Porn Addiction Treatment & Recovery

People with porn addiction may promise they’ll never log into another adult website or flip through a men’s magazine again. But a day or two later, they slip back into the habit. Treatment can help you identify your relapse triggers, cope with them successfully, and build a healthier life. 

Treatment Options for Porn Addiction 

A multi-pronged approach is often used to help people struggling with porn addiction. The following aspects work together to help provide a strong foundation for a porn-free life:

Counseling 

People with porn addiction may be reluctant to discuss their habits openly. But working with a counselor in group or one-on-one settings can help people understand their addictions and what they should change in the future. 

The following two therapy approaches are often used to help people with sexual-based addictions:[1]

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Counselors help people identify the thoughts, feelings, and situations that lead to porn triggers. Then, they work together to help the person avoid or cope with those issues without relapsing. 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Counselors help people accept and deal with negative thoughts and feelings. Instead of attempting to ease these feelings with porn, people learn how to accept them as they are. They can then process them without turning to porn.

Some counselors use just one approach. Others blend them to provide customized treatment for people in need. 

Support Groups 

Porn addiction is isolating. Few people engage in this behavior in the company of others. But sometimes, spending time with others who have porn addiction can ease the recovery process, helping people to feel less alone. 

Support groups like Sex Addicts Anonymous allow peers to counsel one another in structured meetings with plenty of educational materials to study independently. Sometimes, people spend time with one another outside of their meetings, sharing support during times of crisis.

Researchers say people who participate in these support groups can experience the following benefits:[2]

• Reduced sense of shame 
• Increased feelings of self-compassion 
• Cohesion within the group 
• Spiritual feelings 

Support group meetings are often free, so people can participate long after their formal programs are complete. For some, these meetings serve as a long-term form of treatment. 

Medications 

Addictions to substances like alcohol and heroin are often treated with medications. Behavioral addictions, such as porn addiction, aren’t so easily addressed with pills. But researchers say some people do benefit from medications to ease porn compulsions.[3]

People with porn addiction experience a dopamine rush each time they engage in the behavior. Medications that target dopamine receptors could lessen the intensity of porn cravings. 

A decline in urge intensity could allow the person to develop skills in therapy to support long-term sobriety. When the craving is less intense, people are better able to put other coping mechanisms into action.

Building a Healthy Lifestyle to Support Recovery 

Recovery from a behavioral addiction means refraining from out-of-control, compulsive behaviors.[4] When people no longer engage in these habits, they no longer experience negative consequences. Building a healthy lifestyle can help. 

A healthy lifestyle might involve using technology, such as porn blockers on computers and smartphones.[5] Tools like this can help you to stop and think before relapsing to porn use. 

Researchers say people use porn addiction to cope with negative emotions and boredom.[6] A healthy lifestyle means developing new habits to deal with these issues. Reporters call this “replacing addiction with a healthy obsession.”[7] You might call it finding new hobbies, outlets, and habits. 

Your healthy lifestyle might involve some of the following elements:

• Nutritious meals 
• Regular exercise
• Social activities, such as a book club or hiking club 
• Volunteering in the community 
• Caring for a pet 

Your goals include finding new ways to fill your time, deal with negative emotions, and keep your spirits high. A therapist can help you develop plans that are individualized to your thoughts, feelings, and lifestyle. When you get fulfillment from other areas of life, you may be less likely to turn to porn.

Create a Relapse Prevention Plan 

All addictions, including behavioral versions, are characterized by relapse. It’s very easy to slip back into a negative behavior. The key is to ensure that a slip doesn’t become a slide back into full-blown addiction. 

Researchers describe the concept with circles. The following three levels exist:[4]

• Outer: Healthy behaviors that don’t lead to porn consumption. 
• Middle: Dangerous behaviors that tend to precipitate porn use. 
• Inner: A slip back into porn consumption.

A relapse prevention plan involves identifying the middle behaviors. They could involve skipping meals, fighting with a spouse, or looking up addresses to bookstores that sell porn. When these behaviors appear, visit a support group meeting, connect with a therapist, or otherwise protect your recovery. 

If you do head back into the inner circle, all isn’t lost. A counseling session, support group meeting, or other recovery-based task could get you back on track quickly. A slip doesn’t have to return to a slide to a full relapse.