Pornography addiction is the compulsion to look at sexually explicit materials, even to the point where it can interfere with school, work, relationships, and other parts of a person’s life. In the past, acquiring pornography required a person to leave their home and pay money to obtain explicit materials. Sometimes, the potential risk of embarrassment or expense of this process was enough to limit a person’s access to pornographic items. 

Now that many people have access to the internet in their own homes, accessing pornography is more convenient, affordable, and private than it was before. These may all be factors in increased problem behaviors people are experiencing around pornography, as well as making it more difficult to detect if a person needs help. At Cottonwood, in Tucson, Arizona, we treat sexual addictions, which can include a variety of compulsive sexual behaviors, including pornography addiction.

How Common are Sexual Compulsions?

It is estimated that around 3-6 percent of Americans struggle with sexually compulsive behavior of some type. Sexual compulsions are categorized as process addictions or behavioral addictions, because they are an addiction that does not involve a physical drug like alcohol, opioids, or marijuana. It is believed that the powerful chemical response set in play by sexual behavior, such as viewing pornography, masturbating, having extramarital affairs, or engaging with sex workers, is what leads to the addiction. 

Causes of Porn Addiction

It is not entirely clear what causes some people to become addicted to pornography while others simply use it recreationally, but researchers have some ideas: 

• People who engage in compulsive behaviors are more likely to have high levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in their brains. These are two naturally occurring chemicals linked to mood.
• The brain pathways of people with addictive behaviors often change so that they are only able to get enjoyment from whatever they are addicted to, which could be pornography for some people.
• Some medical conditions can damage the brain’s ability to control sexual behavior.
• Around 60 percent of people who have a sexual compulsion have also experienced sexual trauma in childhood or adolescence.

Risk Factors for Porn Addiction

People are more likely to struggle with compulsive sexual behaviors like porn addiction if:

• They or their family members have experienced drug or alcohol use disorders.
• They have mental health diagnoses like depression or a gambling addiction. When these other issues are presenting challenges, there may also be a spike in sexually compulsive behaviors.
• They have a lot of family conflict.
• There is a history of physical or sexual abuse. 

Signs of Problematic Porn Usage

As with other types of addiction, not everyone who indulges in porn use develops problematic behaviors that need to be addressed in treatment. People who might need help with managing their porn addiction are likely to show signs that it is creating problems in their life, such as:

• They no longer enjoy things that used to bring them pleasure, including socializing with other people and having sex, and may give up or reduce those activities in favor of using porn.
• They may begin to neglect their hygiene and other personal care activities.
• They aren’t fulfilling all of their responsibilities anymore, and their relationships, job or school performance may suffer as a result.
• They begin to view sexually explicit materials in places where it is not allowed, like work or school.
• They crave more and more pornography and cannot seem to stop looking at it, even when they try to do so.

Help for Porn Addiction

There are several treatment options available to treat sexual compulsions:

• Therapy – for example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and/or interpersonal therapy
• Medications to treat underlying mental health concerns or substance use disorders or the sexual compulsion itself, such as antidepressants, naltrexone, mood stabilizers, or anti-androgens
• Support groups like Sex Addicts Anonymous or Sexaholics Anonymous, where people with sexual compulsions can help each other by sharing their lived experiences and knowledge.

At Cottonwood Tucson, our treatment services for sexual compulsions help patients to retrain the pathways in their brains with new, more adaptive brain circuitry that allows them to find a state of ease and comfort without the need to engage in their sexual addiction. We also help them to develop healthy feelings around their sexuality, empowering them to experience and enjoy healthy intimacy. We also offer support for patients with co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders.