Is My Husband Addicted to Porn?
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What is Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction, which is a subset of sex addiction, although not yet an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, can lead to severe consequences in multiple aspects of one’s life, as well as the life of family and friends. Porn addiction is characterized by a range of behaviors that are done in excess and negatively impact one’s life.

Porn Addiction Signs and Symptoms

There are many tell-tale signs associated with porn usage. If you suspect that your husband is addicted to porn, look out for these signs:

The Damage Porn Can Do to a Family

Porn addiction is a hazard to marriage, family, and society as a whole. It can have profound and devastating effects on the lives of those surrounded by the person suffering from addiction.

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The individual is not the only one affected by his addiction to pornography; you and your children can be deeply damaged as well, and oftentimes, long-term treatment is necessary for recovery.

The Individual and the Family

The porn and sex addict is at risk for debilitating and life-ruining consequences. It can negatively affect his relationship with you, your children, and friends. Pornography usage can lead to:

Research suggests that porn addiction has a similar neuronal pathway to drug addiction. Porn users are likely to develop dependence and tolerance, requiring the consumption of increasingly graphic and atypical sexual material in order to get the same “high” as previously. This leads to desensitization to antisocial sexual behaviors such as rape, physical assault, and promiscuity and normalization of violence and objectification of women.

The Wife

If you are the wife of a porn addict, you will likely experience severe psychological harm. You may compare yourself to women portrayed in porn and develop low self-esteem as a result.

In a survey of wives of identified sex addicts, 70% of women met the criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition embodied by feelings of powerlessness, invasive thoughts and memories, and avoidance of triggers associated with the trauma, which in this case is your husband’s porn addiction.

If your husband is addicted to porn, chances are you may experience the following feelings:

If your husband is addicted to porn, it’s important for you to understand that he’s not the only one in need of help and rehabilitation. It’s a very difficult and emotionally-trying time for you as well and treatment may be necessary to recover from the trauma.

The Child

Children or teenagers may experience isolation and trauma related to his or her parent’s porn addiction and is at risk for viewing sexually explicit content as well as subsequent emotional disturbances. Teenage boys, 12-17 years old, have the highest risk of developing a porn addiction. The child of someone addicted to porn may be exposed to pornography at a young age and this could lead to serious mental health issues.

Viewing porn can have severe and crippling consequences on teenagers down the line, affecting both their psychological and physical wellbeing. These consequences include:

Research has shown that teenagers exposed to pornography are more likely to be promiscuous and more likely to have used alcohol or other substances during sexual encounters. This increases the risk for developing a substance addiction or mental health condition.

Teens addicted to pornography are likely to experience the following:

What Do I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Porn?

If you think your husband is addicted to pornography or you have discovered his addiction, the first thing you should do is partake in emotional first-aid, in which you can prepare yourself for long-term recovery. Emotional first-aid will help you to understand and balance your feelings in order to prepare yourself for long-term healing.

Emotional First-Aid

Treatment Options for Wives

Once you’ve taken care of yourself physically, spiritually, and emotionally, there are treatment options available to you:

If your husband has a porn addiction, remember that you are not alone. There are thousands of other women going through the same thing as you and connecting with them is crucial to your recovery.

You may be blaming yourself for his addiction to porn but his addiction is not your fault. It has nothing to do with your attractiveness or his love for you. All of the treatment options will help you to express and understand your emotions while building skills necessary to heal and move on.

If you are suffering as a result of your husband’s porn addiction and are interested in learning more about treatment options, call .

Additional Resources

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