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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Editor's Choice Bin Laden deputy Zawahri is new al Qaeda leader Citi says 360,000 accounts hacked in May Analysis: Arab spring to leave oil firms unscathed IMF contender chides Europe's grip on fund Debt negotiators set July 1 deadline for deal SEC sides with Stanford victims on compensation Firms in 17 sectors inspected for illegal workers MuniLand: Jobs or infrastructure? Video: The political future for Greece Slideshow: Most dangerous countries for women Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Casey Anthony lawyer's paternity question halts court 2:44pm EDT Congressman Weiner quits in lewd photo scandal | 4:30pm EDT Cable worried about poverty, not Netflix 14 Jun 2011 Special report: Government in cyber fight but can't keep up | 2:39pm EDT CIA website goes down, hackers claim responsibility 5:35am EDT Discussed 111 Obama weighs new steps to boost jobs 71 Republicans to debate, with Romney the frontrunner 59 Delaware police interview teen about Congressman Weiner Watched Hefner, fiancee split; Schwarzenegger mistress talks Wed, Jun 15 2011 Airbus' view of flying in the future Mon, Jun 13 2011 Vancouver riots over hockey loss 12:44pm EDT Woes of famous, powerful shine light on sex addiction Tweet Share this Email Print Factbox Factbox: A look at other political sex scandals 11:12am EDT Related News Afghanistan is most dangerous country for women Wed, Jun 15 2011 South Asia's growing modernity masks women's plight Tue, Jun 14 2011 Gay judge's California same-sex marriage ruling upheld Tue, Jun 14 2011 House leader Boehner says Weiner should resign Tue, Jun 14 2011 Analysis & Opinion Is the man-cession finally over? The real Twitter tragedy about Weiner Related Topics U.S. » Entertainment » Fashion » Health » People » Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) pauses as he announces that he will resign from the United States House of Representatives during a news conference in Brooklyn, New York, June 16, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton By Jackie Frank WASHINGTON | Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:38pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling can destroy lives, but less well known and more controversial is the overwhelming need for sexual satisfaction so intense that psychologists compare it to crack cocaine. Representative Anthony Weiner stepped down from Congress under pressure from fellow Democrats, including President Barack Obama, after he admitted to "sexting" in which he sent lewd pictures of himself to young women. He said he was seeking treatment for an unspecified problem. Golfer Tiger Woods checked into an unspecified rehabilitation center for treatment after admitting to a number of extramarital affairs. Actor David Duchovny, star of "Californication," is one of the few who has publicly announced his sex addiction. He entered a rehabilitation center for the sex disorder in 2008. But the sensational nature of the public admissions by the famous and powerful to multiple extramarital affairs, obsession with Internet sexting, or repeated accusations of sexual harassment, draws intense media attention -- and a fair amount of ridicule. "People joke that if they are going to have an addiction, that's the one they want to have," said therapist Stephanie Carnes, author of "Mending a Shattered Heart." There is also skepticism among the public and some psychologists that the sexual disorder even exists, but is rather an excuse for infidelity or viewing pornography. There is no diagnosis of addiction at all in the official listing of mental disorders -- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. But as not everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic, sex addiction is characterized by out of control compulsive behavior. And it can be more damaging to family life and harder to give up than more typical addictions. Sex, like food, is a primary need for humans. With the advent of the Internet, it is readily available-- either cybersex or quick hookups arranged through online sites. Cybersex has been called the crack cocaine of the addiction. It is also easier to hide and to deny than the more public evidence of drug or alcohol use. But the consequences can be as severe -- loss of jobs, damaged health, financial ruin and estrangement from family and friends. "If you look at their lives, nobody would want that. They are devastated, they lost everything, they hate themselves," Carnes said in a telephone interview. "They are really suffering." PERVASIVE, NOT PERVERTED Sex addiction or compulsion crosses all social lines and all national borders, includes people from all walks of life, cultures and sexual orientations, and is not restricted to any age or gender. Psychologists estimate that 3 to 5 percent of people are sexaholics, and possibly more given the ease of access on the Internet. Psychologists also find three times as many men as women are likely to have the problem. "Women are more addicted to romance," said psychologist Steve Eichel who practices in Delaware. And women are less likely to seek help due a feeling of greater shame to admit sex addiction -- until those consequences cannot be ignored. Just as alcoholism was seen as a moral problem a generation or two ago, sex addiction is now regarded as a character flaw or moral issue -- for men, an overindulgence in "boys will be boys" bad behavior, and for women, "easy virtue." But there are big differences, psychologists say. "One or two affairs does not make a person a sex addict," said Carnes. What does make a sex addict, psychologists say, is the inability to stop, the ever-increasing need for fulfillment, the diminishing room in the sex addict's life for family and work, and the disregard for consequences. - A middle-aged man fired when his bosses catch him watching online pornography in his office. - A doctor suspended from hospital practice for repeated charges of harassment because he compulsively gropes female nurses. - An executive facing embezzlement charges and jail for using company money to pay for prostitutes. But no frenzy of television cameras follows the vast majority of sexaholics to the rehab centers. As Eichel said: "No one is interested in the accountant's story." And, importantly, a person who commits a sexual assault, even multiple times, should not automatically be considered a sex addict, Carnes said. "It's the physician down the street (who is the sex addict), not the Craigslist killer," she said. TREATMENT POSSIBLE, HIGH RELAPSE The addiction is both about sex and its ability, like drugs, alcohol or other addictions, to numb psychological pain from other issues in life and mental health problems, addiction specialists say. Studies of sex addiction patients over the last 20 years have found high rates of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, difficulty forming healthy attachments and struggle with intimacy in real sexual relationships, Carnes said. "People use sex to escape and medicate," she said. The experience produces the same chemical reaction -- a hit of dopamine (in the pleasure center of the brain) -- that someone who gambles or eats compulsively will receive. Carnes said there are many parallels with chemical dependency, including a three- to five-year recovery process. Involvement in group therapy or in an Alcoholics Anonymous-type 12-step program is very important, she said. Residential treatment can cost $4,000 to $6,000 a week and four to six weeks are recommended. Cheaper out-patient therapy is still expensive since it is not covered by most health insurance. There is no official medical diagnosis of sex addiction, and no good way to test whether it exists. Some call it a compulsion rather than an addiction. Many skeptics about the existence of this addiction see the diagnosis as enabling the wealthy who can afford treatment to escape sticky situations. The promise of recovery could lead a wife to drop divorce proceedings, an employer to give a second chance and even in some cases no criminal prosecution for crimes such as embezzlement to fund the addiction. Carnes says recovery is "absolutely" possible. "There are thousands of recovering sex addicts living healthy, joyous lives," she said. But as with other addictions, the relapse rate is high. Although no definitive studies are available as yet, Eichel puts short term success at 80 percent, with success defined not as total abstinence but healthy use of the behavior. Comparing sex addiction to food addiction, Eichel said, "You can't not eat." (Editing by Eric Beech) U.S. Entertainment Fashion Health People Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. 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