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Russell Brand has spoken openly in the past about his own 'sex acciction'. Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment

Is sex addiction the real deal?

A new study suggests people with a co-called addiction may just have a particularly high libido…

A NEW STUDY has suggested those suffering from a sex addiction may not be addicts at all – they could just have a high libido.

The research published yesterday was conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

For the first time ever, UCLA reearchers have measured how the brain behaves in so-called hypersexual people who have problems regulating their viewing of sexual images.

The study found that the brain response of these individuals to sexual images was not related in any way to the severity of their hypersexuality but was instead tied only to their level of sexual desire.

In other words, hypersexuality did not appear to explain brain differences in sexual response any more than simply having a high libido, said senior author Nicole Prause, a researcher in the department of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

A diagnosis of hypersexuality or sexual addiction is typically associated with people who have sexual urges that feel out of control, who engage frequently in sexual behaviour, who have suffered consequences such as divorce or economic ruin as a result of their behaviours, and who have a poor ability to reduce those behaviors.

But, said Prause and her colleagues, such symptoms are not necessarily representative of an addiction — in fact, non-pathological, high sexual desire could also explain this cluster of problems.

Responses to sexual image stimuli

One way to tease out the difference is to measure the brain’s response to sexual-image stimuli in people who acknowledge having sexual problems. If they indeed suffer from hypersexuality, or sexual addiction, their brain response to visual sexual stimuli could be expected be higher, in much the same way that the brains of cocaine addicts have been shown to react to images of the drug in other studies.

The study involved 52 volunteers: 39 men and 13 women, ranging in age from 18 to 39, who reported having problems controlling their viewing of sexual images.

Volunteers were monitored while being shown sets of photographs chosen to evoke either pleasant or unpleasant feelings.

Result

Reasearchers expected to see responses that would relate to measures of hypersexuality in the brain but instead found they were only linked to the measure of sexual desire.

“In other words, hypersexuality does not appear to explain brain responses to sexual images any more than just having a high libido,” Prause explained.

While this study does not completely blow sex addiction out of the water, Prause said that if it can be replicated, the findings would represent “a major challenge to existing theories”.

Read: Female mammals can choose the sex of their offspring by controlling sperm>

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62 Comments
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    Mute Dublinjonny
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:24 PM

    My girlfriend cured her sex adiction …. we got married …….

    747
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    Mute Síle
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:28 PM

    And after that comment you’re not getting any for at least a month..

    492
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    Mute James Butler
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:44 PM

    Well not from his wife anyway…

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    Mute Tommy Gunz
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:51 PM

    I’m getting the cure tonight. Until my next fix…See you later girls,

    53
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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:36 PM

    I wouldn’t be a big commenter on this site, but I think it’s time to open up.

    I’m addicted to having sex with myself. I don’t want help.

    376
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    Mute Nelly
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:41 PM

    You and palm?

    91
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    Mute Little Jim
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:42 PM

    I love myself too.
    Lots.

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    Mute Mr Jingles
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:43 PM

    I’ve had a long standing relationship with with Pam and she’s never given me any trouble

    102
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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
    Favourite CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:46 PM

    I don’t actually touch myself. I just stare at myself intensely in the mirror and the magic happens. It’s so liberating to say this out loud.

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    Mute hjGfIgAq
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:53 PM

    I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to share that with us Adebayo :)

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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:02 PM

    I do! Trust tree and all that!

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    Mute Montys Moonshine
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:02 PM

    Aww Michelle you removed my comment and I must admit you were dead right. My addiction takes me to new lows of which I know no shame. Fair play miss Hennessy, fair play. That is all

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    Mute Little Jim
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:19 PM

    I’m hands on myself.
    Furiously.

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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:29 PM

    Captain, you are a genuine diamond :-)

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    Mute Richard Barrett
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:52 PM

    @ michelle, he’s an anonymous poster on a website, why on earth would he not be comfortable sharing it.

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    Mute Tom Brennan
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:52 PM

    Captain handsome…

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:27 PM

    Gerard Butler was asked what his favourite joke was in an interview for a film magazine:

    “A guy goes into a doctor and tells him that every time he sees himself naked in a mirror he gets aroused. The doctor looks him up and down and says “I’m not at all surprised – you look like a c***”

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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 20th 2013, 7:04 PM

    Hi Richard. I’m not really anonymous. My followers know what I look like. I’m not public property and don’t need the ego boost, that’s the reason. I love you.

    http://youtu.be/wv-34w8kGPM

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    Mute Dáithí
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    Jul 20th 2013, 7:19 PM

    Please cease your mortal sin or you could risk ending up in hell. Pray the rosary every day and attend mass every week instead.
    Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jul 20th 2013, 10:15 PM

    Narrowly missing a “Dead Poets Society” quote..

    7
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jul 20th 2013, 10:17 PM

    s/b @Tom Brennan

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    Mute Tokidoll
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    Jul 20th 2013, 11:06 PM

    Well spotted Paul.

