Addiction Recovery - Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings

5 Hidden Ways the Gambling Industry Engineers Harm

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:54:18 +0000

Introduction: The Illusion of Choice

For many, gambling is seen as a form of entertainment, a voluntary activity where personal responsibility is paramount. We’re told to gamble responsibly. But, if things go wrong, the blame is often placed on the individual’s lack of self-control.

But what if that entire narrative is a dangerous fiction?

A new public health study reveals gambling harm is not an unfortunate side effect of a few people’s poor choices. Instead, it is the calculated outcome of a powerful and deliberate “gambling ecosystem” designed to maximize profit at a severe human cost.

This system operates using tactics that public health experts call the “commercial determinants of health.” The same strategies used by the tobacco and fossil fuel to drive profit by undermining public wellbeing.

This post will reveal five of the most impactful insights from the study, exposing the hidden truths of an industry that has mastered the art of engineering harm.

1. The “Responsible Gambling” Slogan is Designed to Blame YOU

The familiar phrase “gamble responsibly” is not a genuine public health message but a strategic discourse meticulously promoted by the industry. The primary function of this narrative is to shift the focus, and the blame, onto the individual consumer.

By framing harm as a personal failing, it deflects attention. It deflects it from:

Predatory industry practices
Unsafe products
A system that profits from addiction

This blame-shifting has severe consequences, creating a culture of shame that prevents people from seeking help and isolates them when they are most vulnerable. As the study’s authors note:

This emphasis on individual responsibility diverts attention from the practices of the industry. It generates stigma and shame for those harmed. It downplays serious harms caused by gambling. Worst of all: it contributes to the suicide toll.

This psychological framing is so damaging because it convinces individuals that their suffering is their own fault, making it harder to recognize the external forces at play and seek the support they need.

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

2. The Gambling Industry’s Goal is For You to “Play to Extinction”

Behind the glamorous advertising and messages of entertainment lies a stark and chilling internal objective. The study highlights a term used by gambling industry representatives to describe their core aim: “playing to extinction.”

This isn’t an exaggeration; it’s the industry’s own vocabulary for its business model:

“…gambling industry representatives describe their aim is to maximise revenue per available customer (revpac), and encourage ‘playing to extinction’, the point at which a customer has exhausted all available funds.”

The phrase has a chilling double meaning.

It refers to the financial extinction of a customer’s funds, but in the context of gambling-related suicide, it acquires a much darker significance.

The industry’s profit model depends on pushing customers into the exact states of financial ruin and profound despair that are known precursors to suicide. It is a business model that treats human crisis as a key performance indicator. Rather than a tragic crisis.

3. Products are Engineered to Undermine Your Control

Modern gambling products, especially digital ones, are not simple games of chance. They have been intentionally intensified with features like:

Increased speed
High complexity
“Frictionless” transactions

All designed to encourage extended use and bypass a person’s executive function.

The industry also employs digital tactics like sludging. Deliberately designing interactions to make it difficult for customers to act in their own best interest. Such as withdrawing funds or closing an account. This tactic also manifests physically. For 15 years, the Australian industry has resisted modern, universal pre-commitment systems that allow users to set binding loss limits. Instead, it has relied on a form of physical sludging: “manual, paper-based self-exclusion” that requires a person to fill out separate forms for every single venue they wish to avoid.

Product design also deploys psychological tricks to encourage overspending.

The study points out that a single ticket in the Australian “Powerball” lottery can be priced as high as AUD$46,249.65. This serves as a psychological anchor. While few would buy it, its existence makes spending smaller—yet still exorbitant—amounts like hundreds or thousands of dollars seem reasonable by comparison.

Need support and not local to the Lehigh Valley? Check out the LGBT National Help Center.

4. “Good Causes” are Used as a Smokescreen

A common defense of the gambling industry is that it funds worthy causes, from sports teams to community charities. The research argues this is a calculated strategy to create an “‘alibi’ to legitimise gambling operations” and procure a “social license” to operate.

This linkage creates a “symbiotic, reflexive relationship” where community groups become financially captured. Reliant on gambling revenue, these beneficiaries become powerful allies in resisting reforms that could threaten their funding, even if those reforms would reduce harm. This insidious dependency creates a powerful barrier to reform.

As one researcher observed, the dynamic is inescapable:

… at first the lottery was primarily dependent on the good cause and then, gradually, the good cause became increasingly dependent on the lottery.

5. The Gambling Industry Distorts Science and Influences Policy

Like the tobacco and fossil fuel industries before it, the gambling ecosystem actively works to control and distort the scientific evidence base to protect its interests. The study identifies two key tactics:

Funding “safe” research: The industry funds and promotes research focused on the individual, such as the influential “pathways model.” This model frames gambling harm as an artifact of pre-existing conditions like “antisocial personality disorder,” thereby shifting blame from the addictive product to the flawed consumer.
Discrediting effective solutions: The ecosystem publicly casts doubt on proven harm-prevention tools. The paper cites an industry-linked researcher who claimed that universal pre-commitment systems might have a “detrimental effect and may aggravate the problem.” Crucially, the study notes that a subsequent review of the evidence cited for this claim found “no support for this conclusion,” noting the studies had significant “methodological limitations.” This reveals a pattern of distorting weak evidence to undermine effective public health measures.

This distortion of science is coupled with political donations and the “revolving door”—where politicians and staff take industry jobs after leaving office—to block or delay meaningful reforms that could save lives.

Conclusion: Shifting from Individual Blame to Systemic Accountability

The evidence is clear: gambling harm is not a simple story of poor individual choices. It is the predictable and profitable result of a commercial system meticulously designed to addict users, shift blame, and protect its revenue streams at all costs. From manipulative product design to the distortion of science, the gambling ecosystem functions as a commercial determinant of health, actively generating and sustaining harm.

