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Sexuality & Relationships (Expert Forum)
about addiction
Answered by
Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D. - Sexuality, family, Sexual Identity
This forum is for questions and support regarding relationship issues such as: Abstinence, Arousal Problems, Birth Control, Cohabitation, Commitment, Communication, Couples Counseling, Desire /Lack of Desire, Sexual Technique.
Doctor's Answer
by Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., Jan 23, 2008 11:49PM
, Jan 23, 2008 11:49PM
To: about addiction
How much do you look at porn? It is natural to look at it sometimes and there is nothing wrong with having a fantasy life and masturbating as a way of finding sexual pleasure when you are alone. It is only unhealthy when it is all you want or need and it keeps you from having an emotional or sexual relationship with another human being.
If you feel you are truly compulsive and it is taking over way too much of your private time and time , then there are usually centers for treatment of addictive behaviors at most University Psychiatry departments. There is certainly a big program at Washington University in St Louis medical school and there is a national program on sexual addiction that you can google that is based on the Alcoholic's Anonymous program. Sometimes independent hospitals like Group Health or Kaiser will have programs. Usually these include some kind of counselling and replacing pornographic material with relationships and other different kind of visual material.
If you really feel addicted, you will need help. Any kind of dependency is difficult to break- you are not alone and you shouldn't hate yourself for it. Just take my advice about one of these avenues for counseling and you should be able to either moderate your use of porn or discontinue it.
If you feel you are truly compulsive and it is taking over way too much of your private time and time , then there are usually centers for treatment of addictive behaviors at most University Psychiatry departments. There is certainly a big program at Washington University in St Louis medical school and there is a national program on sexual addiction that you can google that is based on the Alcoholic's Anonymous program. Sometimes independent hospitals like Group Health or Kaiser will have programs. Usually these include some kind of counselling and replacing pornographic material with relationships and other different kind of visual material.
If you really feel addicted, you will need help. Any kind of dependency is difficult to break- you are not alone and you shouldn't hate yourself for it. Just take my advice about one of these avenues for counseling and you should be able to either moderate your use of porn or discontinue it.
