The “love hormone” oxytocin might explain why some men have hypersexual disorder, aka sex addiction, according to a new study. Researchers linked the disorder to higher levels of oxytocin in the blood compared to the levels in men without the disorder, but shows therapy may be an effective way to manage it. Hypersexual behavior – sometimes referred to as sex addiction or hypersexuality – is defined as an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges, or behavior. While sexuality is healthy, hypersexuality can disrupt a person’s quality of life as urges become difficult to resist and can cause distress, often at the cost of the person’s work and personal relationships. Published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the study analyzed blood samples from 64 men with confirmed hypersexual disorder seeking help for their condition, comparing them against samples from 38 men without it. They also conducted questionnaires for both groups. The initial results revealed that the group of men with a sex addiction had higher levels of oxytocin compared to those without, and that higher levels were associated with a greater score for hypersexual behavior. Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the “love hormone”, is a naturally occurring hormone that’s produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. While normal levels of oxytocin lend a helping hand to healthy sexual behavior, this new research highlights the possible effects of raised levels in men and demonstrates that CBT therapy is a worthy route for lowering oxytocin, as well as managing sex addiction and its associated behaviors. It's also possible that medications targeting oxytocin could be an alternative approach. The study also looked into 30 men with hypersexual disorder that underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, after which their oxytocin levels were tested again. The follow-up blood analyses showed that following a course of CBT, hypersexual men had reduced levels of oxytocin compared to their initial concentrations. “We discovered that men with compulsive sexual behavior disorder had higher oxytocin levels compared with [men without the disorder],” said study author Dr Andreas Chatzittofis of the University of Cyprus Medical School in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden, in a statement. “Cognitive behavioral therapy led to a reduction in both hypersexual behavior and oxytocin levels.” “Oxytocin plays an important role in sex addiction and may be a potential drug target for future pharmacological treatment,” Chatzittofis concluded. While the research points to a biological source for hypersexual behaviors in men, it by no means states that people with raised oxytocin are powerless to do anything about their disorder. Through appropriate therapy, in the case of oxytocin-associated hypersexuality at least, it appears that normal sexual function and behavior can be achieved. Source
