Specialised Sex Addiction Therapy and Counselling for Porn Addiction
If you’re viewing this page, it’s likely you’re worried about your own sex or porn addiction or those of someone close to you. Firstly, before going further, ponder these questions.
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Are you finding yourself unable to get through the day without watching porn?
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Is sex becoming more of a focus than day to day life?
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Are these starting to affect relationships, work, family life or finances and taking over your life?
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Are you asking yourself how much porn is an addiction?
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How many people are addicted to porn?
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My clients often come to therapy feeling down, worried or doing things that cause more problems than benefits. After working together, they feel happier, more content with life and relationships and find themselves able to stop unhelpful behaviours. Whilst it isn’t as simple as just stopping pornography or finding ways to help quitting pornography, exploring what drives you the compulsive sexual behaviours can help quit pornography and sexual acting out.
You can stop sex or porn addiction and compulsive sexual behaviour.
You can prevent things getting worse and start making the changes you really want.
With the right help, you can find out how to stop watching porn and learn to quit pornography.
What is addiction?
Firstly, let’s look at addiction in general. Addiction is commonly linked to difficulty coping with life generally or events that have happened. We struggle to deal with thoughts or feelings so try to find ways to get relief from these negative aspects of life.
Addictions can happen in many ways such as using substances like food, sugar, drugs or alcohol or behaviours like relationships, exercise or shopping. The substance or behaviour is used as a coping mechanism to avoid the difficult emotions and unresolved issues. Initially it offers a form of escape that helps avoid the problems that haven’t been dealt with.
Addiction occurs when a person finds themselves unable to stop engaging in a behaviour, even though they are experiencing negative consequences and want to quit. Ultimately, addiction can be devastating and end up becoming a problem in itself.
Repeating the same behaviours repeatedly leads to more negative feelings and consequences and further driving the desire to block them out. It is then possible to become a slave to substance or behaviour rather than its master.
What is sex addiction?
Sex is a natural and important part of adult life, and without it, humanity wouldn’t continue. However, if your relationship with sex is causing you concern, it could indicate a deeper problem or sex addiction.
Worried about your relationship with sex? Warning signs to look out for:
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Maintaining profiles on dating websites despite being in a relationship
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Maintaining multiple sexual relationships, even when in a committed partnership
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Frequently visiting massage parlours or escorts
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Using online chat lines excessively
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Spending excessive time watching pornography
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Engaging in same-sex encounters while identifying as heterosexual
​If you answered “yes” to any of these and find that your sexual behaviour is troubling you, it may be time to seek help.
What is pornography addiction?
For some, watching porn daily is considered normal, while for others, it isn’t. The key issue lies in your relationship with pornography and whether it’s negatively impacting your life. If you wonder how to stop thinking of porn or need to quit pornography it may be time to look at getting in touch.
Porn addiction is rarely discussed openly, but it is a rapidly growing issue. Few adults would willingly admit they have a problem with porn. Despite the silence surrounding it, pornography addiction is an increasing concern. With ease of access to pornography via the internet, there is an ever-increasing availability of different types of porn at the click of a button. It is then easy to look for something new to bring a new sense of satisfaction and reach the same level of pleasure. This can lead us to looking at ever increasingly new things to try and get the same buzz or sense of excitement.
Why is this an issue?
The problem lies in neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt. Watching porn can alter the way we think and behave. Our brains are wired to seek pleasure, and when we experience something enjoyable, our brain craves more of it. One key neurotransmitter involved in this process is dopamine. While dopamine seeks out pleasure, it quickly becomes bored and continually looks for greater stimulation.
If you’re finding it difficult to stop watching porn, this could signal a serious issue.
The impact of pornography addiction
Dopamine is often linked to feelings of anxiety and depression. When someone is struggling with these mental health challenges, they may turn to pornography to escape their reality and numb emotional pain.
However, using sex or porn as a form of escapism often leads to other negative consequences, such as guilt, shame, and self-loathing. It can also create conflict in relationships, sometimes even resulting in breakups. Additionally, excessive porn consumption has been linked to erectile dysfunction (ED).
