Sex / Porn Addiction Resources and Help

Research published in 2023 indicates that about 5% of adult males may be struggling with Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder (CSBD), often referred to as sex addiction. This means that if you reading this article and looking for help, you are not alone, not the only one, and far from weird. If you are interested in those statistics, you can find the relevant paper on the Journal of Behavioural Addictions website.

If you think you have a problem with sex / porn addiction but are not sure, then this online sex addiction questionnaire may help you decide.

Resources:

If you believe you have sex / porn addiction or problem, then here are some resources that might be useful as you start changing your life. Some are books, some are videos and others are about one to one or group therapy or support groups. I hope that you find them useful and wish you all the best in your recovery journey. Recovering from sex and porn addiction is a long journey, a marathon, not a sprint. Expect to spend between 2 and 5 years building a new, recovery orientated, lifestyle. Be kind to yourself on the way.

Books

  • Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction: A comprehensive guide for people who struggle with sex addiction and those who want to help them. Written by Dr. Paula Hall, one of the leading sex addiction therapists in the UK. Aimed at therapists but easily understood with loads of exercises to help you get a grip on your addiction.

  • Sex Addiction: The Partner's Perspective: The Partner's Perspective: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Surviving Sex Addiction For Partners and Those Who Want to Help Them. Sex and porn addiction impacts partners as much as those who struggle. This book helps explore their pain and navigate their way through.

  • Sex Addiction: A Guide for Couples and Those Who Help Them. Written to help couples navigate their future, whether together or apart, in the light of discovering that sex / porn addiction has been the third partner in the relationship.

  • Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction – first published in 2015, Your Brain on Porn gives an easy to understand explanation of the impact of pornography on the brain. Good news, the brain is adaptable and many of the bad effects are reversable.

  • Your Brain and Porn: 10 basic principles to disconnect your brain from porn. Written by a therapist with a lot of experience helping people address their porn addiction

These are just some books on sex and porn addiction, there are many more on the market if take a look.

Videos

Online Courses:

Pivotal Recovery: Billed as “the only professionally guided programme available online”, Pivotal Recovery provides access to 60 podcasts created by one of the leading UK sex and porn addiction therapists with an accompanying workbook. While it costs to access, this is a not-for profit venture, sewing proceeds back into helping those struggling with, or impacted by sexual addictions. Personally, I think the content is excellent.

Individual Counselling.

ATSAC Directory: Many people go to counselling for their sex or porn addiction issues. However, not all counsellors are equal and not all have had specific training in this specialist area. If you are considering counselling, then check out the directory of counsellors on ATSAC (the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity) website. All of these counsellors will have had appropriate, specialist training to work with sex and porn addiction (and, yes, I am listed there).

StopSO: This is a specialist counselling organisation aimed at helping those whose sexual behaviours have lead to sexual offending. Some of their therapists will also work with sexual or porn addiction issues that have led to you being investigated, arrested, charged or convicted with a sexual offence.

Self Help Groups:

There are many self help groups that you may want to consider as a resource to recovery. Some of them meet online, some face to face and some hold blended meetings. Many run on the 12-step format familiar to AA:

May people find these groups very helpful. They are self help groups and not therapist led. They may have a focus on sobriety (not engaging with the behaviours) than a more holistic recovery model such as the CHOICE model proposed by Dr Hall. They often introduce themselves with ‘Hello, I am X, I am a sex addict’. Most therapists would hold that you are struggling with an addiction process, and this is not your identity.

Professional Group Work:

The Laurel Centre: This is the only organisation in Europe that can offer residential courses dedicated to sex and porn addiction recovery. The course lasts 6 days with a maximum of 8 participants supported by 2 therapists. It has an excellent reputation for helping people understand sex and porn addiction and begin their recovery journey. It will not cure you.

Sex Addiction and Sexual Offending

Safer Lives: This charity helps those who are going through an investigation for sexual offending or waiting for a court hearing. It is run by those familiar with court systems and the probation services. Sadly, seeing sexual / porn addiction escalate into offending is not unknown. The criminal justice system is notoriously slow, and it can often take years for investigations to be completed. Safer Lives may help you navigate this time.

Lucy Faithful Foundation: Provides support for those who have offended online and also for partners and family members of those who have offended online.

Disclaimer:

While I hope you find this information helpful as you think through how to address your sex or porn addiction, I can not be held responsible for any of the services linked to on this page. The book links point to Amazon, where I have an affiliate account. I get no financial benefit from any of the other services, professional or otherwise, listed on this page.

Contacts

peter@pwcounselling.co.uk