Porn Addiction
Although watching pornography is not unhealthy, knowing when to stop and seek help is the key to maintaining quality relationships and a healthy lifestyle. Learn how through counselling and psychotherapy you can turn your life around.
Counselling and Therapy for Porn Addiction
Watching pornography on an ad-hoc basis may be beneficial for self-exploration, sexual education, and even improving relations with your partner. However, making a habit of watching porn to the extent where it affects your daily life and relationships is when it turns into an addiction that can be detrimental to your well-being. Studies estimate that between 86% and 96% of men regularly watch pornography, whereas women, surprisingly, only watch slightly less pornographic content.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Porn Addiction?
To determine whether or not you have an unhealthy relationship with porn, excessive consumption is usually found to take up a lot of time, which can lead to a loss of control. Porn addiction may also cause a strain in your relationships. Typically, this behaviour may manifest in the following ways:
- Excessive spending on pornographic material, sometimes at the expense of necessities or other healthier interests
- Engagement in risky sexual behaviour
- The use of porn to cope with difficult emotions like pain, anxiety, and sadness
- Consuming porn at risky times of the day and moments
- Feeling anger at being advised to reduce porn consumption
- An inability to quit porn despite efforts to
- Experiencing shame following porn use, but being unable to stop the habit
- Progressing to more extreme forms of pornography to find pleasure
- Finding sexual intercourse to be less satisfying than previously
- Hiding porn habits from sexual partners and family, friends and work colleagues
Research has shown that the greatest predictors for porn use include being a young man, negative mood states, loneliness, frequent internet use, religiousness, and sexual boredom.
What Causes Porn Addiction?
While some may suggest that easy access to porn plays a significant part in porn addiction, it does not explain why some people have a problem with compulsive use, and others do not. Some factors that have been implicated in porn addiction include:
- Biological differences in the chemistry or structure of the brain
- Societal expectations about appearance, sex, and relationships
- Stress or psychological problems
- Difficulties with intimate relationships
Donna Marie Thomas
Hello, my name is Donna, I am a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and Registered Member of BACP based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
I have a passion for helping people to enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life via a person centred approach to therapy tailored to meet each individuals specific needs.
Get in touch to find out more or book an appointment with me today.
What is the Impact of Porn Addiction?
Because porn is so accessible, it’s easy for someone to become dependent on erotic material.
There is no question that porn use can create distress for individuals or couples and become a source of conflict in relationships, especially when one partner has been hiding their use knowing that the other would disapprove or consider it to be an act of infidelity.
Joint counselling and therapy can help partners to understand each other’s sexual interests and negotiate what is and is not acceptable in their relationship. But it is more likely that disputes about the use of porn will be found to be driven by other more critical underlying sexual or relationship issues that need to be addressed.
Excessive consumption of porn has been found to have the following negative effects:
- Can affect intimacy between partners
- It can affect your partner's self-esteem
- Pornography can affect satisfaction from sex
- Negatively affect daily functioning
- Can lead to other mental health disorders
- Medical conditions
Counselling and Therapy Options
Treating porn addiction requires a unique approach and treatment plan for each person, which is why the multiple approach of psychotherapy and counselling is such an incredibly successful one.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) remains the primary form of therapy used in the treatment of porn addiction. However, there are also other therapeutic methods that effectively address some of the potential underlying causes of the addiction.
The following are some of the most common treatments:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Mindfulness
- Group therapy
- Couples therapy
- Family therapy
Benefits of a Personalised Relapse Prevention Plan for Porn Addiction
Breaking free from porn addiction is a long-term journey, and it can be a life-long pursuit. After the initial recovery phase, it doesn’t mean that all the external and internal triggers have disappeared. Instead, this means that you now have to actively apply the tools you have learned in therapy to your daily life.
The key to recovery from porn addiction is to have a relapse prevention plan in place in order to help you build up your resilience to temptation.
Here are some of the benefits that a personalised relapse prevention plan can offer:
- Identification of triggers and warning signs
- Empowerment and ownership
- Improved coping skills
- Improved self-awareness and insight
- Resilience building and preparedness
- Support and accountability
How Innerworth Counselling Can Help
The recovery process for porn addiction is a journey, and for many a lifetime commitment. There isn’t a quick fix or a magic bullet to treat it, however with counselling and therapy you will receive a safe, soothing and confidential space where you can begin to discuss and understand the root causes of your sex addiction.
It is also a space where you can begin to explore the emotional aspects behind your porn addiction and learn a range of techniques which will allow you over a period of time to emerge from the shadow of addiction.
Take the First Step Now
I offer private therapy, and take a person-centred approach, meaning that I’m non-judgemental, see clients as equals, and collaborate on your healing journey together.
If you feel you could benefit from therapy for porn addiction, please book an initial consultation. You don’t have to prepare for this, just come as you are and we can look into how I might be able to help.
Additional Information
Here are some links that you may find helpful:
Samaritans
The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on: 116 123.
www.samaritans.org
Mind
The team at Mind provide information on a range of mental health problems.
www.mind.org.uk
Contact me today to book a confidential consulation
What My Clients Say
Jason Osborne
I shall be forever bewildered by the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. I had always remained sceptical until my very last session, then the “weight” that suddenly lifted was both physical and emotional and continues to benefit both myself and those around me three years on – thank you Donna.
Jason Osborne
Abigail Johnson
I’ve finally found a solution to my dependency on food. Your weight-loss therapy sessions have seriously transformed my life. Honestly, I could cry, I am so happy and feel like a totally new person, inside and out! Truly amazing Donna.
Abigail Johnson
Charlotte Dickinson
I went to see Donna because my anxiety and depression had spiralled out of control. I now have skills and techniques that I can use for the rest of my life to help me cope with any challenges. Thoroughly recommend psychotherapy from Innerworth Counselling. Donna is warm, professional and clearly passionate about what she does.