Excessive sex drive can have both physiological and psychological causes. Most often it is a side effect of some disease - e.g. Alzheimer's disease, encephalopathy, hormonal disorders. If excessive sexual desire leads to risky sexual behavior, psychological discomfort, or is the cause of relationship problems, he or she should be treated.

Experts disagree onthe causes of excessive sex drive( hypersexuality ). Some even question the assumption that excessive libido should be viewed in terms of a disorder - in their opinion, there are no standards that would determine when a person's sexual needs take the proportions of a disease and when they can be considered normal. However, if the desire to satisfy the libido is so strong that it begins to dominate other areas of life and hinders normal functioning - in such a situation, please contact a sexologist.

It's worth noting that hypersexuality may or may not be associated with sex addiction. In the first place, it is necessary to rule out the organic causes of this disorder, including physical and mental diseases. Sometimes, high sexual needs arise from natural causes - for example, in men between the ages of 16 and 25, excessive libido is a symptom typical of early sexual development.

Excessive sexual drive (hypersexuality) - organic causes

Organic (physical) causes of excessive libido are various diseases that affect the functioning of the brain and the body's endocrine system, and thus indirectly also increase sexual needs.

Alzheimer's disease- it is estimated that 17% of patients with Alzheimer's symptoms experience increased sex drive and tendency to unusual sexual behavior. This fact is explained by the patients losing control over their reflexes.

Autism- in people with autism and Asperger's syndrome, already in childhood, excessive interest in the sexual sphere and a tendency to autoeroticism can be observed. In old age, this symptom may persist, in some cases turning into a preference for non-standard sexual behavior (e.g. BDSM).

Encephalopathies- scientists have noticed connections betweendamage to certain parts of the brain and an increase in sex drive. An example is Klüver-Bucy syndrome, a neurological disease resulting from an injury to the temporal lobes that leads to dysfunction in the amygdala.

Hyperandrogenism- also an excess of male hormones (androgens) can cause increased sex drive. In women, it is also associated with symptoms such as hirsutism, acne, low voice timbre. The level of androgens can be determined with a blood test.

It should also be remembered that libido may also increase as a result of taking certain medications - mainly those containing testosterone (eg Undestor, Nebido, Tostran) and anabolic steroids. The aforementioned preparations may cause an artificial increase in libido in women and a temporary increase in libido in men (this effect passes, because long-term use of male hormones impairs the work of the testicles and leads to a decreased production of natural testosterone). Also, some psychotropic substances lead to an increase in sex drive, e.g. cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy.

Important

Sexual attraction is not always a disorder

Some people show increased activity in many areas of life, e.g. they are naturally loud, spontaneous, they like to move to different places, experience new experiences. Such traits often go hand in hand with excess sexual energy. If it can be satisfied in a harmless way and sexual attraction does not negatively affect mental or physical he alth, it should be treated as an individual personality trait.

Excessive sexual drive (hypersexuality) - mental causes

Excessive sex drive is a common symptom of bipolar disorder. Libido usually increases when the patient experiences an episode of mania, which is a strong psychomotor agitation. In general, sexual inhibitions are also removed during this time, prompting him to engage in risky behavior and experimenting with sex.

Excessive drive can also manifest itself as a result of personality disorders. Then the cause of increased libido are emotional problems, hidden complexes, fears, lack of self-confidence, which a person tries to drown out by losing himself in physical sensations. Frequent changing of partners serves to overcompensate - in this way the undervalued person gains confirmation of his value, and his self-esteem increases. However, the improvement in well-being is short-lived as it does not bring about real changes in the personality. Building your self-esteem on sex sooner or later also leads tosex addiction.

Sometimes excessive libido is also the result of early childhood traumas. It happens in people whose parents used an authoritarian model of upbringing with a large number of orders, prohibitions and punishments. If in such a family sex was a taboo subject or was perceived as something dirty and sinful, it is very likely that in the future the child will try to react to the restrictive approach to sex by resorting to sex addiction. A similar mechanism is observed in people who experienced sexual harassment in their childhood.

Category:

Sex problems