Sex Addiction and ADHD: Connections May Exist at Brain Level
As many as one-fourth of adults working through treatment for sex addiction in a recent study are believed to also have other mental health symptoms. This provides information that may lead to further studies about the ways sexual addiction and certain types of mental disorders may overlap.
Sex addiction or hypersexuality has been the focus of research studies about the impulsiveness or compulsiveness of the behaviors, and experts speculate that this could be where a connection to ADHD lies. In a recent UCLA-based study, men who had sex addiction were screened for ADHD symptoms. Of those who had the symptoms, most were of the area of inattention instead of hyperactivity.
On a deeper level, many professionals believe sex addiction is connected to poor self-perception or low self-esteem, which may even begin forming during childhood. As a person with untreated ADHD begins to suffer stress related to the condition, they may exhibit more behaviors related to self-soothing or self-medicating, says a Psych Central article. During adulthood, this could be manifested as sex addiction when sex becomes a way to manage negative emotions or escape stress. Additionally, people with sex addiction rooted in low self-esteem may also avoid personal, emotional connections with others – contributing to having multiple sexual relationships that do not become long-term relationships.
Adults with ADHD are believed by some experts to need a higher than typical level of dopamine or other pleasurable chemicals at the brain level, and some achieve this stimulation through activities like compulsive masturbation. Adults seeking this release of tension or to satisfy restlessness may also achieve this sense of stimulation through online pornography or by engaging in sexual behaviors with multiple partners. This increases the potential for sexual addiction. Researchers are also exploring whether people with ADHD also exhibit symptoms of addictive gambling or other behaviors, in conjunction with being dependent or addicted to alcohol or drugs. Common themes like experiencing trauma, being abandoned or other disconnecting experiences as a child may also be underlying factors across sexual addiction and other addictions. These may appear in conjunction with symptoms of ADHD for many adults working through sex addiction treatment.