This reframing moves the problem from one of personal responsibility to one of systemic accountability. Seeing the deliberate system that drives these harms, what does real responsibility—from our governments, communities, and the industry itself—truly look like?

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

The post 5 Hidden Ways the Gambling Industry Engineers Harm first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Financial Risks of Gaming Disorder: More Than Just a Game

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Introduction: The Hidden Cost of Gaming

For hundreds of millions of people, video games are a favorite pastime. A source of entertainment, social connection, and challenging fun. The common view is that it’s a widespread and generally harmless hobby. But as with any deeply engaging activity, there’s a potential for a downside. New research is revealing that this downside can extend directly into our wallets in the form of a gaming disorder.

A study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors has uncovered a powerful, and often overlooked, link between problematic gaming behaviors and significant financial consequences.

The findings challenge common assumptions about who is at risk. And they highlight a major gap in how we officially define and screen for gaming disorder.

Have you ever logged off after a gaming session and felt you spent more money than you should have? The results of this study suggest that for some, that feeling is a sign of a much larger issue. Here are four surprising truths about the financial risks of Gaming Disorder.

Do you have enough hours for your LPC renewal? Are you in need of continuing education, but bored with the current offerings? Check out Dr. Weeks’ course on Cannabis Use Disorder, and other unique courses on her practice website.

Sexual Addiction Treatment Services has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7250. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Sexual Addiction Treatment Services is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

The Link Between Gaming Disorder and Overspending is Staggering

The core finding of the study is impossible to ignore: there is a massive correlation between being at risk for Gaming Disorder (GD) and overspending on gaming-related activities.

The research found individuals identified as being at risk for GD had 6-9x higher odds of reporting overspending.

The gap between those at risk for GD and those who are not is stark. The study’s data reveals a consistent pattern of overspending across different categories:

Purchasing Games: 76% of at-risk individuals reported overspending, versus only 24% of those not at risk.
In-Game Purchases: 73% of at-risk individuals reported overspending, compared to just 24% of those not at risk.
Esports Betting: 63.5% of at-risk individuals reported overspending, versus a mere 13% of those not at risk.

This isn’t a minor or incidental issue.

The data shows that for those struggling with the behavioral patterns of Gaming Disorder, significant overspending is not an exception but a common, defining feature of their experience. It’s important to note, however, that the study measured players’ perception of overspending. Future research is needed to quantify the link to actual financial hardship or debt.

It’s Not Just a Problem for Young People

A persistent stereotype frames problematic gaming as an issue exclusive to teenagers and young adults. While the study confirmed that younger people reported higher rates of overspending, it also found that a “non-negligible proportion” of older adults are also impacted.

Specifically, the research showed that between 4% and 9% of adults aged 66 and older reported various types of game-related overspending. This finding is particularly concerning for this demographic.

As the study’s authors discuss, older adults often rely on fixed incomes from pensions or savings, which limits their ability to absorb financial losses. The source identifies further vulnerabilities, noting that “technological illiteracy and susceptibility to scams further exacerbate the risks for older adults,” making this a cross-generational concern that demands attention.

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

Official Definitions of Gaming Disorder Overlook the Financial Damage

Despite the study’s clear evidence linking Gaming Disorder to serious financial issues, overspending is not currently part of the official diagnostic criteria from major health organizations.

Diagnostic frameworks like the World Health Organization’s ICD-11, and the screening tools like the Gaming Disorder Identification Test, focus on impairments in personal, social, or health-related areas. They largely omit the potential for financial harm as a key symptom or consequence. As the researchers state in their discussion:

“Our findings highlight that overspending is integral to GD, yet it is absent from diagnostic frameworks such as ICD-11 and DSM-5.”

This omission is critical.

The data reveals staggering rates of overspending (Truth #1) that affect even vulnerable older populations (Truth #2).

However, the very tools used to identify the disorder are blind to what may be its primary financial symptom. As a result, we may be under-identifying individuals for whom financial distress is the most significant negative consequence.

The Line Between Gaming and Gambling is Blurring

The study uncovered a significant relationship between Gaming Disorder and overspending on betting with real money on video games, also known as esports betting. The researchers describe this convergence of gaming and gambling as a “concerning” trend.

This blur is not limited to betting.

The study also notes the role of gambling-like mechanics built directly into games, such as loot boxes. These features use a “chance-based reward structure” that, as the source notes, can “foster compulsive spending and addiction-like behaviours.”

These in-game mechanics can prime users for the more explicit gambling behaviors seen in esports betting. It makes the convergence even more seamless and risky.

This finding underscores a growing need for greater awareness. The study’s authors call for specific, concrete actions, including “regulatory and harm minimization strategies such as spending limits, and educational initiatives to inform gamers about the risks” inherent in these evolving financial systems within games.

Conclusion: Rethinking the Risks

The key takeaway from this research is clear. The financial consequences of Gaming Disorder are a significant, underappreciated, and integral aspect of the condition.

These risks affect a wider range of people than is commonly believed. They are driven by an industry where lines between entertainment and finance are becoming increasingly blurred.

For clinicians, policymakers, and gamers themselves, these findings show that financial behaviors should be a key part of the conversation around healthy gaming. Recognizing overspending not just as a bad habit, but as a potential indicator of a deeper problem, is the first step toward better assessment and support.

How can we better recognize the warning signs of financial harm in ourselves and others? What can we do as the worlds of gaming and finance become more intertwined?

Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Are you looking for more reputable, data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post Financial Risks of Gaming Disorder: More Than Just a Game first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Is Food Addiction Real? Just in Time for Thanksgiving!

