Silva Neves Online Specialist Psychotherapy for Central London,
Mayfair W1

Just like ‘sex addiction’, there is no clinical evidence for the diagnosis of ‘porn addiction’'. Despite many books and websites that claim that pornography is harmful and addictive, the clinical research consistently rejects this theory. However, children should not be exposed to pornography.

For adults, pornography, like most things, can be a healthy behaviour when well-integrated in the individual's sex life, and it can also cause problems depending on how it is used.

The use of porn can be a problem if:
The use of porn stops you from functioning in life:

• You are always late at work because you were unable to stop watching porn and get ready to go to work on time.
• You don’t turn up to work and call in sick because you would rather continue watching porn.
• You constantly avoid social occasions with friends because you prefer spending time with porn.
• You organise your day schedule so that you can be alone at home to watch porn.
• Porn is your primary way to cope with your emotions: you use porn when you feel sad, bored, anxious, stressed, happy, uncertain.
• You constantly prefer to watch porn rather than have sex with your partner to the point where you feel uncomfortable having sex with your partner.
• You feel irritated if your partner’s presence prevents you from watching porn.
• You injure your penis because you have masturbated for too long or too hard.
• You develop anxiety about your sexual performance.
• You develop anxiety about the shape of your body and the size of your penis.
• You are unable to stop despite significant negative consequences as a direct result of your porn use.
  
  For accurate and scientific information about pornography and the brain, go to Facts of Porn

Like ‘sex addiction’ treatment, my professional opinion is that the addiction model is not effective to treat problematic porn use. My treatment approach is based on specialist psychosexual training and experience, clinical research on human sexuality, clinical evidence on brain functions and neuropathways, and human psychology.

My treatment model of problematic use of porn includes:

• Behavioural approach to help identify the levels of porn use and masturbation that is wanted from what is unwanted.
• Learning new ways to self-soothe and cope with the negative feelings about life: stress, anxiety, feeling low, feeling bored, feeling unfulfilled, feeling bad.
• Deep exploration of your sexual and erotic landscape.
• Deep exploration of your emotional world and core beliefs.
• An examination of cognitive processes.
• Re-instating balance in life: hobbies, positive connections with friends and loved ones, a deep sense of self, finding meaning, higher self-esteem.
• Healing the possible trauma(s) underlying the roots of problematic porn use.
• Healing the romantic and sexual relationship that has been neglected, if appropriate.
• Re-integrating porn use into a vibrant, diverse and fulfilling sexuality with self and others.
  
  The treatment for problematic porn use can be short-term. Using specific modern humanistic, evidence-based psychological interventions, people can leave their problematic porn use behind, permanently and change their lives positively.

EMDR and the Feeling State Protocol are modern, cutting-edge treatments that have shown to be efficient treating problematic pornography use.

The treatment is non-shaming, non-moralistic and sex-positive.

EMDR is a clinically proven and evidence-based psychotherapy that has shown successful outcomes.

For more information on this treatment, do not hesitate to contact me:
sntherapy@gmail.com
07958320565.
For accurate and scientific information about pornography and the brain, go to Facts of Porn.