What Does Treatment Involve?
Most people don’t overcome a pornography addiction on their own. Many well intentioned people have sworn they would not look at porn again, but they do. In spite of practicing a list of behaviors to supposedly safeguard them from porn and to avert them from its consumption, they end up looking at it again. All their well-meant efforts fail.
Sexual addictions, in particular, are extremely shameful. Therefore the typical reaction of most people is to keep it hidden and to try to overcome it on their own. It’s too shameful to admit to someone that you have a problem and that you need help. Yet hiding the addiction only helps it thrive.
Another factor that helps the addiction thrive is denial. Denial is a feature in all addictions. It’s the tendency to minimize or downplay the seriousness and strength of the addiction in your life, to rationalize that it’s not that bad, to justify or normalize it, to convince yourself that it’s not hurting anyone, and to believe that you can overcome it when you want to. While you’re basking in denial, the addiction is ever so gradually escalating and growing in power.
The Breaking Point
Some porn habits plod along for years undetected. For others the frequency and intensity of use escalates until either the person is caught or realizes that the pornography habit has become unmanageable. Usually treatment works better with a person realizes on his/her own that their porn habit is out of control and they want help. Seeking treatment as a result of being caught is not always an indicator that the person is ready to change.
Treatment seems to works best with a combination of:
· Individual therapy
· Marital therapy
· Group therapy
· A 12 step program
· Working with an ecclesiastical leader
How long will treatment take?
I wish I had a good answer. Forever. As long as it takes.
Do people ever overcome a porn addiction?
Is there a way out from a pornography addiction? Yes. As one works a therapy program or 12 Step program, gains insight into the purpose of the addiction, learns to be open, honest and vulnerable, and begins to focus on their real goals and desires, the addiction begins to lose its power. During this process, one must learn to face and confront whatever the addiction is helping them avoid and change patterns of avoiding issues to patterns of facing them. One must learn skills to cope with the stressors of life and with uncomfortable feelings and situations and communicates openly and honestly regarding wants and needs the addictions is no longer needed.
