After years in this field, those of us who treat problematic or compulsive sexual behavior still hear from colleagues that they do not believe that sex addiction is real. 

Worse yet, those of us who treat it have been accused of simply being in it for the money. I have a good laugh at that one. 

However, one of the arguments that some opposed to the concept of sexual addiction make is that a loose diagnosis of the problem can be confounded by religious or personal beliefs. 

Moral Incongruence

This has spurred some great research by Perry, Grubbs and others about moral incongruence, whose basic premise is that some people’s distress over their sexual behavior, which they often label pornography addiction, is caused by them sexually acting in a manner that is against either their religious or personal values. Many of these individuals seek treatment for their self-diagnosed addiction. 

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!

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.

Enter, the World Health Organization

Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is not a name or diagnosis that has made its way into the internet lexicon like sex addiction or pornography addiction. It is, however, the World Health Organization’s recently (2019) approved diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11) relating to what is commonly referred to as sexual addiction. Reporting on the new system went into effect January 1 of this year. 

As a side note, the DSM-V does not recognize sexual addiction or pornography addiction as a valid mental health disorder. 

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?

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

Removing Ambiguity about Compulsive Sexual Behavior

One of the most exciting things about the diagnostic criteria for CSBD is that it removes the confound of moral incongruence from the diagnostic picture. The diagnostic criteria specifically states that any distress that is: “entirely related to moral judgments and disapproval about sexual impulses, urges, or behaviors is not sufficient to meet the requirement of marked distress. If one looks closely, the diagnostic criteria are strictly behavioral, removing the feelings of the actor or any family member of the actor from the picture.”

Why does this make a difference? 

Well, for several reasons:

1. This is global recognition that CSBD is a real and valid issue that many people struggle with.
2. It allows for a more nuanced diagnosis that can help clinicians provide treatment best suited for their clients.

The treatment paradigm for someone dealing with sexual behavior with moral incongruence is not necessarily the same treatment plan for someone with CSBD.  

Concerned that you may be dealing with CSBD? The CSBD-19 is a validated self-report assessment you can take to help you understand your behavior. 

Want to take the CSBD-19 right here in your browser with results you can share with your therapist? We’ve made that available for you for free!

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.

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

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

The post What is Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Does Pornography Influence Divorce?

As someone who works with individuals who struggle with problematic pornography use, I see firsthand how this can cause disruption in relationships. Therapists have much anecdotal evidence but does pornography influence divorce? There is not a lot of scientific research that backs up the exact influence of use of pornography use on relationships. 

The Study

There are some studies, mostly looking at marital satisfaction, associated with pornography use or religiosity and pornography use. This study, published by Perry and Schleifer in 2017 specifically looked at the relationship between pornography use and divorce. Their data comes from a national survey called the General Social Survey (GSS) that is a face-to-face survey of English and Spanish speaking American adults that follows people through “waves” every two years from 2006 to 2014. The survey collects data related to, among other things, marital status, marital happiness, pornography use, and religiosity. Since the survey asks the same people over time, the authors can see both changes in marital status and whether the participant has started or stopped viewing pornography. 

Based on previous research, the authors hypothesized that starting to look at pornography would be associated with an increase in the probability of divorce. They thought this association would be more prevalent for men than for women. They also thought that it would be more prevalent for younger people than for older Americans. The final hypothesis was that the association between pornography use, and divorce would be stronger for religious people than for those who do not actively practice a religion. 

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 Results

The survey results indicated that if a person started to watch pornography between survey waves, they were nearly twice as likely to be divorced by the next wave of the survey. This increase in likelihood of divorce was not different for men versus women. 

As for age, the association with pornography use and divorce decreases with increases in age, with younger people being more likely to divorce than older individuals. Contrary to the prediction, being more religious did not increase the probability of divorce and the positive association between divorce and pornography use was only for those individuals who did not attend weekly church services. 

Ultimately, it was found that the strongest positive association between starting pornography use, and divorce was in younger Americans who were initially very happy in their marriages and who were not very religious.

The Realities of Pornography’s Influence on Divorce

While this study does show that there is an association between pornography use, divorce and these factors, it should be noted that this data is looking at associations. It is not causal. There is no way to actually know if the pornography use was instrumental in the decision of the couple to get a divorce. It is also possible that starting to look at pornography was influenced by unhappiness in the marriage.

Reference:  Perry, S.L. & Schleifer, C. (2017).  Til Porn Do Us Part?  A longitudinal examination of pornography use and divorce.  The Journal of Sex Research, doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1317709

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? 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 Til Porn Do Us Part – Does Pornography Influence Divorce? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Researchers from the Franciscan University of Steubenville published the results of their study on pornography use and mental health in college students. Their aim was to explore connections between pornography use and mental health concerns. Specifically, loneliness, depression, and stress in students.

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

The Results

Update: To learn more about ways to restrict access to pornography, see the series on Blocking Porn.

The study found that 56.6% of the students (male and female) had viewed pornography at some point. Male respondents reported significantly more use than female respondents. The study also found the emotional state of loneliness predicted depression, anxiety and stress. 

While not the main focus of the study, what I found most interesting were the data about the age of first exposure to pornography and how that occurred. The age of first exposure to pornography is often younger than most people imagine. This is especially the case for parents who often do not even talk to their children about sex and/or pornography until after the average age of first exposure.

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.

This study found that the majority of males (63.7%) were exposed to pornography between the ages of 9 and 13 years old.  Thirty nine percent of female respondents reported exposure in the same age category. For males, the primary method of first exposure was personal curiosity, meaning that the boys were curious about sex and pornography and looked it up themselves. For females, they were most often exposed to pornography through unintentional exposure. 

A Clinician’s Perspective on Pornography Use and Mental Health

The take aways from this study, for me, in clinical work and in talking to parents about sex and pornography, is that we really, really have to find a way to talk about these subjects when children are young.  If almost 64% of boys and 39% of girls are exposed to pornography between the ages of 9 to 13, discussions on the topic that happen after this age range will come as too little too late.

When Should Parents Talk to Their Children about Sex and Pornography?

Parents have to find the courage and resources to talk to their children about sex, sexuality and pornography in age appropriate ways from the time they are young. I know this makes most parents very uncomfortable. However, children who have some knowledge about sexuality and no shame are more likely to not turn to the internet to answer sexual questions or to come to a care giver when they have an unintentional exposure to the material.

I have written about it before, but the Educateempowerkids.org programs are amazing. They now offer books, webinars and a podcast to help you talk to your children about anything, including sex.

Reference: Camilleri, C., Perry, J.T. & Sammut, S (2021).  Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health:  A cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1-24

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.

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

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 Pornography Use and Mental Health in US College Students first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.