate level.…”

“…The other reason for advocating that graduate students be taught the realities of sexual addiction is its co-morbidity with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, suicidal ideations, and mania (Bancroft & Vukadinovic, 2004;Manley & Koehler, 2001;Ragan & Martin, 2000;Young, 2008). In fact, complications in assessing for the presence of sexual addiction are more common than not as this disorder is often hidden, intentionally or not, behind other presenting issues, such as depression, suicide attempts, relationship difficulties, or anxiety (Carnes, 1994;D.…”

“…Despite the significant numbers of addicted persons in the United States, the vast majority of nationally accredited programs that train and educate counseling professionals have traditionally not mandated the study of chemical or process addictions for graduation or certification (Committee on Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology [CoA] (Hollis & Dodson, 2000;Manley & Koehler, 2001;Whittinghill, 2000).…”

The Traumatic Nature of Disclosure for Wives of Sexual Addicts

“…Problematic or "out-of-control" sexual behaviors involve driven behaviors an individual and those closest to him or her find troublesome, and which continue despite negative consequences and disturbed levels of functioning (Carnes, 1991, p. 11). Researchers of the phenomenon of out-of-control sexual behaviors do not agree on terminology or an appropriate diagnostic category that sufficiently describes the problem (Finlayson, Sealy, & Martin, 2001;Goodman, 2001;Kafka, 2001;Manley & Koehler, 2001). However, the term sexual addiction/compulsivity (SAC) appears most frequently in the literature and the addiction model is the most widely used to explain the phenomenon.…”

Explanations for the Origins of Sexual Compulsivity Among Gay and Bisexual Men

“…This absence is, in part, due to the competing diagnostic paradigms proposed by various investigators (Manley & Koehler, 2001). SC has been conceptualized as an addiction disorder, an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, an affective disorder, and an impulse control disorder (Goodman, 1998;Morgenstern et al, in press;Raymond et al, 2003).…”