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MenTal Health Behaviourm, Counseling And Medication

Although there is currently no recognised medical illness for pornography addiction, those who use it excessively may feel intense cravings, disregard for obligations, and self-destructive conduct.

According to some experts, the "triple A" influences of online pornography—accessibility, accessibility, and anonymity—have something to do with its potential for addiction. These factors can make it more difficult to control the use of pornography and therefore encourage the development of problematic pornography use.

Despite the lack of a precise definition or formal diagnosis for pornography addiction, there are several therapy options available to address the harmful effects of excessive pornography use.

According to Dr. Rene Sorrentino, medical director of the Institute for Sexual Wellness in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, "most treatment programmes incorporate psychosocial, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and pharmacological methodologies." Continue reading to find out more about five therapy approaches that can be utilised to address problematic pornography consumption and its effects.

• Modification of behaviour

Clinical psychologist and sex therapy expert Dr. Daniel Sher of Invigor Medical in Washington suggests using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to become aware of one's behaviours and triggers (CBT).

Sher claims that CBT helps people identify, challenge, and change the thinking and behaviour patterns that support porn usage.

Sher also uses motivational interviewing (MI), sometimes known as strategic questioning, to assist clients in moving forward. Sher says that MI "helps people think through the advantages and disadvantages of their addiction and nudges them toward change that will better their lives."

Being mindful has its advantages. Sher claims that when combined with therapy, mindfulness "may actually help a person to achieve control of their urges."

• Group Counseling

Group therapy and getting over past traumas are advised by Julia Alperovich, a therapist in Sherman Oaks, California, whose podcast "Undressing the Issue" discusses sexual addiction.

According to Alperovich, "connecting with others and having emotional intimacy is a crucial tool in healing a person with this form of addiction." To investigate how trauma may have impacted a person's sense of safety [while] being vulnerable with others, trauma-focused approaches are also beneficial.

• Hypnosis

Psychotherapist and hypnotherapist Venka de Rooij has helped individuals with problematic porn use using a number of cutting-edge techniques in London.  

For instance, guided meditation is used in hypnotherapy to induce trance-like states that allow patients to address more profound difficulties.

By gaining access to the subconscious, clinical hypnotherapy "acts to discover the underlying cause of the addiction," according to Rooij.

• Alternate Sources

Rooij advises switching up bad behaviours for more adaptable ones.

If you take away an addiction or coping technique, you must provide something in return to help the person deal with future setbacks so they do not relapse, according to Rooij.

This opinion is shared by Jacob Kountz, a counsellor at Kern Wellness Counseling in Bakersfield, California. Kountz claims that one of the best methods for overcoming a porn addiction is to find something more worthwhile. The author claims, "I've helped many amazing people understand what porn offers them, and together we unearth things that have more worth, which finally ends in them quitting porn for good."

Kountz thinks altering old habits might help people improve themselves. Finding something worthwhile to accomplish instead of mixing with porn promotes intrinsic drive and future career advancement, according to Kountz.

• Medication

In some cases of extreme pornography consumption, medication may be helpful. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have been utilised in pharmaceutical treatments to treat co-occurring mental disorders and hypersexual or compulsive sexual behaviours, according to Dr. Sorrentino.

SSRIs, which are typically recommended for depression, raise the body's serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that communicates between brain cells to control emotions. According to Dr. Sorrentino, animal models support the use of SSRIs because they demonstrate that serotonin levels increase with a decrease in sexual behaviour.

However, the best bet may still be counselling. The majority of clinicians who treat pornography addiction attempt to comprehend the maladaptive behaviour and present prosocial, healthy alternatives, according to Dr. Sorrentino.