Is Cheating Contagious?

by Dr. Peggy Drexler

After 10 years of marriage and with two children under the age of 6, Sarah and Josh were getting a divorce. The reason: Josh had been having an on-and-off affair with Rae, a longtime friend and colleague, for nearly a year. Sarah, suspecting something was up but not sure what, had finally resorted to checking Josh's email, where her fears were confirmed. She threw him out that night.

Most of their friends were shocked. This, they thought, was so unlike Josh, who'd always presented himself as a thoughtful husband, conscientious boss, and devoted father. He was never cavalier about his friendships, nor was he especially careless or cruel. And yet it was revealed that only months earlier, he'd invited Rae to the holiday party he and Sarah threw in their home, something that in retrospect made most of their friends' stomachs turn--on behalf of Sarah, yes, but also themselves.

Is Sex Addiction a Real Disease?

Celebrities have made headlines in recent years citing "sex addiction" as a reason for their infidelity.

But is what's known to psychologists as "hypersexual disorder" a real pathology or just a lame excuse for bad behavior?

The issue is a real one, since there's been talk of including hypersexual disorder in the upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), considered the "bible" for psychologists.