Internet Porn Addiction -- Is it Taking Over Your Life?

Fueled by the rise of the Web, online sex addictions have exploded onto the scene. As the convenience of pornographic images increases a growing number of consumers are discovering a safe, concealed world where they can access explicit content any hour of the day. This pattern of behavior can quickly form into an addiction. Have you or someone you love crossed the line from consumer to reeling out of control? What can you do about an Internet porn addiction and what are treatment outcomes? Read on to discover current thought on these issues and find an opportunity for change.

What is an Internet pornography addiction? Can it be treated?

With an Internet pornography addiction, the addict finds himself compulsively drawn to his computer, seeking adult material online. This type of addiction can be seen as both a sexual addiction and a form of online addiction such as gambling or gaming.

Much debate exists currently over whether "addictive" behaviors such as gambling, gaming, or viewing online pornography should be labeled addictive since there are no physical withdrawal symptoms should the addict stop his or her behavior.

Most experts, however, decide to mark behavior as addictive when a person remains committed to these activities even when negative consequences ensue. The idea of negative consequences is what differentiates a compulsive behavior (such as compulsive hand washing) and an addictive behavior (such as viewing online pornography). Negative consequences for the single person include causing problems on the job to preventing him from enjoying real love relationships. For the married person or the person in a serious relationship, an addiction to viewing adult material online or offline can be disastrous to their relationship.

In May 2005, Daniel Weiss, from Focus on Family, testified on the impact that excessive pornography has on marriages at the Summit on Pornography: Obscenity Enforcement, Corporate Participation and Violence against Women and Children. Mr. Weiss reported that in the 2002 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, member lawyers reported that over half of the divorces they handled were due to one of the spouse's excessive viewing of online pornography.¹

Despite it's power, an Internet pornography addiction can be treated; treatment philosophies focus on different aspects of the behavior. Of the various treatment options that exist most stem from older chemical dependency treatment models. When couples are involved, marriage counseling can play a pivotal role in recovery. But whether single or married, it is important that the addict not keep the problem to himself. Research has shown that unless the addict seeks help, they are unlikely to stop their addictive behavior on their own.

How pervasive is it?

While many studies have been conducted on the prevalence of Internet pornography addiction, because of the stigma associated with pornography the rate at which people report viewing adult material online or admit that they feel out of control is underreported.

According to Family Safe Media, pornographic websites make up 12% of what is available on the Web today. Not only that, but pornographic requests comprise 25% of Google searches conducted daily. Family Safe Media also reported that 10% of men surveyed felt that they were addicted to online adult material.²

Other results backup this claim. A study performed in 2000 reported that 25 million Americans spend up to ten hours a week viewing online pornography and that another 4.7 million spend more than eleven hours a week.³ In the same year, the Census Bureau estimated that the total population in the US was 281 million.⁴ These numbers corroborate the report by Family Safe Media, indicating that 9% of people spend a considerable amount of time on the Internet just looking at adult material.

While pornographic images have been recorded throughout man's history, the sheer volume and accessibility of adult material on the Internet has helped to contribute to the pervasiveness of pornography addiction as we progress into the 21st century.

What are the warning signs?

These warning signs are written in the addict's perspective. If you are worried about your spouse, consider if they are displaying any of these warning signs.

• Do you find yourself spending more time at the computer viewing adult material than you planned?
• Are you having a hard time not thinking about going online to view pornographic images, even when you do not want to think about it?
• Has time at the computer viewing sexually explicit material taken up time that you used to spend on other interests or with people?
• If your spouse or domestic partner knows or suspects your activity, are you two fighting more about what you are doing online?

What these warning signs will demonstrate is that your behavior has probably crossed the line from harmless (in the sense that it does not interfere with your life, not that we are making a moral judgment on online pornography in general) to behavior that has caused negative consequences for you.

What if I suspect my husband is a porn addict?

If you think your husband is addicted to Internet pornography, you must first accept that you did not drive him to adult websites and that you cannot control your husband's behaviors for him. Simply nagging him or “spying” on him is not going to cut it.

However, learning more about sexual and internet addictions in general and understanding treatment plans will help you take an active role in your husband's work towards a pornography-free life again. You must fight his addiction head-on as he will likely deny any wrongdoing unless you demonstrate your ability to see through the charades.

Read on

You can start doing something about it now

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