What is PornHelp All About?
PornHelp exists to provide you with accurate, up-to-date information about options for quitting porn, and to extend a helping, non-judgmental hand when you need one-on-one guidance in locating the support you need.
When we were struggling to quit porn, we couldn't find a comprehensive jumping-off point to help us understand all of our options, and we didn't know where to turn or whom to trust to point us in the right direction. So, after we got our feet under us, we built PornHelp to serve as the exact kind of resource we wished we'd had during those dark times.
PornHelp's sole aim is to give you the best information and guidance available to help you start down the path to quitting porn. It's our way of saying: "you are not alone, and we are here to help."
Knowledge is power when it comes to reducing the stigma of struggling with pornography use. By making accurate, current, and comprehensive information available to you, and by offering our guidance when you need it, we hope to contribute to breaking down the social and emotional barriers that keep people from finding help for a porn use problem.
How do I know if using porn has become a problem in my life?
In our opinion, a clear signal that your porn use has become a problem is if it has caused you negative life consequences, and you've repeatedly tried and failed to stop. Like, if your work or school performance suffers and you don't get any sleep because you binge on porn every night. Or you feel like you can't make human connections or stay in relationships because of your porn use. Or you feel like your brain is always in a fog, thinking about porn. Or you can't get or stay aroused without porn. Or if you have gone to great lengths to quit porn – like hiding your password or throwing away a device – only to relapse again and again. Basically, if it feels like porn is messing you up, then it is probably a problem worth addressing.
If you want to get more specific, this five-minute test, called the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, may help you assess whether your porn use is a problem.
Does PornHelp believe all porn is bad?
Here at PornHelp, we using online porn can become an unhealthy addictive/compulsive behavior for some people, no different from problem gambling or gaming, and similar even to abusing drugs and alcohol.
That said, we choose not to express an opinion about whether pornography is “good or bad” in a broader sense. We are focused on helping people, who want to stop using porn, find the resources and support they need to quit. By not labeling porn as either "good" or "bad," we aim to avoid making you, the person who wants to stop, feel judged for or ashamed by your porn use. What matters to us is that PornHelp feels like a safe, reliable, non-judgmental resource for you to find the help you need to quit.
Not that we lack opinions on the topic of porn, of course. We just choose not to make them part of our mission to find you the help you need. If you want to learn more about pornography and its social, scientific, public health, and mental health effects, our Education & Research page contains links to numerous informational resources where you can explore the subject in-depth.
Do I need to quit porn altogether?
What "quitting" means is entirely up to you. That having been said, in our experience, once pornography became a significant problem in our lives, we found it helpful to set a goal of stopping altogether.
Does quitting porn mean I need to quit masturbation, too?
No. Masturbation is a normal, healthy part of most people's sexualities. Some people may find it helpful to give themselves a break from masturbating as they try to cut porn out of their lives. But others may just as well discover that continuing to masturbate makes quitting porn more realistic. (In the latter case, we encourage people to be mindful about how they fantasize while masturbating. Do they close their eyes and picture porn scenes, for example, or something closer to real life?)
We are aware of arguments in favor of quitting masturbation altogether. By-and-large, our sense is that those viewpoints stem from considerations distinct from what motivates most people to quit porn. Ultimately, we do not judge anyone's personal choices in the masturbation department. We just want to help people find a path to quitting porn that works for them.
Is PornHelp affiliated with a religion?
No. We neither advocate nor oppose any religion or spiritual doctrine. People who need help quitting porn come from all walks of life, and we are here to help all of them, and we meet everyone on their terms.
Some pornography users find the help they need to quit through faith-based programs of treatment and recovery, and through spiritual reflection and development. Others find that non-faith-based support works best for them. To make sure everyone finds the right kind help, PornHelp collects and presents information about both faith-based and non-faith-based options for quitting, and offers guidance for finding either.
Is PornHelp political or on some culture-war mission?
No. We don’t take political positions or sides in cultural battles. In fact, we think politicizing a discussion of porn use works a disservice to people who need help. In our experience, problem porn use affects people from all walks of life; politics has nothing to do with it.
Bottom line: we are here for you, the person who has recognized pornography use as a problem (maybe even an addiction) in your life, wants to stop using, and doesn’t know how to start or feels overwhelmed by the process of sorting through search results to find a method that works.
Does PornHelp endorse a particular method of stopping a porn use problem?
