This is a very touchy subject, because for many who suffer from it, there is a great deal of shame involved. It brings up a number of enormously potent cultural taboos about the body, where the addict is made to feel shame for their own physical being, even though ironically it is these taboos that makes pornography so prevalent in culture in the first place.

Thankfully, however, there are many different ways that someone can get help if they feel that they might be a candidate for pornography addiction. Any addiction is difficult to deal with, and this one is certainly not easy.

There are many who would argue that it is a new phenomenon, due to the sheer amount of pornography available on the internet, where suddenly it is easier than ever to view. There are others, however, who would argue that it’s been around as long as pornography has been around, and that’s a much more difficult thing to pinpoint.

Erotic art has been in the public domain for as long as human civilizations have been around, and whether or not someone becomes addicted to behaviors related to viewing erotic images depends in large part on the codes of the culture. This is all to say, a pornography addict is not alone, and if you feel as though you suffer from it, you’re not the first person to think and act as you do.

However, an addiction is usually characterized by a desire to stop the behavior, accompanied by an inability to stop. They often also have very destructive effects on the addict, as well as those around them. If it is affecting your personal relationships in any way, and you are unable to stop, then chances are very good that you’ve crossed over into the arena of addiction.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there’s help. An addict has to admit that they’re defeated by their behavior, and be willing to ask for help, in order to come to terms with themselves and to begin living a healthy life again. There are numerous online forums, as well as live support groups, that can help. Looking up pornography addiction hotlines in your area is a great beginning. Some of these programs are based in 12-step traditions, and others are more based in particular religious traditions, so it’s a matter of what you feel comfortable with, or perhaps better to say, where you feel the least uncomfortable. Because help is close by, but you have to take the first step.