Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder
Compulsive Sexual Behaviour and Problematic Porn Use
Sexual behaviour can sometimes become difficult to control and begin to have a negative impact on your relationships, emotional wellbeing, work, or everyday life.
Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder (CSBD) is the clinical term used to describe a persistent pattern of difficulty controlling intense, repetitive sexual impulses or behaviours. Someone experiencing CSBD may repeatedly engage in sexual behaviours despite wanting to reduce or stop, and despite experiencing negative consequences.
You may have come across terms such as “sex addiction” or “porn addiction.” These are widely used by the public and in everyday conversation, although they are not the formal diagnostic terms used for CSBD. Problematic or compulsive pornography use can be one way that compulsive sexual behaviour presents, but CSBD can involve a range of behaviours and does not necessarily involve pornography.
People experiencing these difficulties may find themselves:
- Spending more time than intended viewing pornography or engaging in sexual behaviours
- Repeatedly trying to reduce or stop a behaviour but finding it difficult to do so
- Using pornography or sexual behaviour as a way of coping with difficult emotions such as stress, loneliness, anxiety or low mood
- Continuing behaviours despite them causing problems in relationships, work, finances or other areas of life
- Experiencing shame, guilt or distress about their sexual behaviour
- Finding that sexual behaviour has become increasingly repetitive, preoccupying or difficult to control
- Feeling caught in a cycle of urges, behaviour, temporary relief and subsequent distress
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy can provide a confidential, non-judgemental space to explore what is happening and understand the patterns underlying your sexual behaviour.
Our work may explore triggers, emotional regulation, thoughts and beliefs, relationships, intimacy, sexual needs, coping strategies and the function that sexual behaviour or pornography may be serving. The aim is not to shame or judge your sexuality, but to help you develop greater choice and control over behaviours that are causing difficulty.
If pornography or sexual behaviour is affecting your relationship, therapy can also explore the impact on both partners, including trust, communication, intimacy and rebuilding connection.
You do not need to wait until things have reached a crisis point before seeking support. If you are concerned about your sexual behaviour or pornography use and feel that it is becoming difficult to manage, therapy can be a place to begin exploring what is happening.