Porn Addiction Recovery: What Works

Recovery from any addiction can be a long, frustrating, and emotional process. The psychological and physical dependency associated with addiction is difficult to overcome. Recovery requires diligence, resolve and more importantly, professional assistance and attending support groups. There are several options available to addicts recovering from addiction, and porn addiction is no exception. Here are some options to consider when facing the battle of porn addiction.

Twelve-Step Programs

Twelve-Step programs are a valuable tool used in overcoming many types of addictions, including pornography addiction. Twelve-Step programs serve as a resource in building a support group of people suffering from similar addictions. Many people find comfort by talking to other recovering addicts who have suffered or suffer from the same disorder. Others facing the same types of battles can understand the nature of the addiction, and relate to the same problems you are experiencing.

Twelve-Step programs present a practical option for people who feel one-on-one therapy is too intimidating, or unaffordable. Twelve-Step programs have proven effective as a stand-alone treatment, and are even more effective when combined with professional therapy. You will not be expected to share your deepest, darkest secrets in a Twelve-Step program. In fact, you are not even expected to speak at all. However, many people feel Twelve-Step programs are more effective when you participate in discussions.

One-on-One Therapy (Sex Addiction Therapy)

If you have health insurance to help cover the costs of one-on-one therapy, a sex addiction specialist is a useful and effective way to find the root of your addiction. Sex addiction therapists are specially trained in this type of addiction. Although pornography addiction may not be strictly classified as sex addiction, many sex addicts are addicted to pornography, so most sex addiction therapists are familiar with treatment options for pornography addiction. Keep in mind, one-on-one therapy is not the speediest course of treatment. Participants in this kind of therapy can expect to be in therapy for up to five years or possibly longer. During therapy sessions, you can expect to be asked about your intimacy history, personal relationships, trauma history, and other relevant events in your life.

Treatment Facility

If you have an especially debilitating pornography addiction, and are fortunate enough to have a comprehensive health insurance plan or extra disposable income, you can find many extraordinary treatment facilities in the U.S. specially trained in the treatment of porn addiction. These treatment facilities provide all-day focus and a dedication to the recovery from pornography addiction. These treatment programs can be mentally challenging, but can also present a more rapid approach to recovery than one-on-one therapy, which may last several years.

In general, treatment facilities are quite costly, and are not commonly covered by the standard health insurance plan. These specialized facilities typically treat on an inpatient basis, which requires in some cases that the patient be away from family, job, friends, and home. The time spent in a treatment facility can be lonely and draining. Then again, the results can be well-worth the effort.

What Is The Impact Of A Sex Addiction On Relationships?

Relationships are an important part of human life. We build relationships in work, play and fall in love. Over time, we realize relationships are constantly changing and are very fragile.
Relationships can be damaged in a number of ways, including lack of communication, deceit, isolation or misunderstanding. Sex addiction can have a severe impact on relationships due to all of these factors. Sex addicts will gradually isolate themselves from their family and friends. In particular, spouses and significant others are deeply affected. Both the addict and his or her spouse will feel less intimate and will experience a wide range of emotions over the course of the addiction and recovery.

Emotional Impact

Sex addiction is extremely challenging on relationships. Many relationships are broken as a result of the addiction. Addicts favor their "acting out" behaviors over their real life relationships. This is because they need to keep their sexually addictive behaviors secret to avoid getting caught. As a result, addicts will become volatile, stressed, anxious and susceptible to intense mood swings, especially when they cannot engage in their compulsive activities for long periods of time.

Addicts will often become detached from their partners. This often means that they will be disinterested in sex with their spouses as their needs and desires are being met elsewhere, or because of the guilt associated with the addiction. Sometimes though, the addict will push his or her partner for more sex, often forcing the partner into doing something he or she is uncomfortable with.
When a sex addict has engaged in extramarital sexual activities, the spouse will experience intense feelings of anger, betrayal, and distrust. After the addict has come clean the spouse may desire to end the relationship, but most partners typically do stay. Emotionally, sex addiction is very damaging. However, there is hope that relationships can be restored.

Physical Impact

Compulsive sexual behaviors stemming from sex addiction come with many physical risks. Sex addicts who engage in risky sexual behavior outside of committed relationships can contract and spread sexually transmitted diseases. They also put themselves in high-risk situations such as frequenting seedy neighborhoods looking for prostitutes. They are also at risk of injuring themselves or their sexual partners as the need to escalate their behavior increases. In some cases, the severe depression that comes with the addiction can lead addicts to suicidal thoughts. While not all addicts experience all of these physical symptoms, it is important to understand that these are just some of the things addicts face while struggling with addiction and recovery.

In order to recover from sex addiction, addicts and their loved ones must get professional help. Therapy, counseling and support groups are helpful in providing the support, guidance and structure required to make a full and lasting recovery. Couples therapy can help partners regain intimacy and build a trusting relationship. Keep in mind that restoring a healthy relationship will not be easy. In fact, relapses may occur it the addict's recovery which will try the relationship even further. However, over time, if everyone is open and expresses themselves, recovery, and a healthy relationship, is possible.

http://www.OnSexAddiction.com helps individuals struggling with Sex Addiction, Porn Addiction, Compulsive Masturbation, other dangerous sexual behaviors, and the consequences of those addictions, get sober and into recovery so they can lead richer, fuller, more successful and healthy lives. We provide information, resources, articles, videos, CDs, DVDs, seminars, conferences, and membership sites to help individuals better understand what sex addiction is and how to deal with it.

How to Identify Social Anxiety in Teens

Often regarded as the most unrecognized mental disorder in teens, social anxiety disorder can take many forms and manifest itself differently per person.
Most parents and adults dismiss symptoms as merely shyness or teen angst that their children will eventually outgrow. However, social phobia, as the disorder is sometimes called, can grow worse if left untreated and be debilitating over time.

Recognizing social phobia in teens is crucial for their transition to adulthood and you, as adults and parents, have the responsibility of ensuring that they get help. Here are several ways of recognizing symptoms of social phobia in teens:

1. Look out for extreme shyness or discomfort in your child when put in the center of attention.

First-time performers normally get stage fright but excessive discomfort, passivity, or inactivity when put on the spotlight should merit further investigation.
Although most people will attribute this situation to most teenagers' fear of embarrassing themselves in front of their peers, do not be complacent.
Talk to your child about why he or she was unable to perform. Just remember to avoid using an accusatory tone to prevent putting your child on the defensive.