Sex Addiction Does Not Appear To Be A Disorder, UCLA Study Says (VIDEO)

Actors Tiger Woods, Russell Brand and David Duchovny all blamed their copious amounts of sex on a disorder: sex addition.

But UCLA researchers say sex addiction does not appear to be a disorder, according to their study, which appears in the current online edition of the journal Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology.

The study involved 39 men and 13 women who reported having problems controlling their viewing of sexual images. UCLA scientist Nicole Prause and her colleagues monitored the volunteers' brains while showing them erotic images.

"If they indeed suffer from hypersexuality, or sexual addiction, their brain response to visual sexual stimuli could be expected to 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," a UC press release on the study explained.

And yet, that did not happen. Instead of being caused by an actual disorder, hypersexuality may be a result of having a high libido, Prause said.

"Potentially, this is an important finding," she said in the press release. "It is the first time scientists have studied the brain responses specifically of people who identify as having hypersexual problems."

Sex addiction reportedly affects 16 million Americans, CBS reports. And yet, the American Psychiatric Association excluded sex addition as a disorder in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5.

Prause conceded that her findings are controversial and told CBS in the video above that she doesn't want to discourage people from seeking help, but thinks that so-called sex rehabs should be examined. Sexual Recovery Institute and other similar sex rehabs did not immediately respond to CBS for comment.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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  • Amy Winehouse

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    emCORRECTION: In an earlier version of this slideshow, the date Ms. Winehouse died was incorrect. She died on July 23, 2011./em

  • Lindsay Lohan

    The 25-year-old actress has spent the last five years in and out of rehab and still stuggles to stay sober today.

  • Charlie Sheen

    In February 2011 Charlie Sheen claimed he was clean of drugs and alcohol, but high on himself. The actor has publicity struggled with addiction for years, but many doubt his claims of sobriety.

  • Drew Barrymore

    Drew was famously an addict as a child. By her own admission she said she had her first drink at 9, began smoking marijuana at 10 and began using cocaine at 12.

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  • Robin Williams

    The comedian overcame a cocaine addiction, but headed back to rehab after 20 years of sobriety in 2006 to address his issues with alcohol.

  • Fergie

    The Black Eyed Peas singer kicked a crystal meth and ecstasy habit.

  • Heath Ledger

    An accidental overdose of prescription medication killed the actor on Jan. 22, 2008.

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