Sexual addiction : an investigation of a contested concept

Abstract

The aim of this research is to gather detailed information on how two different sets of actors, those who self-identify as ‘sexual addicts’ and those involved in treating ‘sexual addiction’, conceptualise the phenomenon of ‘sexual addiction’ within an Irish context. The specific objectives are to investigate: 1) how they understand the aetiology of ‘sexual addiction’; 2) what they perceive to be the main symptoms and lifestyle elements of this alleged condition; 3) how they view recovery and the role played by formal treatment or rehabilitation systems in the recovery process.