The introduction of dedicated diagnostic guidelines for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder in the ICD-11 provides an opportunity to improve diagnosis and research into the disorder’s aetiology, assessment and therapy. For patients who consider their sexual behaviour uncontrollable, the interplay between excitatory and inhibitory factors could be in dysbalance. In this Review, Briken describes the aetiology and background of this often misunderstood disorder and provides a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.
