Sex addiction is an illness that can be treated with drugs therapy and counseling, a New Taipei City-based psychologist said on Tuesday, after Taiwanese-American musician Wang Leehom’s (王力宏) alleged infidelities sparked a week-long public debate.
Wang’s estranged wife, Lee Jing-lei (李靚蕾), has accused him of having extramarital affairs and sex with prostitutes, saying that he is addicted to sex, after Wang on Wednesday wrote on Facebook that the couple is getting divorced.
While Taiwanese and other Asian societies rarely discuss or acknowledge sex addiction, the condition is frequently invoked by Western celebrities and politicians embroiled in scandals, said Yang Tsung-tsair (楊聰財), who runs a mental health clinic in Sindian District (新店).
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Signs of sex addiction include being prone to infidelity, habitually seeking the services of prostitutes and feeling controlled by sexual urges, he said.
People with the condition might compulsively seek new sexual partners on a monthly basis, or experience restlessness that affects their ability to work or have a normal life, Yang said.
Although sex addiction affects men and women, the disorder is more prevalent in men, and the onset of symptoms typically occurs between ages 20 and 50, he said.
Sex addiction is often accompanied by narcissistic or histrionic personality disorders, which are linked to an unhappy or love-deprived childhood, especially a lack of rapport with their mother, Yang said.
As adults, those people might seek sexual relationships as a means to alleviate loneliness, he said.
The region of the hypothalamus known as the “pleasure center” is activated by enjoyable activities such as exercising, accomplishing goals, eating or having sex, he said.
Sex addicts predominantly rely on the latter for pleasure, he added.
People with the disorder can control their urges with the help of drugs that restore hormonal and emotional imbalances, and cognitive-behavioral therapy that corrects their approach to sex, relationships and emotional management patterns, he said.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
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