[Sexual addiction: chimera or clinical syndrom? A plea for a clinical conceptualization].

The phenomenon of sexual addiction as a clinical syndrom is discussed controversially. The article first deals with some mythological, historical and literary sources, which have been an inspiration for the nomenclature, e.g. nymphomania. Scientific research started in the 19th century, but also a classification in terms of a morally contaminated pathology, which led to barbaric forms of "therapies" and procedures, especially for women. The ICD-10 and the DSM-IV do not contain categories that correspond with the clinical experience of many experts. The application of the WHO criteria should be possible, but this might fail due to big intercultural and individual differences in defining normal sexuality as the point of origin for pathological aberrances. Later some nosological concepts and therapeutic approaches are presented. The criticism of the term of "sexual addiction" is followed by the criticism of the criticism. The article ends with the conviction, that it should be a useful and reasonable challenge for psychiatrists to come to a reliable classification of this disorder to provide easier access to serious and professional help to those who often suffer enormous pain and shame.