Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • The validity of whether or not porn addiction is a real addiction is a controversial topic.
  • Some consider it as a behavioral addiction characterised by an obsessive compulsion to view pornographic materials.
  • Experts tend to believe that the brains of the people who watch too much porn usually do not function in the same way as that of drug users.
Reading time: 9 min

The validity of whether or not porn addiction is a real addiction is a controversial topic. Some consider it as a behavioral addiction characterised by an obsessive compulsion to view pornographic materials. Experts tend to believe that the brains of the people who watch too much porn usually do not function in the same way as that of drug users. Nevertheless, some experts and evidence-based studies argue that porn addiction is real all the same.

Some people have a tendency to become so obsessed with sexual behaviours and thoughts that they start comparing their impulse of needing to watch porn to those of a nicotine addict needing a cigarette. Whatever the case and the severity of the symptoms, the important thing to remember is to seek adequate porn addiction support as soon as possible without being stigmatised by others. Choosing an appropriate rehab center offering porn therapy is the best place to begin your recovery process.

Porn addiction is generally considered a challenging issue to treat, mostly because of the ‘triple A’ impact. The affordability, accessibility, and anonymity of porn can make it easy for addicts to watch its content compulsively. As the frequency and duration of these porn-viewing sessions increase gradually, it may take years before you or a loved one may realise that there is a problem. Nevertheless, several ways are available to treat this behavioral disorder. Some of the most commonly used treatment modalities in this context are explained below.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is an incredible way to explore the triggers and stressors that led to the development of porn addiction in the first place. Also called supportive talk therapy, psychotherapy can help clients understand their connection with porn. Psychotherapy can take place in different forms, such as individual, group, and family sessions, and can help clients identify what led to their unmet needs and maladaptive behaviours.

Over time, clients can develop different strategies to manage their addiction to porn with the help of counselors. Psychotherapy is also helpful in dealing with porn addiction with a co-occurring mental health disorder.

Behavior Modification

Behavior modification is a type of treatment that supports patients to reduce engaging in maladaptive behaviours. It is a psychotherapeutic strategy based on the principles of operant conditioning and can have long-lasting effects on recovery. Many rehabs routinely offer it to clients with sex addiction to help them achieve their milestones in therapy more efficiently.

Depending on the individual goals, behavior modification help clients manage and even completely stop their porn obsession. A popular type of behavior modification is a cognitive behavioral therapy that can sometimes be even more effective than medication and other psychotherapies.

Support Groups

Support groups serve as an excellent form of treatment for porn addiciton. During these peer meetings, clients with similar treatment goals or conditions sit together and discuss their experiences, offer insights, and encourage each other. These group members support others through nonprofessional assistance, which is highly beneficial for long-term recovery.

Studies have shown that peer support services can drastically improve the participants’ personal views, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Over time, clients can experience significant improvements in harm reduction and risky behavior prevention. Some examples of support groups dealing with porn addiction in the UK include Porn Addicts Anonymous and Sex Addicts Anonymous.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

In some cases, there is an underlying issue triggering porn addiction. Many people who come to rehab seeking treatment for their addiction are found to be suffering from a co-occurring disorder. An excellent way to help tackle such cases is through medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

MAT combines the use of FDA-approved prescription medication with other behavioral therapies or counseling sessions. It is an effective treatment program for people with porn addiction and concurrent issues like depression, anxiety, and even other types of addictions.

Holistic Approaches

Holistic approaches are commonly offered to clients in most porn addiction luxury rehabs. These approaches target the whole body and combine traditional therapy with alternative medicine to bear benefits. These approaches aim to improve overall wellness and health by viewing the client as a whole instead of just a disease. Therapists that specialise in this form of treatment use a variety of modalities such as:

  • Hypnosis
  • Acupuncture
  • Spiritual counseling
  • Massage therapy
  • Homoeopathy
  • Personal training
  • Naturopathy
  • Patient education on lifestyle changes

Most holistic treatments aim to encourage clients to take responsibility for their well-being. In the meantime, clients are supported to strive toward changing their behaviours for better and longer-lasting success.

The pornography addiction treatment centres in the UK serve as a vehicle for healing the past for the addicts. For this purpose, an initial evaluation is carried out to get an idea of your overall mental and physical health. Next, the experts appointed at these facilities work together to formulate the most effective treatment plan for your individual needs with the help of a blend of therapies.

Many porn addicts commonly suffer from one or more underlying psychological issues, like anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. Most of them also have a history of early life trauma. Over time, such individuals learn to use sexual imagery as a way to disassociate themselves from uncomfortable feelings instead of a way to gain pleasure. For them, looking at pornographic material becomes a default response to deal with life’s daily stressors.

