Some people envisage a nymphomaniac as someone who wants sex all the time, anywhere and with anyone. Though these people are not completely wrong, nymphomania imbues a much wider concept.

It is also known as sex addiction, hyper-sexuality or hyperactive sexual desire and it affects both sexes.

The nymphomaniac woman is compulsively promiscuous and has sex on impulse, and recklessly.

She is sexually geared up, has no love bond, affection or communication with a partner. There's a total detachment of any bond except for sex. But sex often doesn't suffice either.

It is argued that nymphomaniac women are trying to solve identity-related problems through sexual gratification.

The causes of nymphomaniacs' seemingly contorted obsession with sex are not necessarily clinically defined.

"Nymphomaniac" comes from the Greek word "nymph". Nymphs were known as overtly sensual and sexual women in Greek folklore. Today, it is thought that the causes of nymphomania or hyper-sexuality are largely linked to a lack of impulse control in the brain.

Hyper-sexuality is defined as sexual behavior at clinically significant levels or above "normal" sexual frequency. But because individual sex drive varies, it is a debated condition even from a clinical standpoint. A low libido is actually treated more frequently than an excessive sex drive.

Some researchers believe that the causes relate to a fear of not experiencing sexual satisfaction. Some people link the inability to be sexually satisfied to an abnormality in the body and seek ways to correct it through extremely frequent sexual encounters.

Some experts believe that psychological and neurological conditions such as bipolar disorder and dementia or even trauma to the brain can cause hyper-sexuality.

Neurological research is ongoing to determine if there is a correlation between the impulse control in the brain and a person's sexual activity. Though some people believe that one's sex drive is linked to hormone levels, others believe that the brain plays a large role in sexual behaviour. The causes of nymphomania might never be completely known, but hyper-sexuality is a rare, but clinically accepted diagnosis for extreme sexual behaviour.

Signs of sexual addiction:

l When constant thoughts of sex interfere with one's routine;

l Having sex with strangers on a regular basis;

l Getting into debt because of paying prostitutes;

l Getting into debt because of online sex chats;

l Being dependant on porn magazines;

l Staying away from personal relationships to have anonymous sexual encounters;

l Exchanging drugs for sex;

l Becoming a prostitute for the excitement, not the money;

l Exposing oneself in public for sexual gratification;

l Looking for sex in public places;

l Coercing others into having sex using alcohol or drugs;

l Exposing oneself to sexually transmitted diseases because of unsafe, anonymous sex;

l Obsessing about sex in any way that begins to interfere with your normal daily routine or in the way you normally live. - MSN.com