My psychiatrist doesn't understand porn addiction.

I told my therapist that I had quit porn and masturbation and she thought it was radical, and that stimulation is healthy and porn is okay as long as it's voluntary. But I said that I get addicted and isolates me from social interactions even more, and then she could understand my decision.

We need to create awareness of porn addiction, most people don't know all the negative effects it creates.


Kattskägg

 

Educate them witn concrete evidance that P & M is an addication...

 

It seems that they need to consult other psyc for their treatment...

 

I personally would find another therapist. Don't pay for someone who has no idea what you're struggling with. There will be therapists out there that do know about porn addiction but unfortunalty because it's kind of a "new" thing not that many people know about it and a lot of them don't believe that you can be addicted to porn when the reality is all of us here know you can be.

 

If you read around on here you will see this problem is common. That may not make you feel much better but know you are not alone and that the mental health community is slow to accept this as a problem. The best thing I can suggest is doing your own research to find someone who has experience with dealing with pmo addiction. Ask them before you even begin counseling. I'm a SO and in my case my partner and I went though four counselors and his primary care doctor all who refused to see this as an issue. He has PIDE . He was told numerous times that he could not be an addict because he did not use for hours a day that he could stop. We were instructed to vary sex positions. He was told it was fine to continue pmo but change up his schedule so he could also please me. I was told to allow him to watch porn in bed so he could be more comfortable. I was called needy and demanding for wanting Intercourse. I was told to dress up more to go to the gym to buy sexy lingerie. He was told it was anxiety related. We tried all these and guess what none of them worked! What did was stopping pmo. This type of behavior on the part of a therapist can be very damaging to partner and addict. It validates the addicts actions and refusal to stop. Well a doctor says it's okay so why should I stop?

 

@GG2002, I am stunned at the sheer amount of ignorance coming from the doctors and counselors you saw with regards to this issue. I am grateful that you and your husband were able to identify the actual problem and didn't allow the horrible advice you were receiving to further damage your partner and the relationship you share with him. I'm glad to see that you came to the realization that you aren't responsible for your partner's addiction, and therefore no amount of alternate sex positions or sexy lingerie could ever resolve the problem, so kudos.

@Anonymous86, it sounds to me as if you've been given the appropriate advice in that you need to find an alternate therapist. I've recently started therapy myself in the last few months, and it has produced mixed results for me, but the one thing I want to stress to you is if you feel medication isn't the solution or hasn't been effective in treating the underlying issues that cause addiction, then perhaps psychiatry is the wrong field and psychology should be where you focus your efforts. Please note I'm generalizing here, but psychiatrists, as medical doctors, or more focused on treating psychological issues with medication in the same way a doctor would treat a physical disease. Psychologists are more interested in therapy and use alternate techniques for resolving issues such as addiction. Although there are psychiatrists that also provide therapy, it seems by what you write that yours is more interested in adjusting medication rather that listening to what you have to say and also offering techniques you can try to help you. I recommend going to psychologytoday.com, (assuming you're in the states), as that's a great resource for finding local therapists, and it also lists the types of issues they treat or specialize in. If you do still feel as if you need psychopharmacology, then I would still recommend you find another Dr. that is willing to listen to you and not write you off as a fool. I wish you well in your recovery.

 

Okay, but I think you as well as anyone needs a dr. that is willing to listen and understand, and it appears as if yours isn't. I know changing drs. can be grueling and even stressful, so it isn't something to be taken likely, but I hope you can find a solution that works well for you and your particular situation. It just burns me when "medical professionals" can sometimes work against us rather than with us.

 

Understood but sometimes the meds need tweaked and I should mention that most of those meds cause issues in the bedroom with the exception of Wellbutrin. Most psychiatrists also have psychologists that they refer patients to or are in their office. I think as suggested you need to see a psychologist who specializes in sexual addiction for talk and cognitive therapy. They can help with the bipolar too. They are not MDs like psychiatrists so they can't prescribe meds but they will affiliate with a doctor that will.

 

If your psychiatrist prescribes medication you do not want (Zoloft), do not take it. He can give offer the option of that drug, but that's all. You are not obliged to accept that treatment. Meanwhile follow the advice above in post #13. Good luck man.

 

I think you need to find another psychotherapist, one who shows compassion and is at least willing to listen. I believe a lot of the reason why many psychotherapists don't believe PMO is real is due to their lack of education on the way the brain works when it is using a highly arousing visual stimulus. Addiction in itself has only recently been used to describe behavioural compulsions, such as PMO, as not that long ago it was believed that addiction can only be formed once an individual has put something in their body, like a substance. Now there are people in the psychotherapy community who separate 'behavioural compulsions/addictions' from 'Substance addiction' but this research isn't really filtered down completely to some of the old school therapists who think possibly that using porn is healthy and natural, yet they are probably thinking about things like Playboy magazine where the content is tame in comparrision to the stuff we all know is out there and mainstream today. Essentially it doesn't matter what the psychotherapists personal views are on porn or compulsion/ addiction, the thing they should be concerned with is the fact their patient has come to them in a crisis and that patient feels deep negative emotions and problems related to their behaviour. If you were say, an alcoholic and showed clear symptoms of alcoholism i'm sure the therapist would be quick to recognise you needed treatment, yet in the same vain they themselves may go out and drink sociably and it wont be an issue for them and they recognise many people can drink to some degree of healthy living and yet others suffer tremendously. It's no different to consuming pornography, some can take it or leave it, and others like us simply couldn't leave it alone.

 

This dude ain't worth your time buddy. The best help is right here on the nofap forums. Speak to friends if you are lucky enough to have open like minded friends.

 

I am confused. I thought that therapists were trained not to tell people what they should or should not do. If you say that porn use makes you uncomfortable, they should give you the tools to stay away from it, not tell you what should or should not make you comfortable. make sense?

 

Fire him and find your nearest CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist). Trust me, those people understand the hell out of this addiction. Some of them are former addicts themselves.