What is porn addiction?

What is porn addiction?

Phil Burress of Citizens for Community Values identifies 5 stages of pornography addiction:

1.      Exposure

2.    Addiction

3.    Desensitization

4.    Escalation

5.    Acting Out

Regardless of what stage you're at, help is available. Don't wait. Start today.

Any Christian man who is engaging in sexual immorality of any kind is a man in conflict. He is a man who believes one thing and yet his actions are not matching up with his beliefs. Often it starts by viewing pseudo-pornography - things like modeling sites, chat sites, personal homepages, and other sites that often contain seductive images, but may not be classified as pornography.

Very quickly this kind of online behavior can spiral down to a place where these images don't cut it anymore--and the viewer begins to "need" more intense images to be stimulated. Often you will hear someone who has gotten addicted say, "I have no idea how I got here--it started so innocently." Pornography is both very alluring and very addictive. The websites that are distributing the material are designed to draw in the viewer, dangle free content and easy sign-ups--in an attempt to capture a new user.

What is Sex Addiction?

There are good "sex addiction" tests all over the web that can help you determine if you are addicted to sex in some form. We are not going to attempt to reproduce those here, but will offer this simple definition and challenge:

If your life is being controlled by your sexual desires and activities, instead of YOU being in control of them, then you have a sexual addiction.

Sex Addiction vs. Pornography Addiction:

Far and away the largest subset of men who are dealing with sexual addiction are dealing specifically with Internet pornography addiction. The Internet has brought many, many good things to our lives--but it has also enabled the anonymous, always-on, and affordable (often free) access to pornography.

If you sent a bottle of vodka to every home in America every week for a year, you would no doubt have a whole wave of alcoholics. The Internet has created a wave of pornography addicts with its pervasive porn delivery mechanism.

If you are a Christian man who is in this group, help yourself by starting the Pure Online program now and not putting it off another day.

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Overcoming Pornography & Sex Addiction

Can I get help for my addiction? How do I get help? What specifically, can I do?

Sexual addiction and porn addiction are difficult topics to discuss, difficult to diagnose, and even more difficult to remove. One of the elements that makes sexual sin difficult to deal with in the life of a Christian man is that it is often covered by a layer of secrecy and shame.

Despite these difficulties, sexual sin can be conquered. If you desire to change, God can heal and bring restoration.

What do you need to do to recover from sexual sin?

There are many ways that men have successfully dealt with sexual sin in their lives. Most often, breaking a porn addiction involves some combination of God, real-world accountability, the incorporation of new disciplines, counseling, and hard work.

What are the key components in breaking addiction?

• Clearly define the problem.
  One common element that we believe must be present in any recovery program is a clear definition of the problem. This includes gaining an understanding of how sexual addiction starts, how it is fueled, and the impact it has on us and the people we love.
• Start with a Biblical foundation.
  It is vital for a Christian man that the solution be authored from a foundation that is Bible-based. Sexuality and spirituality are tightly linked and trying to solve one without the other will prove futile. Understanding the problem from a biblical perspective will allow you to put in place a solution that is also centered around your faith.
• Have a plan.
  No recovery program can remove sexual addiction overnight. Nor can any one plan solve every different kind of sexual addiction in every kind of man. But, for a plan to work, we believe that it must have clear, concise recovery steps that the participant can follow.
• Take action.
  You won't finish something that you are afraid to start. Often the one thing that prevents a guy from getting help is that he has to tell someone he needs help. That process of disclosure is often perceived to be too painful, and so the problem just continues--and often escalates. So whatever you do, find a course of action that you are able to start quickly--and in a confidential setting. Just like any cancer, early treatment can often mean better, faster, more thorough recovery.