Many doubt that sex addiction is an actual disorder, but more of an excuse. But scientists are now saying that sex addiction is real after having identified the symptoms.

It looks like sex addiction isn’t something Russell Brand invented as an excuse for his chaotic life a few years ago. Scientists have identified the symptoms of sex addiction and confirmed this is a real disorder. It might take a while for this new medical discovery to sink in with how society looks at “so-called” sex addicts…

For the most part, when people hear about sex addiction they immediately dismiss it as being a disorder. How could it be since it sounds like the ultimate indulgence, guilty pleasure and for a huge majority, a taboo. But scientists with the University of California, Los Angeles, debunked the myth that sex addiction is just an excuse.

So, who is a sex addict? Researchers explain that having sex frequently doesn’t necessarily mean you are a sex addict, or that you have a hypersexual disorder. However, if you’re one of the persons that see in sex the solution to handling stress and have a hard time functioning normally in everyday life because of it, maybe you should take that with a professional.

Researcher Rory Reid explained that sex addicts will choose sex even if that means putting in jeopardy other life priorities, such as their job or even their family. “They might consider the consequences momentarily, but somehow feel their need for sex is more important, and choose sex even in situations where such choices might cause significant problems or harm” said study researcher Rory Reid.

Study authors have defined sex addiction or hypersexual disorder as “recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges and sexual behavior” that are so intense they interfere with the patient’s ability to handle everyday life. They are now pushing to have sex addiction introduced in the bible of mental disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The study has found that most of the people that received the hypersexual disorder diagnostic had a difficulty refraining from masturbation and watching pornography. Some people in the study even confessed they had lost their jobs because of their sex addiction problem.