Porn Addiction

If you watch and enjoy pornography, and feel that it is not causing any harmful consequences to your life, then you can probably stop reading here.  I have no desire to help you stop watching pornography if it is not a problem for you.   If, however, you feel as if your relationship with viewing and/or masturbating to pornography has caused negative consequences to your life and you are unable to stop watching it, then read on…

Pornography addiction has been described as a behavioral addiction characterized by compulsive, repeated use of pornographic material until it causes serious negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, and/or financial well-being (1).  One of the key components to any addiction is: An inability to stop the behavior despite harmful consequences.  Does this sound like you?

 There are several self-tests that can help you define whether or not pornography has become addictive in your life, but let’s start with the following questions:

·       Have you had ongoing but unsuccessful attempts to stop, reduce, or control your porn use?
·       Have you spent inordinate amounts of time watching pornography or recovering from it (to the extent that it has taken time away from occupational, social, domestic, or academic obligations?)
·       Have there been harmful consequences to your relationship or sex life due to your porn use?
·       Do you need to watch more visceral or violent types of pornography than you used to, in order to become aroused by porn?
·       Do you become irritable, restless, or annoyed if you are unable to watch porn?

If you answered “yes” to more than 1 of these questions, then it is probable that pornography has created a negative presence in your life, and I can work with you to change that.  Whether or not pornography has become a “problematic behavior” or an “addiction” is something that we can discuss in our first session together, while completing a complete therapeutic assessment.  Please email me at gregwoodhillmft@gmail.com, or call me at 310.927.1412 to set up your first appointment. 

Feelings of shame are common in any compulsive sexual behavior, and together we can work to take the shame away and restore your hope. 

 (1) Stein, Dan J.; Hollander, Eric; Rothbaum, Barbara Olasov (31 August 2009). Textbook of Anxiety Disorders. American Psychiatric Pub. pp. 359–. ISBN 978-1-58562-254-2. Retrieved 24 April 2010.