Cassper Nyovest and Colin Farrell have opened up about it, but why is sex addiction still so taboo?

Well-known South African musician Cassper Nyovest had publicly stated that he has suffered from sex addiction. Claiming that "sex was my master" on Mpoomy Ledwaba's Wisdom & Wellness podcast, his addiction led him to break up with the mother of his child, Thobeka Majozi. 

Kanye West, Lamar Odom and Colin Farrell are among the other celebrities who have come forward about their struggles with sex addiction. But what exactly is it, and why is there so much shame around it? A sex counsellor enlightens us. 

While sex addiction is not a new term, it is not a recognised disorder in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual (DSM). However, the International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD) includes a diagnosis for Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder (CSBD), which is defined as "a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour," says Shay Rees-Davies, a counsellor of sexuality.