What is pornography addiction?

Porn addiction can be defined as the continued use of porn to deal with uncomfortable feelings and moods in spite of the continued consequences.

You know you should stop. You tell yourself to stop, but you keep looking anyway.

The behavior, besides the immediate sexual gratification and the quick escape, leaves the person feeling guilty and shameful, and compounds itself with consequences and unmanageability in the person’s life.

Often, the person engaging in the compulsive pornography addiction gains little satisfaction in the long run from the behavior. They often feel lonely, depressed and out of control, which in turn leads them back to the compulsive porn use in an attempt to feel better and escape the pain.

How Do I Know If I’m A Pornography Addict?

Here is a list of possible warning signs of porn addiction. These have been put together by Dr. Patrick Carnes, one of the world’s leading experts in sex and porn addiction. Here are some questions to ask yourself if think you may have a problem with pornography addiction.

1. Have you tried to stop or set limits on your porn behavior and found that you were unsuccessful?
2. Have you found yourself engaging in the behavior longer than you intended or to a greater extent?
3. Have you tried to resist certain looking at porn and found that you can’t?
4. Have you spent an unreasonable amount of time consuming porn or recovering from these experiences, like lack of sleep or missing work obligations?
5. Have you engaged in porn despite having other obligations such as work, marriage, or child care?
6. Have you continued looking at porn despite knowing the consequences to work, family, and yourself?
7. Have you had to give up social, occupational, or recreational activities to engage in porn?
8. Do you find yourself being preoccupied with porn or preparing for viewing porn?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions look further at what going on in your life.

Take an honest look at how pornography has impacted your life.

INTERNET PORN IS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING THE WAY WE RELATE TO SEX.

For Some Porn Becomes A Prison.

We know that porn can impact the brain in a serious way.

As we are studying the brain and addictions, we are beginning to see that intense online porn use changes how the brain responds to sexual cues. In one area, called hypofrontality, the brain loses the ability to say no or control the impulse to take action on a thought. For the porn addict, it becomes harder and harder to say no to internet porn.

You probably know this already!

Trying to change on your own will most likely be unsuccessful. Your brain needs help.

You need the support of others to successfully change your behavior. Willpower alone may help you in certain circumstances, but you will not have any real long-term success. When the crisis is gone you will most likely return to your compulsive porn use.

You need the help of others to help create a solid recovery plan.

The therapists at Novus Relationship Counseling & Recovery Center have extensive training in the area of porn addiction treatment. We know and have access to the latest research in the field of porn addiction treatment. We provide individual therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy.

We provide individual therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy. We also have intensive workshops and an intensive outpatient program.

We can put you on the right path and give you the tools you need to make the changes you want. The therapists at Novus are trained to handle the complexities that can arise from treating this issue. Many of our therapists are Certified Sexual Addiction Therapists. This certification shows that they have extensive training in the area of sex and porn addiction treatment.

Remember, it is important to get the help that you need.

HOW LONG DOES TREATMENT LAST?

That can depend on the level and intensity of your addiction, but it does take some time and a strong commitment to make the changes you want. Click here to find out more information about our Comprehensive Care Treatment for sex addiction.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ASK FOR HELP

Waiting until you feel more comfortable or less shameful about your porn addiction is most likely not going to happen. Please understand that we know this is difficult.

Reaching out from the isolation and the double life of porn addiction means that things may be different. But you asked the question: How do I stop my porn addiction? So we want to give you the honest answer and be straightforward.

The first step is making the call. We care about the people that come to our offices. We are professional and private. We are not here to judge you. We understand how difficult it is to trust someone with this secret. You may feel very alone, isolated even; but the truth is, you don’t have to be.