Only this: we believe that connecting one-on-one with another human being who listens to, understands, and empathizes with your struggle with porn, and who can support you in finding a way forward, is an important part of quitting. Other than that, no, we don't endorse any particular method. We started PornHelp to make sure you know that you are not alone, and that there is a way to quit that will work for you.
Does PornHelp endorse specific pornography treatment providers?
No. We provide unbiased information to explain the range of options that may help a person stop using pornography. We use our experience to identify treatment providers who have a focus or specialty in addressing problem pornography use. But, we do not specifically endorse any of those providers and we cannot vouch for the quality or effectiveness of the treatment they provide.
Is PornHelp only helpful for pornography addicts?
No. This site is for anyone with an interest in how to stop using porn (or any other unwanted, screen-based behavior) and wants to understand the options for getting started. That includes porn users and loved ones of people who need help quitting porn. Whether it is accurate to characterize your pornography use as an addiction, a compulsion, a bad habit, or something else entirely, if you want to stop, you'll find information here to help get started.
I've heard pornography addiction isn't real. Is that true?
In our experience, the patterns and consequences of a pornography use problem look and feel identical to any other addiction. In 2018, the World Health Organization identified Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder as an "impulse control disorder" with symptoms many would recognize as akin to what's commonly referred to as "addiction." But, really, right now it doesn't matter whether it's scientifically or medically accurate to call problem porn use an "addiction." If you have decided you want to stop using porn - whether it's because it's hurting you, your life, your sense of self, your relationships, your spirituality, or something else entirely - that's all that matters. We're here to help you stop using porn, whatever your reasons, and whatever label someone else might put on it.
Why do so many of the resources found on PornHelp talk about "sex addiction" if my problem is porn, not sex?
"Sex addiction" is a broad (in our view, over-broad) term that covers lots of different compulsive or out-of-control sexual behaviors. Problem pornography use has, for now, been lumped into that broad category. Our advice: don't worry about whether you qualify as a "sex addict" or, for that matter, any other kind of "addict." What's important is that you want to stop using porn, and the resources offered on PornHelp that deal with "sex addiction" might be able to help with that.
Does PornHelp do mental health counseling?
No. We are not doctors, therapists, or mental health counselors. We do not and will not dispense medical or mental health advice or treatment. We limit ourselves to a single mission: to give you the information and personal guidance you need to take the first step on the path to quitting porn.
Take your first step here.
PornHelp exists to provide you with accurate, up-to-date information about options for quitting porn, and to extend a helping, non-judgmental hand when you need one-on-one guidance in locating the support you need.
When we were struggling to quit porn, we couldn't find a comprehensive jumping-off point to help us understand all of our options, and we didn't know where to turn or whom to trust to point us in the right direction. So, after we got our feet under us, we built PornHelp to serve as the exact kind of resource we wished we'd had during those dark times.
PornHelp's sole aim is to give you the best information and guidance available to help you start down the path to quitting porn. It's our way of saying: "you are not alone, and we are here to help."
Knowledge is power when it comes to reducing the stigma of struggling with pornography use. By making accurate, current, and comprehensive information available to you, and by offering our guidance when you need it, we hope to contribute to breaking down the social and emotional barriers that keep people from finding help for a porn use problem.
How do I know if using porn has become a problem in my life?
In our opinion, a clear signal that your porn use has become a problem is if it has caused you negative life consequences, and you've repeatedly tried and failed to stop. Like, if your work or school performance suffers and you don't get any sleep because you binge on porn every night. Or you feel like you can't make human connections or stay in relationships because of your porn use. Or you feel like your brain is always in a fog, thinking about porn. Or you can't get or stay aroused without porn. Or if you have gone to great lengths to quit porn – like hiding your password or throwing away a device – only to relapse again and again. Basically, if it feels like porn is messing you up, then it is probably a problem worth addressing.
If you want to get more specific, this five-minute test, called the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, may help you assess whether your porn use is a problem.
Does PornHelp believe all porn is bad?
Here at PornHelp, we using online porn can become an unhealthy addictive/compulsive behavior for some people, no different from problem gambling or gaming, and similar even to abusing drugs and alcohol.
That said, we choose not to express an opinion about whether pornography is “good or bad” in a broader sense. We are focused on helping people, who want to stop using porn, find the resources and support they need to quit. By not labeling porn as either "good" or "bad," we aim to avoid making you, the person who wants to stop, feel judged for or ashamed by your porn use. What matters to us is that PornHelp feels like a safe, reliable, non-judgmental resource for you to find the help you need to quit.
