Pornography Addiction -- How To Recognize It And Get Help

These days, pornography addiction is receiving more and more attention in the media. From teenagers whose school work is seriously affected, to celebrities in the public eye, it's a subject that is worthy of more research.

At the click of a mouse, the Internet offers almost limitless possibilities for viewing pornography. What happens when looking at online pornography gets out of control? When does it become an addiction? How can a person struggling with porn addiction get the help they need?

Pornography addiction is not yet recognized by the American Psychological Association as a psychological disorder (as many other addictions are), but greater focus is now being given to this problem and an ever increasing number of people are seeking help in this area.

The criteria for determining a pornography addiction is similar to that of other addictions. Does reading, watching, thinking about, and/or viewing pornography interfere with your work, personal life, relationships, social interactions or family life? If you answer yes to this question, you could have a pornography addiction.

What makes porn addiction a greater problem than in the past?

Accessibility

It's easier than ever before to access pornography. Prior to the advent of Internet pornography, people had to physically enter a sex shop or adult video store and purchase material. It required a certain degree of personal disclosure -- taking the magazine, video or DVD to the cashier meant that you would be identified as a pornography consumer, which of course deterred quite a few people from consuming it in the first place. Now, with a quick Internet search, anyone can have access to practically unlimited porn -- much of it free -- in the privacy of their own home.

Early exposure

Whereas in the past access to this kind of thing would be rare and difficult to obtain, with the Internet children have a good chance of being exposed to it from an early age. Research has shown that 42% of children have viewed Internet pornography before reaching the age of 18.

Tolerance

Some experts believe that tolerance is built up when it comes to pornography addiction, much as tolerance is built up with alcohol addiction or other substances. The more pornography an addict consumes, the more they want or need in order to get that buzz. With around 420 million different pornography websites available, the Internet offers a practically unlimited supply.

Getting Help

As pornography addiction becomes more common and receives more attention, our understanding of it grows. As our understanding of this problem increases, so too does our ability to effectively treat it.. One possible way to view pornography addiction is to see it as a form of sex addiction. Currently, there are several helpful and effective ways that it may be treated. In addition to 12 step programs such as Sex Addicts Anonymous, and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, there are a number of recovery programs, both on and offline that offer help with this addiction. Individual therapy is also available. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, may be particularly effective, as is hypnotherapy when tacking this addiction.

Help is available if you or someone you care about is having real difficulty because of pornography. Given the right kind of help or therapy, this is an issue that can be overcome.

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