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Food Addiction: The “Addiction” We All Talk About

Many of us have joked about being “addicted” to ice cream or chips, describing an intense craving that feels impossible to resist. This common experience is at the heart of a serious scientific debate: Is Food Addiction (FA) a genuine addiction, similar to substance addiction?

The conversation has grown more complex as modern definitions of addiction have expanded.

Influential bodies like the American Society of Addiction Medicine no longer require the ingestion of a psychoactive substance for something to be considered an addiction. Similarly, behavioral addictions like gambling disorder are now formally recognized. This has intensified the scientific inquiry into whether addictive-like eating fits the same mold.

To find answers, a recent longitudinal study looked at the role of emotion regulation, how we handle our feelings, to compare food addiction and substance misuse.

The findings were surprising, revealing critical differences in the emotional pathways that drive these behaviors. This article breaks down the three most impactful takeaways that challenge what we think we know about food addiction.

1. The Counter-Intuitive Role of Positive Emotions in Food Addiction

Takeaway 1: Acting on a Good Mood Predicts Substance Misuse, But Deters Food Addiction.

One of the study’s most unexpected findings relates to “positive urgency.” It’s described as a psychological trait. One defined as the tendency to act impulsively when experiencing strong positive emotions, like feeling overjoyed or extremely happy.

The research, which tracked women over six months, found a striking divergence.

A one-unit increase in a person’s positive urgency score was associated with:

A 100% to 200% increase in the odds of future alcohol or drug-related problems.
A 50% decrease in the odds of future food addiction.

Why would feeling good lead to such different outcomes?

The researchers suggest it comes down to the reinforcing power of the substance or behavior.

Individuals high in positive urgency may seek to amplify or extend their good feelings, and psychoactive substances are far more effective at this than food.

The study’s authors explain: Women with greater positive urgency may tend to select psychoactive substances such as alcohol or drugs that can more effectively amplify or prolong their positive feelings, rather than food. Food’s effects are less potent and thus less reinforcing than psychoactive substances.

This discovery is significant because it highlights a fundamental difference in the emotional triggers for food addiction versus substance misuse.

While a good mood might increase the risk for substance misuse, it appears to have the opposite effect on addictive-like eating.

Licensed Professional Counselors, do you need continuing education hours?

Look no further!

If you find this article interesting, Dr. Weeks’ course Sexual Education and Porn Use in Women, and her other unique courses, will engage and educate!

2. How We Judge Our Feelings Matter… But Differently

Takeaway 2: Not Accepting Your Negative Emotions Has Opposite Effects on Food Addiction vs. Alcohol-Related Problems

Another key aspect of emotion regulation is the “non-acceptance of one’s negative emotions.”

This is the tendency to have self-critical or judgmental reactions like shame, guilt, or frustration to your own distressing feelings.

Here again, the study found that this trait was linked to food addiction and alcohol-related problems in opposite ways:

Non-acceptance was associated with more severe food addiction symptoms.
Non-acceptance was associated with less severe alcohol-related problems.

The researchers hypothesize that this difference may be rooted in social stigma.

Women who feel ashamed of their negative emotions might turn to food as a coping mechanism because overeating is often viewed as less stigmatized than alcohol misuse.

The study references other research showing that the label “food addict” is perceived as less shameful than “substance or alcohol addiction.” This suggests that societal norms and the fear of judgment can profoundly shape which coping behaviors we adopt.

3. The Complicated Truth About Negative Moods and Food Addiction

Takeaway 3: The Link Between Bad Moods and Bingeing Isn’t a Simple One

The idea that we eat to soothe bad feelings, often called “emotional eating,” is a popular one. This is related to the concept of “negative urgency,” or the tendency to act impulsively when experiencing strong negative emotions.

At first glance, the study’s data seemed to support this common belief.

When looking at a single point in time, the researchers found that negative urgency was a common link between both food addiction and substance misuse.

However, when they analyzed the data over time in a more sophisticated multivariate model, the picture changed dramatically.

After controlling for other emotion-regulation factors, negative urgency was not a significant predictor of future food addiction or substance misuse problems.

This doesn’t mean bad moods are irrelevant.

Rather, it suggests that negative urgency might be a “fellow traveler.” It’s present alongside the true driver, but not in the driver’s seat itself.

When the researchers statistically controlled for the powerful effect of positive urgency, the predictive signal from negative urgency faded away. This finding challenges the simple narrative that “feeling bad leads to addiction” and reveals that, over the long term, other emotional factors are far more influential.

Conclusion: A Different Kind of Struggle

While food addiction and substance addiction share surface-level similarities like cravings and loss of control, this new research paints a picture of two surprisingly different psychological profiles.

One is characterized by impulsivity in good times, which predicts substance misuse, while the other is marked by self-judgment in bad times, which predicts addictive-like eating.

This challenges the one-size-fits-all model of addiction.

The study’s overall conclusion is clear: “These findings suggest that FA [Food Addiction] is not associated with the same key deficits in emotion regulation as SA [Substance Addiction].”

This leaves us with a critical question to consider:

If the emotional drivers for food addiction and substance addiction are so different, does this mean we need to rethink how we talk about, prevent, and treat addictive-like eating?

Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Are you looking for more reputable, data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post Is Food Addiction Real? Just in Time for Thanksgiving! first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Beyond Willpower in Addiction: 4 Powerful Lessons

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We often think of addiction as a private, grueling battle of willpower.

Whether it’s a dependency on a substance, a behavior like gambling, or even an unhealthy pattern in a relationship, the prevailing narrative suggests that breaking free is a matter of pure, individual strength.

If you just try hard enough, you can overcome it. If you fail, it’s a personal failing.

But what if this framework is fundamentally flawed? A recent, year-long study offers a more structured, hopeful, and evidence-based path to recovery.

