Finding Peace After Porn Addiction: How Therapy Helps
Porn addiction has become more prominent and problematic in recent years than ever before. People who turn to porn often have other underlying issues or struggles that they aren’t actively addressing. Many times, pornography serves as an “outlet” for them.
Unfortunately, the addiction can quickly take over the rest of your life, making you a victim and causing you to feel like everything is out of your control.
Because porn addiction has become such a widespread problem, there are multiple treatment options and solutions to consider.
But, if you’re truly seeking peace and fulfillment in your life as you overcome your pornography addiction, therapy is one of the best methods.
Let’s talk more about why.
Getting to the Root
Again, porn addiction isn’t always initially triggered by some kind of unbridled desire for sexual content. Many people start out as “casual watchers,” only to find that they feel good when they watch it.
An easy illustration is to compare pornography to any type of addictive drug. An addict would do anything to get “one more hit” because they crave the high so much, but it probably didn’t start out that way.
Most things in life that we associate with good feelings, we want more of. Porn is no exception. Unfortunately, like most drugs, the effect can wear off faster the more you “use” it. That leads to more watching and engaging, to the point where it can disrupt your way of life, ruin your relationships, and even negatively impact your career.
Let’s take a step back to what made you want to “keep going”. If pornography feels like a release or brings a sense of euphoria, the desire for it can often stem from underlying issues you’re not processing or actively dealing with. Porn is just the catalyst you’ve chosen to sweep those issues under the rug.
When you talk to a therapist, one of the first things you’ll focus on is getting to those underlying issues and uncovering them, layer by layer. It’s only when you peel those layers back you can fully begin to heal.
Changing Habits and Patterns
When you’ve identified the root cause(s) of your addiction, you can also work on identifying triggers.
Anything from movies, music, or fantasies in your own head could be triggering when you’re addicted to pornography. But, pinpointing exactly what has been drawing you to that obsessive behavior is important.
From there, a therapist can help you change your habits and patterns. You might not always be able to avoid your triggers. But, when you understand what they are, you can take a step back and make better choices.
Therapy helps with that by shifting your thoughts and focus.
Therapy for pornography, however, is about more than just the addiction itself. It can help you leave your shame behind and reconnect with yourself. It will build your sense of self-worth and prove to you that you don’t need porn to get through the day—or your life. It will allow you to learn healthy ways of dealing with your emotions and impulses, rather than giving in to the chains of your addiction.
Most importantly, therapy will help you break those chains completely. That can have a greater positive impact on your life than you may realize right now. But, when you start to feel the freedom from your addiction, it will become apparent how much therapy actually works.
If you’re still struggling with porn addiction, you’re not alone. By reading this, you’re already taking a step toward freedom.
Feel free to contact us to set up an appointment as soon as possible. There is a better life out there, free from addiction, and you deserve to live it.