Compulsive Use of pornography with or without masturbation often leads to pushing boundaries and morality violations including sexting, misuse of social networks and improper on-line conduct.
In young adulthood the continued use of compulsive pornography can eventually lead to anonymous sex (met online, in sex clubs etc.), frequenting adult bookstores and strip clubs, prostitutes and massage parlors, multiple affairs, GPS smartphone hook-ups and a multitude of other dangerous sexual behaviors.
For those struggling with pornography addiction, the concept of the “slippery slope” is a familiar one. Some refer to it as “the bubble” or “the trance”. These terms refer to the mindset and physical symptoms that accompany the fixation and drive for a sexual experience. In this trance like state fixated on sexual arousal, the physical symptoms include Increased heart rate, dilated pupils, shallow breathing, sweating, a “rush” or “euphoric” feeling and the most destructive a Reduced Capacity for Intellectual Functioning.
Once a young person finds themselves in this condition it becomes very difficult to not act out sexually in one form or another. Teens and young adults involved in treatment for pornography addiction learn to recognize when they are entering the “slippery slope” or “the bubble”. As part of their recovery plan, they formulate a strategy for avoiding this state by reaching out to others. Often, those they connect with are members of their treatment groups who are at a more advanced stage of recovery from pornography addiction.
When a young person recognizes the signs of the “slippery slope” they train themselves to immediately text or call a support person. This act of reaching out to others disrupts the pattern and allows the young person to share thoughts and feelings with another person rather than remaining on the slippery slope and dealing with emotional discomfort through acting out sexually.
Group therapy for teens and young adults is an important part of the treatment process because it creates a support system. It allows young people to support and strengthen one another in their efforts to overcome the addiction.