The stereotype about pornography addiction is that it is an issue only faced by men. Recent research, however, is beginning to show that women are just as susceptible to developing an unhealthy relationship with pornography as men are.
One study found that of all the women surveyed, 17 percent considered themselves to be addicted to pornography. But unlike men, women are much more secretive about their porn use. Below, we’ll take a look behind the curtain to learn more about female porn addiction.
The Unique Struggle Of Female Porn Addicts
In many cases, women begin to watch pornography in their teenage years. The rise in popularity of internet porn has given millions of women across the world instant access to a seemingly endless supply of this explicit material. At first, women my watch porn to satisfy their curiosity and to educate themselves about sex, but these early experiments can quickly turn into full-fledged addiction.
There isn’t much of a difference between the genders in how porn addiction can begin. The general pattern is the same: early exposure, increased desensitization, then addiction.
How Guilt Plays A Role
The primary difference between male and female porn addiction is in the level of guilt women feel. Because porn use among men is increasingly viewed as normal behavior, there is less of a stigma attached to men who become addicted. Women, on the other hand, may feel sullied or depraved, and they may have a hard time shaking the feeling that something is wrong with them.
Much of the guilt women feel about their porn use stems from the fact they are gaining sexual gratification from material that usually portrays women as little more sexual objects. Even when their minds are telling them that the content is morally objectionable, their bodies continue to respond to the sexually stimulating images. This internal conflict can result in depression and low self-esteem, especially among those with full-blown addiction.
Treating Female Porn Addiction
Because women are usually hesitant to open up about their addiction to pornography, when they finally do seek treatment, they’ll often only admit to their addiction-related symptoms, such as sexual dysfunction, depression, relationship troubles, etc. This is problematic, as addressing only the symptoms of porn addiction fails to resolve the underlying issue.
Getting to the bottom of a sexual addiction can be a challenging task for a therapist when treating female porn addiction, as they’ll have to ask questions the patient may not feel comfortable answering, such as:
- How often do you watch pornography?
- How extreme is the pornography you view?
- Do you use pornography to avoid emotional stress?
- Has your porn use affected any of your relationships?
- How often do you masturbate while watching pornography?
When a porn addiction is identified, treatment will follow a similar path for both genders. The most effective approach will normally be to combine individual therapy sessions with gender-separated group therapy through programs such as Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), or Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA).
They’re Not Alone
All too often, female porn addicts believe that they are the only ones who experience this issue. However, by understanding that countless other women are battling with the same condition, hopefully, they can allow themselves to become vulnerable enough to seek the help they need to learn how to abstain from the temptation of pornography.