A major new survey of mental health professionals has revealed a significant increase in the number of people across the UK seeking help for compulsive and out-of-control pornography use.
Therapists Witness a Growing Crisis
According to exclusive data from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), more than half (53%) of therapists who work with addiction have reported a noticeable rise in problematic porn use over the past year. The survey gathered responses from nearly 3,000 accredited therapists and counsellors.
The findings indicate a growing number of individuals who describe themselves as addicted to pornographic content. Many report that their behaviour is causing serious harm, including neglecting work or studies, damaging intimate relationships, and feeling compelled to seek increasingly extreme material.
Dr Paula Hall, a leading expert in sex and porn addiction, stated that the issue affects "significant numbers" of people across all ages and genders. She is urgently calling for the government to develop a coherent national strategy to address the societal impact.
The Hidden Toll of Shame and Escalation
Dr Hall highlighted that one of the biggest barriers to recovery is the intense shame and stigma associated with porn use, which creates isolation and prevents people from speaking out. To combat this, she founded the not-for-profit online service Pivotal Recovery, a self-help resource for those beginning to address their usage.
Andrew Harvey, a BACP-accredited therapist in Nottingham, explained how the issue often manifests. "They're neglecting maybe their studies, work, or often the intimacy with their partner is suffering," he said. He described a cycle where the novelty of online porn can become more stimulating than a real partner, leading to an escalation where porn "becomes their only intimacy."
Many clients also express anxiety about seeking more extreme content over time to satisfy their compulsion, sometimes finding that this material conflicts with their actual sexual preferences.
Calls for Understanding and Early Intervention
Dr Hall emphasised that the call is not for an "anti-porn crusade," but for a proper understanding that, for a significant minority, porn leads to genuine harm. She wants to challenge the stigma around seeking help and promote early intervention before compulsive use becomes a primary coping mechanism.
"The average person struggling with their usage, this being a problem, is a narrative that's not really come out much to date," Hall said. "And the more we talk about that, I think the more people are going to start coming forward for help."
While there is clinical debate about classifying pornography as an addiction in the traditional sense, many sufferers experience it as such, with usage encroaching on daily life for hours and preventing normal functioning. Harvey noted that anecdotally, for therapists, it "certainly looks and feels a lot like addiction."
Treatment focuses not on banning sexuality but on helping individuals regain control. "I hope the outcome is that people find joy within their sexual being rather than something that feels out of control and is hurting them," Harvey concluded.