Researchers applied a specific form of therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to individuals struggling with a range of addictions and discovered that the right tools can do more than just help people cope; they can fundamentally transform their lives.

It’s about building a life so full and satisfying that the addiction no longer has room to thrive.

This year-long study is particularly significant because it was conducted in Kazakhstan, a region where evidence-based psychotherapy is still emerging and social stigma can be a major barrier to recovery.

This article distills the four most impactful takeaways from this groundbreaking research. It reveals how a systematic therapeutic approach can lead to profound, measurable life changes, challenging the myth that recovery is simply a matter of gritting your teeth and pushing through.

Lesson 1: The Change to Isn’t Small, It’s Transformative

While we might expect therapy to offer some benefit, the sheer magnitude of improvement seen in this study was extraordinary.

Participants who received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy didn’t just get slightly better; they experienced a dramatic and measurable enhancement in their overall well-being.

The study used the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF), which measures well-being across four key areas. The results were staggering.

On average, the experimental groups saw their quality of life scores jump from the low 40s to the mid-70s on a 100-point scale. To put that in concrete terms, participants with alcohol use disorder went from an average score of 42.31 before therapy to 74.47 after one year.

This isn’t just a number on a chart; it represents a profound shift from a life constrained by addiction to one filled with new possibilities and well-being.

Meanwhile, the control groups, those who did not receive CBT, saw no meaningful improvement in their quality of life, with their average scores remaining essentially unchanged.

This powerful contrast repositions recovery as a genuine opportunity to build a measurably better and more satisfying life.

It’s about building a life so full and satisfying that the addiction no longer has room to thrive.

Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

Beyond Willpower Lesson 2: The Same Tools Can Fix Different Problems

One of the most compelling aspects of the study was its breadth.

Researchers applied the same core therapeutic model, CBT, to four very different challenges:

Alcohol use disorder
Drug addiction
Gambling disorder
Codependency

The key finding was that CBT was highly effective across the board.

For every single group that received therapy, there was a statistically significant reduction in the severity of their addiction. The data paints a clear picture of this versatility:

For drug addiction, the experimental group’s average severity score dropped from 7.96 (signifying harmful use) down to 3.14 (representing low-risk or minimal use).
For gambling disorder, the average severity score plummeted from a “severe” 39.55 to a “mild or moderate” 14.36.

This suggests that no matter the substance or behavior, the underlying challenge is often the same: learning to recognize triggers, challenge automatic negative thoughts, and develop new, healthier coping strategies.

CBT provides a toolkit for rewiring these exact processes, effectively helping people move from a place of denial or ambivalence into decisive action and long-term maintenance.

Lesson 3: Codependency Isn’t Just a “Relationship Problem.” It’s Treatable.

The study took the significant step of including codependency, an excessive emotional or psychological dependence on a partner, often linked to that partner’s addiction, alongside clinical addictions. While codependency is not formally classified as a standalone diagnosis in major manuals like the DSM-5-TR, the researchers recognized it as a clinically significant phenomenon that is actively addressed in rehabilitation.

The results were a powerful validation of this approach.

The experimental group for codependency saw their average severity scores drop from a “high level” of 69.12 to a “moderate or low level” of 31.44. The control group, in stark contrast, showed no significant change.

For anyone who has felt trapped in a dynamic of supporting someone else’s addiction at the expense of their own well-being, this finding is a beacon of hope.

This is a crucial takeaway.

It frames the struggle of codependency not as a character flaw or an intractable relationship dynamic, but as a treatable condition. It offers empowerment and a clear path toward building greater independence, self-esteem, and healthier relationship dynamics.

Beyond Willpower Lesson 4: Recovery Isn’t Just Stopping, It’s a Total Life Upgrade

The study’s design was brilliant in its simplicity: it measured success in two ways. It tracked the reduction of the negative (addiction severity) and the increase of the positive (overall quality of life). The results showed that these two things are deeply intertwined.

The “quality of life” assessment wasn’t a vague feeling of happiness; it was a concrete evaluation of four essential domains of life:

Physical Health: Including energy and fatigue, quality of sleep, and even physical mobility.
Psychological Health: Covering everything from positive feelings and self-esteem to the ability to concentrate and learn new things.
Social Relationships: Examining the quality of personal relationships, the strength of social support networks, and even sexual activity.
Environment: Looking at practical, real-world factors like financial security, physical safety, the comfort of one’s home, and access to healthcare.

The participants who underwent CBT saw significant improvements across all of these areas. This demonstrates that effective treatment doesn’t just happen in a therapist’s office. It radiates outward, improving every facet of a person’s existence.

True recovery, as this study shows, is about building a life that is so robust and fulfilling that the old addictive behaviors no longer hold the same power or appeal.

Conclusion: A New Framework for Change

The findings from this study in Kazakhstan provide a powerful, evidence-based roadmap for recovery that moves far beyond the limited concept of willpower.

It shows that addiction, in its many forms, is not a moral failing but a condition that responds remarkably well to structured, compassionate, and science-backed intervention.

By focusing on cognitive and behavioral strategies, individuals can achieve not just abstinence, but a transformative and holistic improvement in their lives. The tools exist, the evidence is clear, and the potential for change is immense.

This research leaves us with a vital question to consider:

If we can treat these complex issues so effectively, what does that change about how we should approach mental health and personal growth in our own lives?

Are you a professional looking to stay up-to-date with the latest information on, sex addiction, trauma, and mental health news and research? Or maybe you’re looking for continuing education courses? Then you should stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post Beyond Willpower in Addiction: 4 Powerful Lessons first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

5 Surprising Truths About the Path to Gambling Recovery

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:24:43 +0000

The Four-Year Silence: 5 Surprising Truths About the Path to Gambling Recovery

When we think of gambling recovery, or any kind of addiction recovery, we often picture a dramatic “rock bottom” moment: a single, catastrophic event that forces a person to finally seek help.