    “Oh Captain my Captain!”

    Bet that’s what they all say Adebayo!

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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 20th 2013, 11:17 PM

    Ha! Toki you know I love you, lovin your tweets girrrrrrrlfriend

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jul 20th 2013, 11:49 PM

    It’s a beautiful thing…
    Not intended to describe any particular member…

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    Mute Tokidoll
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    Jul 21st 2013, 8:32 AM

    Right back at ya ‘bayo!

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    Mute Stephen Barry
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:57 PM

    Bullsh!t just an excuse to screw around , strange how u can’t be sex addicted to one partner.

    162
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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:01 PM

    Stephen totally agree and very well put!

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    Mute Liz Ahern
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    Jul 20th 2013, 6:53 PM

    Actually that isn’t true,it’s only deviant behaviour that gets highlighted.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 20th 2013, 9:09 PM


    .

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    Mute Aimie Walsh 
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    Jul 20th 2013, 9:55 PM

    Just burst out laughing !!! So true!

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    Mute itchy willy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:36 PM

    A daughter asks her mother, “What is a Nymphomaniac?”

    “It’s a female who’s addicted to sex.” she replies.

    “I see…but what about men who are addicted to sex? What are they called?”

    “….Men”

    120
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    Mute David Grey
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:09 PM

    Every man is a sex addict, its part of our species way of ensuring survival!
    The difference is some of us have morals & can stay faithful & have enough respect for our partners not to cheat, the others are just self centred Arseholes who don’t respect Women! !
    Like many Hollywood stars! !

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:24 PM

    Think the difference is we are not all Hollywood stars with acres of temptation :-(

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    Mute Tim Stephen Hendy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 9:43 PM

    kind of agree. They can afford multiple divorces whereas just one would devastate a normal person.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jul 20th 2013, 10:18 PM

    In this country…

    5
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    Mute Michelle Philpot
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:00 PM

    Life is short, bang what you can while you can…..

    83
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    Mute Tokidoll
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:46 PM

    How come we only hear of celebrities being sex addicts? Could it be that because some of them can get it anywhere any time from fans only too happy to oblige that their only real difficulty is being able to say no? The ol’ sex addiction might be a great man for excusing infidelity on “medical grounds”. Just a thought.

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    Mute macca
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:32 PM

    just stay single and dip it for Ireland :)

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:33 PM

    Addictions come in all forms, sex, chocolate,cigs, liquor, stealing,eating,shopping..no self control and I stand as guilty to a few namely cigs and chocolate…just can’t kick the cigs because although I want too, that 1% is stronger than the 99% that wants too, therefore addicted

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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 20th 2013, 9:11 PM

    Let’s be honest here. Russell Brand doesn’t have an addiction. He’s just a pillock.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Jul 21st 2013, 7:33 AM

    He’s also yuck, yuck, yuck!

    17
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    Mute willie
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:30 PM

    Is there not patches women can get??
    Oh yeah, sorry, there is….. Pads!!

    39
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    Mute Linda O'Sullivan Daly
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:44 PM

    you’re an idiot

    237
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    Mute willie
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:52 PM

    Touchy touchy Linda!!!
    Stop touching

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    Mute john murphy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:57 PM

    Touchy are we Linda?

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    Mute itchy willy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:01 PM

    Linda, its only a joke

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    Mute Paul Brophy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:33 PM

    Difficult to have a high libido with all those Irish lasses around!

    38
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    Mute Patch Quinn
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:09 PM

    I hate russell brand or whobever the ponce is!!!

    But im all here for Linda :-)

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    Mute Vincent Bickerstaffe
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    Jul 20th 2013, 3:29 PM

    Tis ya

    21
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    Mute OU812
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:33 PM

    In all seriousness, Having experienced my first (male) multiple orgasm recently, it’s very addictive.

    I’ve now increased the amount of times I have sex weekly in an attempt to have another. And am looking into tantric sex as a way of delivering it more regularly.

    19
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    Mute itchy willy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:02 PM

    When you say “multiple”, how many

    13
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    Mute OU812
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:30 PM

    Four. Incredible

    12
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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Jul 20th 2013, 8:12 PM

    How many of you were hoping that this article would include sample images that were used in the experiment?

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    Mute Tim Stephen Hendy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 9:44 PM

    to be honest, any image other than Russell Brand would have been fine.

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    Mute alwaysrightokay
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    Jul 20th 2013, 7:41 PM

    Ah lads would yiz not give peace a chance.

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    Mute Gus Whearity
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:38 PM

    Pants down

    8
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    Mute itchy willy
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    Jul 20th 2013, 5:00 PM

    … and the other thing up

    7
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    Mute Marty bird
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    Jul 20th 2013, 4:23 PM

    All women must have it so :)

    7
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    Mute davidsheridan32
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    Jul 21st 2013, 7:34 PM

    Been telling her for years!!

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    Mute Graceface
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    Jul 24th 2013, 3:38 PM

    I genuinely believe it’s an addiction.

    1
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