Treating Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Purpose of Review: Here we review potential therapeutic approaches for treating compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB; also known as hypersexual disorder). We present the therapeutic goals of several psychological and, pharmacological treatment approaches, and state of the research on their effectiveness. Recent Findings: To date, no systematic studies with control groups have been conducted in the field of CSB treatment; however, there are documented case studies and small-sample studies indicating potential effectiveness of pharmacological treatment with naltrexone and SSRIs as well as mindfulness, CBT, and 12-step-based treatment approaches. Summary: There is a whole field of CSB treatment waiting for systematic scientific investigation. Future research on CSB treatment should take in account a possibility of individual differences in psychological and neural mechanisms underlying CSB and help inform optimal selection of treatment modality for each patient.