While this makes for a compelling narrative, the reality is often quieter, slower, and much more complex. For individuals struggling with problem gambling, the journey from awareness to action is a long, hidden descent.

A new Canadian study published in Addictive Behaviors pulls back the curtain on this private struggle. By interviewing 65 adults currently in treatment for problem gambling, researchers mapped the winding road people travel from first realization to the point they finally reach out for gambling recovery support.

This article distills the most impactful and surprising findings from that research. It reveals the triggers, the timelines, and the overlooked patterns that define the hidden journey of problem gambling, offering crucial insights for individuals, their families, and the professionals trying to help them.

On Average, There’s A Four-Year Gap Between Awareness and Starting Gambling Recovery

One of the most significant findings from the study is the stark delay between realizing their gambling is harmful and when they first attempt to get help or limit their behavior.

The research identified a time lag of just under four years between these two critical events.

This four-year silence is not just a statistic. It represents a prolonged period of active struggle. It’s not simply passive suffering.

Researchers suggest this gap is often filled with shame, secrecy, and desperate attempts to fix the problem. People often use the very behavior causing the issues: trying to recoup losses. This tendency to chase a “big win” to solve mounting debt can exacerbate financial and emotional harms. It can postpone any cry for help until a crisis becomes unavoidable.

The study also revealed that this journey can differ across demographics, noting that men, on average, reported recognizing their gambling problems and trying to address them earlier than women.

Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

The Tipping Point for Gambling Recovery Is Almost Always Financial

The study pinpointed the specific triggers that cause a person to first recognize their gambling is a problem and, later, to finally seek help. In both instances, one trigger stood out above all others: money.

Financial problems were the most common catalyst for both awareness and action. The data revealed:

40% of participants cited financial problems as the very first sign they noticed that their gambling was becoming harmful.
77% of participants said financial problems were the “tipping point” that ultimately caused them to try and limit their gambling.

This reliance on a financial crisis helps explain the “four-year silence”; the problem often isn’t perceived as real until it has a tangible, dollars-and-cents impact. For many, the abstract harms of addiction—such as emotional distress or lost time—are not enough to prompt action. This suggests that public health messaging focused solely on emotional well-being may be less effective than interventions that highlight the tangible financial risks of unchecked gambling.

The First Call for Help Isn’t to a Doctor, It’s to a Friend

When individuals finally decide to break their silence, they don’t typically start with a formal treatment program. The study mapped the typical order in which people seek support, revealing a clear pattern that begins with their closest connections.

The first source of help is usually informal: friends and family. This was the most common first step for participants in the study. In stark contrast, the last resort identified was formal, in-person counseling from a religious figure like a pastor or priest. While loved ones are the first line of defense, the study suggests they may lack the specialized knowledge to be the most effective, as their helpfulness was ranked 6th out of 11 options. This highlights the immense pressure placed on these informal relationships to manage a complex clinical issue.

What Makes a Strategy “Helpful” Is Highly Specific

The research found that there is no single “best” way to address problem gambling. Instead, participants found different strategies to be helpful for very distinct and specific reasons. The unique benefits of each approach were clear:

Friends and Family: Were uniquely helpful for instrumental support, particularly for managing money (e.g., holding bank cards for the individual).
Professional In-Person Counselling: Stood out for its effectiveness in helping people understand and cope with their emotions.
Gamblers Anonymous (GA): Was specifically noted by participants for its accessibility, offering both in-person and online meetings.
Self-Exclusion Programs: Were effective primarily because of the perceived consequences of being caught violating the ban.

The power of consequences in self-exclusion was vividly illustrated by one participant’s experience:

“…knowing that I would be escorted out, or even charged with trespassing was a deterrent.” (61-year-old man)

From an analyst’s perspective, this means a “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment is bound to fail. Effective support requires a diagnostic approach that matches a person’s specific deficits—be it emotional regulation, financial control, or simply access to support—with the appropriate tool.

As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.

Gambling Recovery is Hard: Addiction Can Play “Whack-a-Mole”

The study confirmed a strong connection between problem gambling and other behavioral health issues. Over half of the participants (51%) felt their gambling was “definitely linked” to mental health or substance use problems. The research reinforces that gambling is often a maladaptive coping strategy for underlying distress.

The most surprising finding in this area, however, revealed a critical blind spot in the treatment system. Among participants who had previously sought treatment for substance use, their gambling problems often emerged concurrently with those treatment episodes. This suggests a predictable “addiction substitution” effect. When an individual’s primary coping mechanism (e.g., substances) is removed without addressing the underlying need to cope, they may swap it for another, like gambling. It indicates that individuals receiving specialized care for one addiction may be developing a serious gambling problem at the same time, yet screening for problem gambling in these settings is rare.

Closing the Gap Between Silence and Support

The four-year silence is not a void; it is a space filled with shame, misguided attempts to win back losses, and a problem that remains invisible until it devastates a bank account. It ends not with a doctor, but with a confession to a friend. The path to recovery for problem gambling is longer, more complex, and more hidden than many of us realize.

Understanding this predictable, hidden path is the first step in dismantling it. And the first step towards gambling recovery.

By illuminating this reality, we can better support those who are struggling. Knowing this hidden journey and its triggers, how can friends, family, and healthcare professionals better create safety nets to ensure that the four-year silence doesn’t have to be the norm?

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

The post 5 Surprising Truths About the Path to Gambling Recovery first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

A Study on “No Fap” for Women?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:45:19 +0000

Most often, when we talk about online communities for abstinence from pornography and masturbation, such as No Fap, we are talking about men.

