Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPsychotherapyMedicationLifestyle ChangesSupport GroupsWhen Pornography Is a Problem
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Psychotherapy
Medication
Lifestyle Changes
Support Groups
When Pornography Is a Problem
What You Need to Know About Porn Addiction
However, because it shares some traits with substance abuse and other addictions, porn addiction help tends toward established addiction treatment protocols: psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle modification, and the use of addiction support groups.
Porn addiction is considered ahypersexual disorder, an umbrella term for a group of conditions that affects an estimated 3%-6% of the U.S. population.They’re often comorbid with psychological conditions such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and other addictions.
Psychologists frequently treat porn addiction similarly to other addictions, employing various proven psychotherapy modalities.
Pornography addiction can make it difficult to maintain sexual relationships and is often implicated in the breakups of marriages and other relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBTis a type of behavioral modification therapy that can help a person identify and manage the thought patterns that trigger various behaviors such as consuming porn. Psychologists consider CBT one of the most effective treatments for porn addiction.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Sometimes referred to as psychoanalysis,psychodynamic therapyis a kind of talk therapy that helps people uncover unconscious thoughts and memories that might be triggering behavior.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACTis similar to CBT in that it helps identify thought patterns that produce addictive behaviors, but ACT emphasizes acceptance as a way to manage negative thoughts.
Group Therapy
Research has found that connecting with others who are experiencing similar issues can help people feel less alone and decrease shameful feelings.
What Is Group Therapy?
Couples Therapy/Marriage Counseling
Couples therapy or marriage counseling can be helpful when pornography addiction is affecting intimate relationships. When pornography addiction affects the family, family therapy may be appropriate, too.
How Couples Therapy Can Improve Your Relationship
No medications have been FDA-approved to treat pornography addiction specifically.Nevertheless, certain medications used for other conditions can help.These include:
Antidepressants
People with other psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder along with pornography addiction may benefit from treatment with antidepressants.
No particular antidepressant is associated with pornography addiction or compulsive sexual behaviors, but research indicates that SSRIs can help decrease sexual urges associated with these addictions and behaviors.
Mood Stabilizers
People who have bipolar disorder along with compulsive sexual behavior have found a reduction in symptoms of their compulsive sexual behavior when they are treated with medications such as valproic acid and lithium.
Opioid Antagonists
Naltrexone, a drug used to treat opioid addictions, has shown promise in the treatment of pornography addictionas well as compulsive sexual behaviors in general.Treating pornography addictions with naltrexone decreases the feelings of euphoria associated with the compulsive behavior.
Because this medication hasn’t been approved for use in this manner, you might need to consult a provider who specializes in compulsive sexual behaviors and understands the nuances of prescribing medications for pornography addiction.
Pornography and Depression: What’s the Connection?
Talk to your healthcare provider or a psychiatrist before taking any medication for porn addiction treatment.
How to Make the Most of Porn Addiction Help
Pornography addiction is a complicated condition and can be hard to manage because of porn’s ubiquity. As such, therapy and medication alone usually aren’t enough to manage the addiction.
Besides therapy and medication, lifestyle changes such as blocking access to addictive material and addressing issues that might underlie the addiction.
Common triggers include stress, negative emotions, and boredom—and the urge to escape them. Intoxication and easy access to pornography can increase the chances of addictive behavior, too.Working with a therapist can help the person understand their triggers and decide on a course of action to reduce porn consumption.
Many people find that joining asupport groupfor those experiencing sex addiction (or know someone who is). Some groups meet in person, others online. Many are modeled after12-step programs.
Examples of support groups for pornography addiction include:
These programs are free and provide connection, support, and accountability. They’re often instrumental in keeping people on track with managing their addictions.
Is Watching Porn Bad for You?
If pornography addiction is having negative impacts on your life, your mental health, and your relationships, you are not alone; many people share your issue. There’s no shame in seeking the porn addiction treatment that can lead you to understand your addiction—and break it.
How to Stop Watching Porn
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Love T, Laier C, Brand M, Hatch L, Hajela R.Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction: A Review and Update. Behavioral Sciences. 2015; 5(3):388-433. doi:10.3390/bs5030388
Hanseder, S., & Dantas, J. A. R. (2023). Males’ lived experience with self-perceived pornography addiction: A qualitative study of problematic porn use.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,20(2), 1497. doi:10.3390/ijerph20021497
Mehmood Qadri, H., Waheed, A., Munawar, A., Saeed, H., Abdullah, S., Munawar, T., Luqman, S., Saffi, J., Ahmad, A., & Babar, M. S. (2023). Physiological, psychosocial and substance abuse effects of pornography addiction: A narrative review.Cureus.https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33703
Fiandor-Montesino, J., Kusakavitch, M., Kakarlapudi, R., & Puthiyathu, M. (2023). Management of concurrent bipolar i disorder and compulsive sexual behavior disorder: A case report.Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.45016
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