According to Statista.com, a 2022 study of American adults indicated about 60% of respondents had a habit of watching pornography. All that to say, there’s a good chance you know someone who watches porn regularly. But what if their habit gets so out of control that they become addicted to porn? What can you do about it? While you may not know how to help someone with a porn addiction, there are a number of ways you can actually support their healing as a friend or loved one.
How to Help Someone With a Porn Addiction: Recognizing Pornography Addiction Symptoms
If you’re concerned that your friend or loved one’s pornography usage may be problematic, the first thing you can do is learn the signs of porn addiction. Whether they’re addicted or their behaviors are trending in that direction, knowing common porn addiction symptoms can help signal to you (and them) that they need help. With that said, here are the signs and symptoms of porn addiction to look out for:
- Losing track of time watching porn
- A noticeable increase in porn consumption
- Watching porn in inappropriate or risky environments, such as in public, at work, or in school
- Neglecting your work or personal responsibilities to watch porn
- Unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop porn consumption
- Watching porn in spite of negative consequences
- Choosing to watch porn over spending time with others or participating in favorite activities
- Social isolation
- Low self-esteem
- Losing sleep to watch porn
- Struggling with anxiety or depression
- Reduced self-care and poor hygiene
How to Help Someone With a Porn Addiction: Proactive Steps You Can Take
If you’re seeing any of the above signs, it’s important to learn how to help someone with a porn addiction before their struggles worsen. Though you can’t fix their addiction yourself, you can take proactive steps to guide them toward the porn addiction help they need to heal. And your support as a friend or loved one during their recovery is vital. With that said, here are some key ways you can provide someone help for porn addiction yourself:
Educate Yourself
Your friend or loved one is not in this situation due to a lack of self-discipline or poor moral choices. A porn addiction is more than that. It’s a form of hypersexual disorder and a compulsive sexual behavior. A pornography addiction can affect your loved one’s brain in similar ways to substance abuse, which means they can experience porn withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit cold turkey. And addicts will often use hypersexuality as a coping mechanism for unresolved past trauma, meaning there are likely deeper issues afoot.
If you’re seeing the signs of porn addiction in your loved one, you need to educate yourself on this devastating addiction. Having the proper knowledge of what they’re dealing with behind the scenes will allow you to empathize and better support their goals to get sober.
Install Porn Blocker Technology
Porn blockers alone aren’t enough to get sober, but they can be a resource to help with porn addiction. There are a number of porn blocking apps and software that can act as gatekeepers on your friend’s devices, preventing them from watching porn if they’re trying to quit. As their friend or loved one, you can easily help them research and install a porn blocker on their devices. Some porn blockers even allow you to be added as an accountability partner and get updates on their porn usage.
Find a Support Group
Porn addiction recovery can be a challenging, lonely journey. While your support can make an impact, it’s also a good idea for your friend to connect with others who’ve had similar struggles. Porn addiction support groups can provide vital perspective, accountability, and recovery strategies from peers who are further along in their sobriety. You can do your part by helping your friend find a local support group to join. And even better, you can accompany them during the first few meetings to ensure they’re consistently involved.
Help Your Friend Seek Professional Treatment
In knowing how to help someone with a porn addiction, you should realize there’s only so much your loved one can do on their own (as well as with your support). Ultimately, they need to get professional help. A porn addiction treatment facility can directly address the root causes of their struggles and put them in the best position to heal long-term. You can help your loved one by exploring treatment facilities on their behalf and finding one that fits their needs best. You can even come up with a rehab packing list as they prepare to be admitted.
A Holistic Treatment Center That Knows How to Help Someone With a Porn Addiction Heal
As your friend or loved one seeks to get sober, a professional treatment facility can offer the necessary help for porn addiction they need—alongside your continued support. At Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN, we take a holistic approach to porn addiction treatment, addressing the mind, body, and spirit. Not only does this treat their struggles at the source, it empowers them to stay healthy on their own. To learn more about our treatment programs, contact our team today.
If your loved one is unsure whether they have a porn addiction, our free porn addiction quiz can give them the clarity they need to seek help.
The post How to Help Someone With a Porn Addiction appeared first on Integrative Life Center.
source https://integrativelifecenter.com/intimacy-disorders/how-to-help-someone-with-a-porn-addiction/
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