What Is a Nymphomaniac?

Nymphomaniac is a term once used to describe an assigned female who has excessive sexual desires. Today, healthcare providers refer to hypersexual behavior as hypersexuality disorder, compulsive sexual behavior, or sex addiction—terms that are applied to people of all sexes.

Nymphomaniac is the counterpart to the also-outdated term satyromaniac, which essentially meant hypersexuality in assigned males.

This article discusses the meaning of nymphomania, as it was defined, and how hypersexuality is understood today. It also covers the characteristics of such behavior, what causes it, and how it can be treated.

Terminology

Nymphomania is a term that dates back to the 19th century. Society considered assigned females with insatiable sexual desires to be delinquent, and physicians viewed nymphomania as a medical condition.

Over time, research has led to changes in the language used to describe hypersexual behavior. Today, it may be called any of the following, though some research points to nuances that might distinguish them:

• Hypersexuality disorder
• Compulsive sexual behavior
• Sex addiction
• Problematic hypersexuality
  

None of these are recognized in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)", which clinicians use to reference formalized lists of symptoms and diagnostic criteria.

Identifying, treating, and researching problematic hypersexual behavior can be challenging without a formalized list of symptoms and criteria.

Symptoms of Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Generally, compulsive sexual behavior is characterized by excessive sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors, as well as the impulse to act on them with consenting individuals.

According to the World Health Organization, characteristics include the following, which persist for six months or longer:

• Intrusive and repetitive thoughts or desires
• Difficulty reducing or stopping behaviors
• Engaging in fantasies, urges, or behaviors as a means of escaping or coping with challenging emotions or stressful situations
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Guilt and shame 
• Continued engagement in behaviors without regard for harm to self or others
• Preoccupation with or spending excessive amounts of time thinking about or having sexual encounters
  

These characteristics are often disruptive and can significantly affect a person’s overall quality of life.

Other complications can include the risk of sexually transmitted infections and diminished social support. In some cases, a person may experience suicidal thoughts.

Causes of Hypersexual Behavior

There was no established cause for nymphomania, nor is there a clear cause for what is now considered compulsive sexual behavior. Every individual case is unique.

However, research has shed some light on factors that may contribute to hypersexual behavior, including:

• Stressful life events
• Trauma, including sexual abuse
• Imbalance in brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters
• Environmental triggers
• Neurological conditions and medications used to treat them, such as Parkinson’s disease

Some research implicates traits such as poor judgment, impulsivity, and preoccupation with or engagement in excessive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors.

Additionally, hypersexual behavior may occur alongside symptoms of mental health conditions. For instance, an individual may become hypersexual and have risky sexual encounters during a manic episode of bipolar disorder.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you feel like you've lost control over your sexual behavior or if it causes significant distress to yourself or someone else, it's time to see a healthcare provider.

Other indications that you need to seek medical help include:

• The behavior puts you at risk of harming yourself or someone else.
• The behavior creates problems with your work, life, or personal relationships.
• You try to hide the behavior from the people around you.
• The behavior is getting more extreme over time.
  

Diagnosing Hypersexual Behavior

In the past, a nymphomaniac could have been identified based on observed behaviors alone.

Now, healthcare providers get a sense of an individual's concerns by discussing their past and present experiences with:

• Sexual urges
• Fantasies
• Sexual behaviors
• The impact and consequences of those behaviors

They will also ask about the following so they can factor in or rule out things that may be contributing to sexual behavior:

• Medical history
• Psychological history
• Family history

Healthcare providers can also use tools such as the Hypersexual Disorder Screening Inventory to assess hypersexual behavior.

Treating Hypersexual Behavior

Treatment for hypersexual behavior can involve a variety of methods:

• Psychoeducation can be beneficial for teaching individuals about hypersexuality and reducing the shame and stigma around it. When individuals can have open conversations in a safe and non-judgmental setting, they can explore healthy and unhealthy behaviors with a mental health professional.
  
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a method that may be used to treat compulsive sexual behavior. Therapists work with individuals to identify triggers, thinking patterns related to themselves and their behavior, coping skills, and lifestyle changes to support healthy behaviors.
• Medication may be prescribed to treat mental health symptoms or conditions related to compulsive sexual behavior. For instance, a psychiatrist may prescribe anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants to treat anxiety and depression.
  
• Couples or family therapy can supplement individual therapy. In these forms of treatment, individuals learn tools to enhance communication, improve relationships, and discuss and deepen intimacy. 
  

Coping

Using strategies to enhance well-being are essential to day-to-day life and recovery. Ways to cope with hypersexual behavior through self-care include:

• Establishing and maintaining a self-care routine that supports daily functioning 
• Getting regular sleep
• Eating well-balanced meals
• Connecting with a support network
• Being open and honest about thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
• Seeking professional help
• Being consistent with treatment
• Being aware of triggers 
• Attending support groups
  

Summary

Nymphomania is a term that was previously used to describe hypersexual behavior in assigned females. It is now known as hypersexuality disorder, compulsive sexual behavior, or sex addiction. These conditions can affect anyone.

Hypersexuality disorder has several characteristics, including repetitive sexual thoughts that impact day-to-day living and difficulty putting a stop to sexual desires and acts, even if it's at the expense of others.

Hypersexual behavior can be treated with therapy, personal coping strategies, and, in some cases, medication.