Online forums purporting abstinence, particularly Reddit, are a predominantly male space. So, where do the women go?

While we know men more often report problematic sexual behavior than women, women do still struggle with PSB issues. Where is their safe space? A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior recently addressed this question.

A No Fap Study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior

The authors analyzed the posts from a women-only online forum called Porn Free Women.

Porn Free Women was developed because most pornography abstinence online spaces are dominated by men and many women did not feel comfortable or accepted participating in them.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Take the free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

Therapeutic, Empowerment and Heteronormative

The analysis of the discussions revealed 16 predominant topics that fell within three themes:

Therapeutic
Empowerment
Heteronormative

Half of the discussions fit the therapeutic theme. Pornography abstinence was discussed as overcoming adversity through healing and transformation. Here pornography was seen as addictive.

Over a quarter of the posts fit into the heteronormative theme. The discussions involved romantic relationships, identity anxiety and ideas of being a “real” woman.

The empowerment theme emphasized female empowerment and agency in building a supportive community to promote well-being.

Many of the women in the forum identified with the philosophy of pornography addiction.

Unlike men, many of these women use their own past sexual victimization to rationalize their entry into pornography addiction.

This study was interesting because it is one of the very few studies that look at a women’s perspective on desired abstinence from pornography. In a field dominated by heteronormative male voices, it is refreshing to see science finally take an interest in the female voices in the arena.

Reference

Zhang, X & Silva, D.E. (2024). “I feel like a fraud who acts like a feminist”: The discussion themes and sexual scripts in the Porn Free Women online forum. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02858-w

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Are you a Licensed Professional Counselor seeking engaging, unique Continuing Education courses? Dr. Weeks offers accredited courses on her practice website on the effects of Pornography Abstinence and other unique topics!

Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

The post A Study on “No Fap” for Women? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Book Review: Sex Under the Influence

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Fawcett give a presentation on Sex Under the Influence at the 2023 IITAP conference.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

It was one of the more enjoyable discussions I caught while at the conference. He has a vast amount of experience working with dual chemical and sexual addictions. He is very clearly passionate about helping people work through these issues.

So, when he published a book on the subject, I was eager to read it.

Sex Under the Influence is aimed at Individuals

While this book’s target audience is individuals who are struggling with sexualized drug use, it will also be useful to clinicians who are not as familiar with the pairing of sex and drugs in a compulsive manner.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

The first chapter does a nice job with the following points:

What sexualized drug use is
How people use sex and drugs together and why
The biology of the addictive process and the consequences when pairing sex and drugs gets out of hand

Chapter 2 is either a nice primer or recap about what addiction is and how it can be experienced by people.

Chapter 3 looks at addictive behaviors in a variety of demographic groups.

I really enjoyed this chapter. It did something few books on addiction do: it discussed what addiction can look like for men, women, and transgender individuals.

We know from the scientific literature that men and women experience addiction differently both socially and biologically. Dr. Fawcett also discussed how addiction may differ based on one’s sexual orientation.

An entire chapter looking at the diversity of the addictive process was appreciated.

Recovery Tools from Sex Under the Influence

Starting in Chapter 5, the book provides tools and information for recovery. For clinician’s reading this book, particularly those who are trained in treating problematic sexual behavior, a lot of this work will be familiar.

For people struggling with addiction who are thinking about or entering into recovery, the second half of the book provides valuable tools such as:

The three-circle exercise
Emotion regulations tools
Relapse prevention planning

Subsequent chapters delve into the long-term process of recovery. It implicitly and explicitly acknowledges this is a long-term or lifelong process.

Recovery, particularly from issues with sexuality, require us to deepen connections. It requires us to delve into intimacy and our own sexuality.

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

My Favorite Part

One of the things I particularly like about Sex Under the Influence is the author’s discussion of harm reduction.

So often, recovery is seen as an abstinence-only model and harm reduction is not discussed.

Abstinence-only models can drive away those thinking about recovery but feel full abstinence is impossible.

Additionally, abstinence-only models often are not realistic for problematic sexual behavior. Sexuality is part of who we are as humans.

The author spends a chapter discussing harm reduction and how it can be applied to sexualized drug use.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

The post Book Review: Sex Under the Influence first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

What Happens When You Stop Watching Pornography for a Week?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

One of the go to suggestions for pornography addiction treatment is an abstinence period. A period of time free from all sexual behavior or to stop watching pornography.

The average duration is 30 days free of any type of sexual behavior, including:

Pornography
Masturbation
Sexual intercourse

This is to allegedly “reset” the brain and dopamine pathways from a biological perspective.

It can also be a great way for couples to reconnect. It allows them to work on emotional intimacy and non-sexual physical intimacy.

Finally: A Study on Those Who Stop Watching Pornography

Despite this being a rather commonly “’prescribed” treatment plan, there is actually very little research on whether this is a scientifically sound practice.

Additionally, one of the markers of addiction is the experience of withdrawal. Many who argue against sexual addiction being a real phenomenon will say that there is no such thing as withdrawal from pornography use despite anecdotal evidence from those who abstain.

Some previous studies have noted that people who attempt abstinence from pornography experience withdrawal symptoms such as erotic dreams, irritability, attention disturbances, depression, mood swings and brain fog.

While these could be attributed to withdrawal from pornography, the authors of the study we are currently discussing state that these negative emotional effects could be the result of simply abstinence from sexual behavior and not necessarily withdrawal.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

The Study: Background

This study, published this year in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, was a randomized controlled study that looked at the effects of abstaining from pornography for a period of 7 days.

The authors hypothesized that there would be differences between the abstaining group and the control group on the following measures: craving, positive affect, negative affect, and withdrawal symptoms. They also hypothesized that there would be an interaction between the group (control or abstaining) and Problematic Pornography Use.

