gail

Has anyone out there tried the Candeo on-line course to conquer porn addiction? I'm considering signing up for it - the initial freebies it gives were pretty good.

Mr B

Porn "addiction" is still not recognized as a real addiction by the American Psychiatric Association and for good reason. Heavy porn use is simply a side effect of one or more psychological problems that people suffer from that ARE recognized by the APA.

"porn addiction" is simply a term made up by "sexperts" and christian groups in order to peddle books.

It is important to understand this so you don't end up going down a lot of dead end streets seeking help and getting ripped off in the process.

It is better to spend the money on a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist for one on one counseling. Stay away from marriage counselors and sex therapists as they are not qualified to treat the types of psychological maladies that a person engaged in acting out with porn suffers from.

And, there is a lot of very bad and misleading information on the web and a lot of websites and 12 steps groups who claim to "cure" "porn addiction" Don't buy it. The best kept secret of 12 step groups, especially those dealing with heavy porn users, is that they may get the person to stop using temporarily but the relapse rate is over 90% and this is because they never treat the the underlying reason why the person has the need and the urge to use porn in the first place. Only one to one psychotherapy can do that.

JasonM

Some solid points raised by Mr B - the reality of 'porn addiction' and 'sex addiction' is subject to extensive debate amongst psychology academics and counsellors. Such terms may become accepted in the next edition of the DSM (the manual of mental disorders followed US psychologists and clinicians) or they may remain unrecognised. The debate goes on...

It's true that the concept has also been hijacked by moralising religious groups and commercial "sexperts". Candeo is an expensive porn addiction recovery product sold by members of the LDS church. So I'll leave you to make your own conclusions about that

In reality, a problem relationship with porn is indicative of deeper emotional issues. Depression, low self-esteem, emotional isolation, acute stress; you name it, porn provides mind-numbing distraction and avoidance. Internet porn is also anonymous, endless and free. A heady mix indeed, and a trap that anyone can find themselves falling into.

There are some excellent help resources for people struggling with compulsive porn use, and speaking to a qualified therapist is highly recommended. There are many fans of the 12 step approach, but I share Mr B's reservations.

But whatever we decide to call it, many sane and intelligent people are finding it difficult to stop spending too much time oggling porn. The good news is that with a little therapy and perspective, they can learn to meet their emotional needs in more positive, fulfilling ways.