For people stuck in these circumstances, porn addiction counseling can address the compulsive behaviours that surround this addiction. Moreover, it also addresses the underlying issues that fuel it. The treatment plan for such people primarily includes:

  • Exploration of the fear of vulnerability that may prevent porn addicts from being present in intimate relationships
  • Acknowledgement of common contributors to intimacy disorders, such as neglect, trauma, deep-rooted attachment, and issues in the early childhood
  • Looking at different ways in which past pain makes these addicts want to protect themselves by using porn
  • Recognition of how addiction has impacted the personal and work life of the victims
  • Learning to distinguish fantasy life led by porn from real life

The controversial views about pornography addiction and the lack of accepted diagnosis for it have made it extremely hard to come up with a clear clinical picture of porn addiction treatment. Nevertheless, studies investigating related conditions and anecdotal evidence provide a hopeful outlook for individuals who commit to a treatment and relapse prevention program by being a part of the recovery community.

If you are struggling with porn addiction, hope and support are available. Many rehabilitation centres provide suitable treatment options to people with this addiction and other co-occurring disorders. These integrated treatment plans are tailored to each client’s individual needs and incorporate a holistic aspect to trigger recovery on all fronts.

Remember that the most challenging step towards porn addiction recovery is the first one where you accept that you have a problem. It might be hard to accomplish, but you are definitely not alone. Our porn addiction treatment rehab is here to help. Call us today to begin your recovery at once.

FAQs

What are the common symptoms of porn addiction?
The presence of the following symptoms confirms the diagnosis of porn addiction and warrants immediate help from a suitable porn rehab:
Spending large amounts of time watching porn
Experiencing cravings to watch porn
Being unable to stop watching porn or practice behaviours associated with it, despite multiple attempts
Requiring an increasing amount of porn of its more explicit types to experience the same level of satisfaction
Becoming hostile or angry when asked to stop watching porn
Losing interest in intimacy with patterner
Keeping your porn-related habits a secret from others
Withdrawing from social activities to watch porn
When is the best time to seek support for porn addiction?
Watching porn is not necessarily an unhealthy habit. However, seeking therapy for porn addiction becomes compulsory if your porn use:
Feels uncontrollable
Has become excessive
Is becoming more extreme with every passing day
Is impacting your day-to-day life in a negative way
Is slowly making you distant from close family members, friends, and other relationships as well as sex life
Is exerting a negative effect on your mental health
Has become more important than the responsibilities of daily life.
What can I expect from porn addiction treatment?
The increasing prevalence of porn has enticed millions of people as a way to live out a fantasy. Because it is normally falsely believed that men are the only ones addicted to pornography, women with similar issues sometimes do not get proper treatment. However, at a dedicated porn addiction recovery centre, men and women are provided gender-specific treatment based on their individual needs. It is common for people to feel shame about their compulsions and shy from admitting them. However, with a supportive environment in addiction rehab with other people facing similar issues, you will learn that you are not alone and there is no shame in seeking help for a medical issue.
During a typical treatment program at a porn addiction rehab, you will:
Develop greater self-esteem
Learn how to create genuine intimacy
Initiate to process any childhood trauma or other factors that may have led to your current compulsions
Develop skills to cope with stressors and self-soothe when things become rough
Does porn addiction cause withdrawal?
Like drug and alcohol abuse, viewing porn increases the levels of certain feel-good chemicals, like dopamine, within the brain’s reward centres. What this means is that people are forced to indulge in these feelings more frequently by watching more and more porn. But when you suddenly stop watching it or cannot access it for whatever reason, many people may develop withdrawal symptoms, like those associated with alcohol and drug addiction.

Some porn addiction withdrawal symptoms include:
 
Insomnia
Anxiety
Restlessness
Panic attacks
Headaches
Stress
Depression
Mood swings
Angry outbursts
Increased irritability
Apathy
Loneliness
Loss of libido
Poor focus
Flu-like symptoms
Intense cravings to watch porn
 
To fix the symptoms mentioned above, you may seek out other addictive activities to increase dopamine levels in your brain, such as gambling, gaming, or substance misuse. 

The Article

+

About This Article

+

Do you need help?

Sister Topics

Adrenaline Addiction Behavioral Behavioral Addiction Treatment Crypto Addiction Dopamine Addiction Gambling Addiction Help Gambling Addiction Treatment Gaming Addiction Help Help with Food Addiction How To Get Rid Of Porn Addiction How to Stop a Shopping Addiction Is Self-Harming an Addiction Phone & Media Addiction Porn Addiction Symptoms Self Harm Addiction Shopping Addiction Social Media Addiction Statistics Work Addiction Workaholics Treatment