Subjects

Psychology Undergraduate students at a university in Malaysia.

The authors do note that Malaysia is a conservative country when it comes to sex and pornography that does have laws that restrict pornography use.

The participants had to meet several criteria:

They had to be at least 18 year old.
They had to be regular pornography users.

176 students made the cut with 86 in the abstinence group and 90 in the control group.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Then take this free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

The Task

The control group was asked to continue engaging in their sexual behavior as normal.

The abstinence group was asked to stop watching pornography. But they weren’t required to abstain from masturbation or partnered sexual activity.

The Measures

All subjects were asked to note, on a daily basis, the following things:

Frequency and/or duration of any sexual behavior, measured daily
Pornography use, daily frequency
Duration of daily pornography use
Masturbation without pornography, daily frequency
Alternative sexual activity, daily frequency
Efforts at abstaining from pornography, daily
Pornography craving, measured daily
Daily positive and negative affects
Withdrawal symptoms, experienced daily

Creating a Baseline to Stop Watching Pornography

Prior to the start of the study, the authors assessed the following baseline measures:

Previous 4-week frequency of pornography use
Past 4-week average duration of pornography use per session
4-week frequency of masturbation without pornography prior to the study
Prior 4-week percentage of pornography use that was accompanied by masturbation
Previous 7-day frequency of pornography use
Past 7-day duration of pornography use
Baseline abstinence effort
Craving for pornography
Baseline positive and negative affect
Problematic Pornography Use
Intrinsic desire to quit or reduce pornography use
Moral disapproval of pornography

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

The Results of the Study to Stop Watching Pornography

There were no significant differences between the abstinence and control group on measures of craving, positive affect, or withdrawal symptoms. There was also no significant interaction between the group and Problematic Pornography Use.

Problematic Pornography Use and Gender

There were significant differences in the results based on gender.

Male subjects had significantly higher problematic pornography use and 4-week frequency of pornography use than female subjects.

The study also looked at the data based on Problematic Pornography Use (PPU) Scores.

When the PPU scores were low, there were no differences between the groups but when the PPU scores were high, there were significant differences on the experience of craving.

Study Conclusions

The hypotheses of the study were not confirmed. There were no significant main effects of the group on all measures.

This is in contrast to previous studies that used self-report measures where subjects reported experiencing withdrawal symptoms. The authors do note that their study used nonclinical samples and the previous studies had subjects who identified with PPU.

The study found no evidence of negative abstinence effects among pornography users who viewed pornography at least three times per week. The authors then suggest that for the average pornography user there is no withdrawal when engaging in a 7-day abstinence period.

Are you a Licensed Professional Counselor in need of continuing education? Learn more about Sex Addiction, Erotic Conflict, and Moral Incongruence from Dr. Weeks and Sexual Addiction Treatment Services, an NBCC ACEP™ approved provider!

Limitations

The fact that the study used a non-clinical sample means that the results might not be generalizable to people with Compulsive Sexual Behavior who try to achieve abstinence.

This study also contained more female subjects that other studies that have looked at this phenomenon.

From a clinical perspective, as someone who treats Problematic Sexual Behavior, these types of studies are helpful.

In this field there are some therapeutic interventions that seem like gospel despite not having a large amount of scientific evidence to back them up as a best practice.

It is exciting to see abstinence and withdrawal being studied so we can determine, in the future, if a 90-day abstinence period is actually an evidence based best practice.

Reference: Fernandez, D.P., Kuss, D.J., Justice, L.V., Fernandez, E.F. & Griffiths, M.D. (2023). Archives of Sexual Behavior. Doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02519-w

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post What Happens When You Stop Watching Pornography for a Week? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Why did Google Remove Covenant Eyes?

Mike — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:03:14 +0000

Maybe you’ve noticed that Google removed the popular “accountability” apps Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You from its Play store last week.

Maybe you haven’t, and that’s probably for the best.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

What are accountability apps?

These apps can filter undesirable content, such as pornography, and “other questionable material” from devices. More than just filtering, though, they offer to allow someone to be your accountability partner. They can send either immediate alerts or a digest of activity.

Having someone else hold you accountable in your efforts to be productive or curb a compulsive behavior sounds great, right?

Absolutely! If it’s done willingly.

Why were they removed?

And why is this article about Covenant Eyes on a blog about mental health?

Covenant Eyes’ Response

Accountable2You’s Response

During an investigation by Dhruv Mehrotra for Wired, it was discovered that the Android versions of these two apps used the accessibility features of Android devices. Accessibility features are intended to help those with hearing or vision impairments. Unfortunately, these apps used these features to monitor and report all device usage, even innocuous behavior.

That wouldn’t be an issue if your accountability partner is someone you have selected and trust, but therein lies the problem.

Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You have large outreach projects dedicated to getting churches to use the apps. In other words, to assist the churches in controlling and monitoring the behavior of parishioners under the guise of strict adherence to the church’s beliefs.

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

Consent versus Coercion

Threatening, pressuring, or strongly recommending, an individual consent to having their digital activities monitored is not consent.

More than just standard filtering and monitoring, Accountable2You also flags LGBTQIA+ content regardless of whether or not it is pornographic in nature. This is the “other questionable material” I referred to earlier. My issue is not that LGBTQIA+ material is blocked or flagged, but that any topic related to it is flagged in a similar fashion to hardcore pornography.

Pressuring people, vilifying them for whom they love, and monitoring all of their digital moves can create intense shame for the individuals being monitored. Particularly if they don’t conform to the heteronormative ideals of some religious organizations.

Shame encourages people to hide, withdraw, or turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms. Therefore, shame can make the initial behaviors worse. More about shame from Dr. Jen here and here.