Not that we lack opinions on the topic of porn, of course. We just choose not to make them part of our mission to find you the help you need. If you want to learn more about pornography and its social, scientific, public health, and mental health effects, our Education & Research page contains links to numerous informational resources where you can explore the subject in-depth.
Do I need to quit porn altogether?
What "quitting" means is entirely up to you. That having been said, in our experience, once pornography became a significant problem in our lives, we found it helpful to set a goal of stopping altogether.
Does quitting porn mean I need to quit masturbation, too?
No. Masturbation is a normal, healthy part of most people's sexualities. Some people may find it helpful to give themselves a break from masturbating as they try to cut porn out of their lives. But others may just as well discover that continuing to masturbate makes quitting porn more realistic. (In the latter case, we encourage people to be mindful about how they fantasize while masturbating. Do they close their eyes and picture porn scenes, for example, or something closer to real life?)
We are aware of arguments in favor of quitting masturbation altogether. By-and-large, our sense is that those viewpoints stem from considerations distinct from what motivates most people to quit porn. Ultimately, we do not judge anyone's personal choices in the masturbation department. We just want to help people find a path to quitting porn that works for them.
Is PornHelp affiliated with a religion?
No. We neither advocate nor oppose any religion or spiritual doctrine. People who need help quitting porn come from all walks of life, and we are here to help all of them, and we meet everyone on their terms.
Some pornography users find the help they need to quit through faith-based programs of treatment and recovery, and through spiritual reflection and development. Others find that non-faith-based support works best for them. To make sure everyone finds the right kind help, PornHelp collects and presents information about both faith-based and non-faith-based options for quitting, and offers guidance for finding either.
Is PornHelp political or on some culture-war mission?
No. We don’t take political positions or sides in cultural battles. In fact, we think politicizing a discussion of porn use works a disservice to people who need help. In our experience, problem porn use affects people from all walks of life; politics has nothing to do with it.
Bottom line: we are here for you, the person who has recognized pornography use as a problem (maybe even an addiction) in your life, wants to stop using, and doesn’t know how to start or feels overwhelmed by the process of sorting through search results to find a method that works.
Does PornHelp endorse a particular method of stopping a porn use problem?
Only this: we believe that connecting one-on-one with another human being who listens to, understands, and empathizes with your struggle with porn, and who can support you in finding a way forward, is an important part of quitting. Other than that, no, we don't endorse any particular method. We started PornHelp to make sure you know that you are not alone, and that there is a way to quit that will work for you.
Does PornHelp endorse specific pornography treatment providers?
No. We provide unbiased information to explain the range of options that may help a person stop using pornography. We use our experience to identify treatment providers who have a focus or specialty in addressing problem pornography use. But, we do not specifically endorse any of those providers and we cannot vouch for the quality or effectiveness of the treatment they provide.
Is PornHelp only helpful for pornography addicts?
No. This site is for anyone with an interest in how to stop using porn (or any other unwanted, screen-based behavior) and wants to understand the options for getting started. That includes porn users and loved ones of people who need help quitting porn. Whether it is accurate to characterize your pornography use as an addiction, a compulsion, a bad habit, or something else entirely, if you want to stop, you'll find information here to help get started.
I've heard pornography addiction isn't real. Is that true?
In our experience, the patterns and consequences of a pornography use problem look and feel identical to any other addiction. In 2018, the World Health Organization identified Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder as an "impulse control disorder" with symptoms many would recognize as akin to what's commonly referred to as "addiction." But, really, right now it doesn't matter whether it's scientifically or medically accurate to call problem porn use an "addiction." If you have decided you want to stop using porn - whether it's because it's hurting you, your life, your sense of self, your relationships, your spirituality, or something else entirely - that's all that matters. We're here to help you stop using porn, whatever your reasons, and whatever label someone else might put on it.
Why do so many of the resources found on PornHelp talk about "sex addiction" if my problem is porn, not sex?
"Sex addiction" is a broad (in our view, over-broad) term that covers lots of different compulsive or out-of-control sexual behaviors. Problem pornography use has, for now, been lumped into that broad category. Our advice: don't worry about whether you qualify as a "sex addict" or, for that matter, any other kind of "addict." What's important is that you want to stop using porn, and the resources offered on PornHelp that deal with "sex addiction" might be able to help with that.
Does PornHelp do mental health counseling?
No. We are not doctors, therapists, or mental health counselors. We do not and will not dispense medical or mental health advice or treatment. We limit ourselves to a single mission: to give you the information and personal guidance you need to take the first step on the path to quitting porn.
Take your first step here.