As to treatment approaches for HD itself, Dr. Kafka recommended a "here and now" approach that involves external interventions to limit access to computers and smart phones, such as phone block, Internet filters with kept passwords, moving the computer to a more public location, changing Internet service providers, and removing credit cards. He acknowledged that disclosing HD to an unsuspecting spouse can be "a minefield. Unless a spouse is prepared to find out about this, it’s devastating, because this is a secret disorder. Many times the spouse has no clue. I’m not going to say don’t tell the spouse, I’m going to say be very careful with your patient about what might be a strategy and when a spouse should find out. When the spouse finds out, it’s important that the spouse be in treatment, that they know how to get some help."
Frequent 12-step meetings that include daily contact with a sponsor are typically indicated for patients with HD, he added, along with individual psychotherapy and some cognitive-behavioral therapy.
"Hypersexuality is a dimension of human behavior; it can be treated," Dr. Kafka concluded. "The psychiatrist is an important player in all this."
Dr. Kafka said that he had no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.