YES, You can learn to control Pornography & Sexual Addiction.

I will introduce you to some of the common signs and symptoms of pornography and sexual addiction. It is hoped that one will have the courage to honestly examine themselves against these signs and symptoms and if necessary make the changes to live a more productive life. Not many people like to consider themselves as having an addiction of any sort let alone an addiction to pornography. Recent studies suggest that approximately 10% of individuals who seek professional help with addiction issues do so on their own. That means that approximately 90% of those who seek help are coerced by some external source. Either by a family member, friend or the law.

One of the most pervasive challenges in dealing with pornography addiction is denial. During the past number of years and particularly since the introduction of the Internet the world has become so desensitized to the issues surrounding sexuality that we no longer know where to look for what is normal behavior. What is pornography or sexual addiction? There are numerous definitions of addiction but they all seem to have a few things in common. A return to unwanted behaviors that are associated with negative consequences after one has made a personal commitment to stop them. These behaviors are induced by unwanted strong and persistent cravings.

It is important to understand at the outset that pornography is extremely addictive by its very nature. Pornographers understand this very well and know how easy it is to manipulate people by their material. Pornographers are making millions of dollars off the natural vulnerabilities of people. What they offer destroys meaningful relationships quicker than anything else I’ve seen in my clinical practice. It trumps depression, anxiety and even drug addiction in its ability to destroy trust and peace of mind. Pornographers would have you believe that their material is harmless. Nothing could be further from the truth. Listen in part to an email I received recently. “My fiancé has a serious addiction to pornography. I’m slowly falling out of love with him because of this… I have no clue of what to do. This has broken my heart into a billion pieces. I don’t know if I will ever feel good enough again or if I want to even marry him”. Sexuality can be a strong and binding force between two people when based on trust, commitment and fidelity. It is a very personal and private part of any relationship. Those who make this private part of their lives public lose a part of themselves in the process. Those who view the private sexual lives of others through pornography also have something drawn out of them. Clients have described it this way to me, “When I’m viewing pornography I feel like my positive energy is being sucked out of me and then replaced by this negative energy that leaves me feeling heavy, dark, depressed and ugly.”.....