Google has chosen to remove these apps from their store using violations of their technology policies because condemning them for violating users’ privacy rights is too political. Time will tell if Google steps up in favor of individual rights over appeasing a small but vocal and wealthy minority.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Then take this free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

What to do about Covenant Eyes after these revelations?

Broadly speaking, if you’re using an accountability app and you feel you were under duress when you selected your accountability partner, it’s time to re-evaluate that relationship and your continued use of the software.

If you still want to use one of these solutions on a non-Android platform, Windows, MacOS, or iOS, they are still available. You can still use them on Android because they can be “side-loaded” using instructions on the company websites.

If you would like a simple, straightforward filtering solution without the shame, check out BlockSite, for desktop and mobile devices.

For those of you who’d like accountability monitoring and filtering, I recommend EverAccountable, for desktop and mobile devices. EverAccountable also uses mental health friendly language in relation to how to handle slips and relapses.

An Important Note about Privacy

The Wired article referenced above also talked about third-parties having access to data from these apps. One, in particular, called Fortify was singled out because the company was cagey about revealing its third-party partners in its privacy policy and it sent the user’s password, along with other data, in plaintext to Facebook.

Transparency in a privacy policy is key and obfuscating passwords is Software Development 101. These kinds of mistakes call in to question the security of the entire app.

I did a quick read through of the privacy policies of both alternatives I mentioned above and saw no red flags, but I encourage you to read through them yourself.

If you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, local to the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, and need support a great place to start is the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.

Need support and not local to the Lehigh Valley? Check out the LGBT National Help Center.

For an in-depth guide on talking to your adolescents about cybersex and pornography, check out Dr. Jen’s book. Amazon | BookBaby

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

The post Why did Google Remove Covenant Eyes? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Pornography Use and Erectile Dysfunction

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The concept of pornography induced erectile dysfunction (PIED) has spurred movements such as NoFap, where men pledge to stop viewing pornography and masturbating to it. A quick Google or Ted Talk search will result in a number of sites or talks discussing pornography induced erectile dysfunction (PIED).

Despite there being quite a bit of support for these ideas and movements in some quarters, there is still a lack of scientific evidence that supports PIED.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Learn more about curbing your urges in our series on Blocking Porn.

The Study

A study published last year in the JMIR Public Health and Surveillance Journal by Jacob et al, was a collaboration between researchers and medical doctors that sought to study the issue.

The authors, in consultation with urologists, created a 118-item questionnaire that included demographic information, medical history, pornography consumption, masturbation frequency as well as the Cyber Pornography Addiction Test, International Index of Erectile Function and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification test (AUDIT) which are all validated tests. The study participants were all in Denmark and Belgium and over 3400 individuals (aged 18 to 35) survey responses were used in the study.

For me, some of the best parts of this study are the descriptive analyses. When talking about sex addiction or problematic sexual behavior, there is this assumption that we know what “normal” pornography use or masturbation is and from there can quantify abnormal. However, we really don’t have a lot of recent statistics on how much pornography people are using and how often they masturbate.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Then take this free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

Pornography, Masturbation, and Erectile Dysfunction

The study found that 84.9% of the men surveyed started to masturbate between the ages of 10 and 14 years old and more than 70% of these men masturbated multiple times a week. 98.98% of these men used pornography while they masturbated. The study found that the median age that the men started to masturbate to pornography was 13-14 years old. Most of these men (over 90%) skipped to the “best parts” of the pornography during masturbation and over 80% of them stated that an average pornography/masturbation session lasted between 5 and 30 minutes. For the men in this study, it is safe to say that masturbating to pornography would be considered normal.

Erectile Dysfunction

The study found that over 21% of the men who were sexually active experienced some degree of erectile dysfunction. There was a statistically significant relationship between erectile dysfunction and how high the person scored on the cyber pornography addiction test, meaning individuals who had higher CYPAT scores also had higher levels of ED.

From a clinical perspective, there were several interesting findings. First, 61% of individuals who were sexually active and had some ED issues reported that they never had ED issues when they were masturbating to pornography. Second, 58% of individuals who started to masturbate to pornography before they were 10 years old had more ED issues.

Summary of Results

How often someone viewed pornography did not have an impact on ED
How often someone masturbated did not affect ED
There was a significant relationship between ED and Pornography Addiction (as tested with the CYPAT)
Individuals who started to masturbate to pornography at a very young age, at or before 10 years old, had higher rates of ED.
Other factors related to ED are experiencing performance pressure, relationship issues and identified sexual orientation.

Struggling with excessive sexual thoughts, urges, or activities that are causing you distress? Take the free, online Sexual Symptom Assessment Scale (SSAS) and get a link to share with your therapist.

For me, there are two big takeaways from this study.

The first is that viewing and masturbating to pornography is a normal behavior for men in this age category.

The second is that starting to view and masturbate to pornography at a young age has more detrimental effects than doing so at an older age.

This study provides more support for the need to talk to children about pornography and limit their access to pornography until they are older, and it is more developmentally appropriate.

Since this post dealt more with validating the scientific concepts behind PIED I want to leave you with an informational resource if you’re struggling: Your Brain on Porn.

Reference: Jacobs T, Geysemans B, Van Hal G, Glazemakers I, Fog-Poulsen K, Vermandel A, De Wachter S, De Win G Associations Between Online Pornography Consumption and Sexual Dysfunction in Young Men: Multivariate Analysis Based on an International Web-Based Survey JMIR Public Health Surveillance Journal 2021;7(10):e32542 doi: 10.2196/32542

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

For an in-depth guide on talking to your adolescents about cybersex and pornography, check out Dr. Jen’s book. Amazon | BookBaby

The post Pornography Use and Erectile Dysfunction first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.