Worried About Your Porn Use?

Signs, patterns and what to do next

If you’ve found your way to this page, you may be questioning your relationship with pornography.

You might be wondering:

• Am I addicted?
• Why can’t I stop?
• Is this affecting my relationship or mental health?

Many people arrive feeling unsure. Some feel stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand, while others have tried to stop and found it harder than expected.

You don’t need to have a clear answer before seeking support.

What is porn addiction?

Porn addiction (sometimes referred to as compulsive or problematic pornography use) describes a pattern where someone feels unable to control their use, despite the impact it may be having.

This can include:

• spending more time than intended viewing porn
• difficulty reducing or stopping
• escalation in content over time
• impact on relationships, work, or wellbeing

For some, it follows a cycle of:
urge → use → temporary relief → guilt or frustration → repeat

While pornography itself is not inherently addictive, some people develop patterns that feel difficult to manage or change.

Signs your porn use may be becoming a problem

You might recognise:

• thinking about porn frequently or feeling preoccupied
• repeated attempts to stop or cut down without success
• using porn to cope with stress, loneliness, or difficult emotions
• hiding or keeping your behaviour secret
• noticing an impact on intimacy or relationships
• needing more or different content to achieve the same effect

You don’t need to identify with all of these for support to be helpful.

Am I addicted to porn?

It’s a very common question, and not always a helpful one to answer too quickly.

What matters more is whether your behaviour feels:

• out of control
• distressing
• or at odds with how you want to live

If something doesn’t feel right, that’s enough reason to explore it.

Why can it feel so hard to stop watching pornography?

There are often underlying factors such as:

• stress or overwhelm
• loneliness or disconnection
• habit and routine
• using porn as a way to cope with difficult emotions

Over time, these patterns can become ingrained, making change feel difficult, even when you genuinely want to stop.

What can help?

Support doesn’t need to start with a label or a big decision.

For many people, it begins with:

• understanding what’s driving the behaviour
• reducing shame and self-criticism
• finding alternative ways to cope
• building small, consistent changes

If you’re looking for more structured support, you may find our Sex and Porn Addiction Counselling page helpful, where we outline how therapy works and what to expect.

What support is available?

At Cherry Tree Therapy Centre, we offer a range of support depending on what feels right for you:

• Individual counselling
• Coaching (practical, structured support)
• Men’s recovery group
• Support for partners

You don’t need to decide this on your own. We can help guide you.