Nymphomania is a sexual dysfunction for women. This condition, also called sex addiction, is a problem where a person cannot control their sexual desires and behaviors.

These women, called nymphomaniacs, have problems focusing on their daily lives because their minds are constantly occupied with sexual thoughts. The term nymphomania is used for women. The male version of the same disease is called 'Satiriasis'. You can find information about satiriasis in our article 'Satyriasis: decoding thecomplexities of hypersexuality in men' at the end of this article.

For nymphomaniacs, the other person does not have to meet the criteria or have an emotional connection. It is essential to change partners frequently and to experience sexual pleasure. It is impossible for these women to have regular relationships as they cannot be satisfied with one partner.

This sexual desire does not mean physical contact between two people. It can manifest itself in many ways such as masturbation, multiple partners, fondness for pornography, virtual sex, prostitution for money. These behaviors can also be seen in healthy individuals, but this level is kept in balance compared to nymphomaniacs. As long as it does not affect the social life of the person, it is not considered as a disorder.

Nymphomaniacs may be addicted to different forms of sexual behavior and may violate their partner's private space. This makes it difficult to adapt to the social environment and can cause different psychological problems. This situation, which triggers sexual traumas, also plays an important role in the spread of sexual diseases due to changing too many partners. Because for the nymphomaniac, the goal is to perform the act of sex and as a result, he will feel a short-term relief, but after a short time he will want to do it again. With the vicious cycle that develops over time, the woman will choose another partner faster and try to have an orgasm after each sexual intercourse that she does not enjoy.

Hypersexuality is usually seen between the ages of 25-50. Nymphomania is not expected to be seen in adolescence or before puberty.

Enjoying making love, desiring one's partner with intense feelings, having several orgasms in a row does not make a person a sex addict or a nymphomaniac. Excessive desire for a partner should not be confused with sex addiction.

What are the symptoms of nymphomania? How to recognize sex addiction?

There is a desire to have more than one relationship.Their relationships are usually one-night stands or unemotional intercourse.
They experience guilt and shame very often. Although they seem happy in this type of relationship, they are very pessimistic and overwhelmed with guilt. Therefore, they leave every sexual relationship with a sense of shame.
They cannot stop their sexual impulses and violate their partner's boundaries.
They are unhappy and pessimistic because this unrest leads them to suicidal thoughts. Usually, people learn that they are sex addicts after they consult a doctor with suicidal thoughts.
They withdraw from social life because of their addiction to sex.They run away from work and personal responsibilities, they don't spare time for their friends because sex takes priority over everything else.
Pornography takes over their lives. They tend to watch pornographic content all the time.
The person prolongs and intensifies sex and masturbation activities until it becomes too much for their body.
They seek refuge in sexuality to get rid of loneliness, anxiety, unhappiness and stress.

What are the underlying causes of nymphomania?Why does sex addiction occur?

Nymphomania can occur for physical or psychological reasons.Psychologically, it is usually focused on the fact that the woman seeks the love she did not receive from her family at an early age through sexuality. These psychological disorders, which are also considered as an attempt to seek the love of the father in every individual due to an obsession with the father figure, are generally based on childhood traumas.Some women's coping mechanisms with sexual abuse in childhood or sexual traumas in adulthood can also cause nymphomania.

The person tries to fill this void by putting other bodies over all the deficiencies they feel, and when they feel that they cannot solve their problems, things get out of control and drift towards suicide. Some psychiatric disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders and bipolar disorder can also trigger sex addiction.

Other physical factors thought to be associated with nymphomania include an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. An increase in some brain-activating chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine in the brain can trigger sexual behavior.

Structural disorders in the brain are triggered by diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Kliver-Bucy syndrome, dementia and epilepsy. Apart from the disruption of the chemical balance in the brain, diseases such as nymphomania can occur as a result of these diseases that change the brain structure.

Disruption of brain pathways triggers the formation of addictions. The result of these triggers is seen among the causes of nymphomania.

If you think you are experiencing such a situation or if you think your friend is experiencing such a thing, it is useful to consult a doctor urgently.

Nymphomania can result in death!

We have mentioned that nymphomania spreads sexually transmitted diseases and leads to suicide by affecting the psychology of the person in a bad way and we have mentioned the major problems it can cause.

Apart from these problems, it is worth noting that the disease affects the society rather than the individual. 72% of sexual offenders and 38% of rape offenders meet the criteria for sexual addiction.

Are there any diseases similar to nymphomania?

The continuous sexual arousal syndrome called PSAS/PGAD causes a feeling of false ejaculation with rapid rapid pulsation and intense excitement in the genital area. People may confuse this sensation with nymphomania. If you want to know more about what persistent arousal syndrome is, read the article “Shedding light on persistent genital arousal disorder: PSAS/PGAD", you can read our article.

Women with vulva eczema may also think that they are nymphomaniacs because they are in a state of constant arousal. Constant wetting problems may make people question whether they have sex addiction.

The problem of ejaculation in sleep can create similar suspicions, but it is worth noting that these ejaculations in REM sleep never cause a health problem to the person. Therefore, ejaculation in sleep is not considered a disease.If a person is bothered by getting wet in a dream, they can get treatment to reduce the symptoms. If you want to learn more about ejaculation in sleep, you can read our article “Wet Dream; Is nocturnal emission/ejaculation during sleep a problem?”.

Is there permanent damage caused by nymphomania?

We have already mentioned that nymphomaniacs increase the spread of sexually transmitted diseases due to their random choice of partners, but there are bigger problems that nymphomaniacs face.

Nymphomaniacs do not experience the deep relaxation that follows orgasm as in healthy individuals.
There is no state of relaxation, sexual tension remains at its peak.
Although the feeling of euphoria at the moment of orgasm varies in everyone, they do not feel the standard level of euphoria.The climaxes are not very high and the relief after orgasm is insufficient.
Due to childhood traumas, morally inappropriate relationship preferences begin to increase and they feel the need to conquer new men. Because of this situation, sexuality becomes a war rather than a union. The only thing that determines one's self-confidence is the hunt for men.
Even if the person manages to avoid health problems, he or she may face legal problems, damage his or her reputation and fall into mental depression.
Mental problems such as shame and depression can trigger bipolar personality disorders and anxiety.

How is nymphomania treated?

Nymphomania is a treatable addiction.So never forget that it is possible to recover from sex addiction and that there is a way to change your life for the better. You should always consult a doctor, knowing that avoiding a doctor or treatment will harm both you and the people who love you. Remember that many people like you who suffer from this condition are treated by consulting a doctor; they can have a healthy and regular life. Knowing that all the information you share with your doctor is confidential on the basis of doctor-patient confidentiality, you should share every thought and problem openly and in detail so that they can find the right treatment.

As with other mental disorders, nymphomania treatment requires individualized treatment. By combining both psychological treatment and medication, a treatment is determined by the doctor and the person is subject to control.In addition, group therapies applied in addiction treatments may be recommended.

The treatment to be applied is selected under the observation of 3 different doctors: neurologist, psychiatrist and psychologist.