ABSTRACT
This chapter is an introduction to the topic of sex addiction, highlighting some of the key trends and dilemmas currently present in the field. It also provides an overview of the International Handbook of Sexual Addiction, which gathers together a comprehensive range of perspectives on sexual addiction from a worldwide selection of scholars and therapists. The chapter highlights how the handbook sets out to define sex addiction, to study the causes and to propose effective treatment strategies. The book also considers sex addiction in specific populations and looks at some of the alternative discourses surrounding the concept. This introductory chapter sets the scene for these topics.
