Dr. Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT

One of the first questions that almost any person who is struggling with pornography asks is, “Why me?” Rather than focusing on the fact that porn use is creating significant problems in their life and they need to do something about it, they want to know how and why they got this way—if there is some external source they can blame for their struggles.

From an early recovery and healing standpoint, why a person struggles with pornography is less important than the fact that they are struggling. Still, these folks will ask, “How did I get this way?” And sometimes they’re unable (or unwilling) to move forward without an answer. Thus, I will address the topic here. But please understand that knowing why you are struggling will not help you much in early recovery.

As with all addictions, the risk factors for porn addiction are a combination of genetic and environmental factors. As such, any in-depth discussion about the possible causes of porn addiction is not so much an argument of nature vs. nurture as an examination of how the two factors come together to influence individual behavior and response. That said, certain environmental risk factors are incredibly common with porn addicts.

Foremost among these risk factors is a dysfunctional childhood—abuse, neglect, enmeshment, inconsistency, etc. Research consistently tells us that these issues increase the risk for not only for porn addiction but for other addictions and adult-life psychological issues.

One well-known study tells us that survivors of chronic childhood trauma (defined as four or more significant trauma experiences prior to age 18) are:

• 8 times as likely to smoke cigarettes.
• 9 times as likely to become obese.
• 4 times as likely to experience ongoing anxiety.
• 6 times as likely to be depressed.
• 6 times as likely to qualify as promiscuous.
• 2 times as likely to become alcoholic.
• 1 times as likely to become an intravenous drug user.

Thus, there is an undeniable link between early-life trauma and adult-life symptoms and disorders, especially addiction.

Another relatively common environmental risk factor is early exposure to an addictive substance or behavior. With porn addicts, we’re talking about early exposure to pornography or other sexual stimuli. The lower the age of first exposure, the higher the likelihood of later-life addiction.

Sometimes, the age of first use and familial instability (including a family history of mental illness and/or addiction) are directly related, as addictive substances and behaviors (like porn) may be readily available within the home in such families. In such cases, the other environmental risk factors (abuse, neglect, inconsistent parenting, etc.) may be the overarching factor in the development of addiction. Nevertheless, the link between age of first exposure and later life addiction is undeniable.

Whatever the factors are that underlie and drive an individual towards porn addiction, the addiction can be treated and controlled. But only if the addict seeks the right type of professional assistance.

Unfortunately, very few treatment centers specialize in porn addiction the way that Seeking Integrity does. Most places just lump porn addiction in with every other form of addiction, attempting a “one size fits all” version of recovery that is just plain ineffective with porn addicts. It is only with specialized porn addiction treatment provided by knowledgeable experts that the addict’s true problem and its underlying factors can be effectively addressed.

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Seeking Integrity is proud to serve clients from all across the globe, offering our world-class expertise and care. If you would like to connect about treatment options today, please reach out to us at 1-747-234-4325, or through our contact page.  

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