Pornophobia

Pornophobia is the Fear of Pornography or frequently may be the fear of using too much pornography.

To some extent Pornophobia is the opposite of Porn Addiction in that it is an ‘over-exaggerated’ aversion to pornographic images or films.

In truth this reaction may have more to do with the guilt or fear that a person may harbour due to social pressures and moral points of view, for example if you had a particularly religious up-bringing in which sex was regarded as a ‘sin’ or such like.

The rise in the use of pornography has been exponential over the last 20 years given the freedom of access that the internet has provided and for some people it has become very problematic both in terms of personal usage as well in presenting problems within existing relationships.

All phobias, regardless of what the feared object or circumstances are, produce feelings of Anxiety and Stress for the sufferer, and Pornophobia is no different in this sense.

Whilst the feared object or situation may seem, to other people, to be ‘ridiculous’ or ‘silly’, the person who suffers from Pornophobia knows only too well that the Anxiety that they experience is real enough.

We completely understand this here at TranceForm Psychology and will treat you and your Pornophobia seriously.

For many years Psychologists have been aware that our minds are more than capable of producing a real biological reaction to any given situation and so as long as the Pornophobia sufferer “believes” that the object or situation they fear represents danger to them, then they will experience real fear.

The majority of people who do suffer with Pornophobia recognise that their fear is “irrational” but continue to experience it regardless of this knowledge.

Pornophobia Symptoms

The symptoms of Pornophobia are very similar to other specific phobias and will often include:

• Avoid using the Internet
• Worry about being accused of using porn
• Panic attacks
• Inability to Relax
• Problems Concentrating
• Being quick tempered
• Feelings of dizziness
• Palpitations
• Aches & Pains
• Fatigue

Pornophobia Symptoms are generally automatic and uncontrollable and can seem to take over a person’s thoughts which frequently leads to extreme measures being taken to avoid the feared object or situation, what are known as “Safety” or “Avoidance” behaviours.

Unfortunately, for the sufferer, these safety behaviours have a paradoxical effect and actually reinforce the phobia rather than solve it!

Pornophobia may be the result of negative emotional experiences that can be either directly or indirectly linked to the object or situational fear.

Over time, the symptoms often become “normalised” and “accepted” as limiting beliefs in that person’s life – “I’ve learnt to live with it.”

In just as many cases, Pornophobia may have become worse over time as more and more sophisticated safety behaviours and routines are developed.

The good news is that the vast majority of people who suffer from Pornophobia will find a course of Psychological Therapy helps enormously.

Psychological Therapy for Pornophobia

If you’re committed to overcoming your Pornophobia problems then we highly recommend following our Advanced Tranceformental CBT programme with Paul which is available as an Online Therapy as well as a self-directed programme.

The Tranceformental programme is a highly successful & pragmatic psychotherapy course, run over 10 sessions, that will teach you everything you need to know to understand your problem, identify how unhelpful thinking and limiting beliefs might be reinforcing the issue, and then show you how to make any changes to your unhelpful thinking styles or maladaptive safety behaviours that you may have developed as part of your coping strategies.

Our Tranceformental CBT programme is an evidence-based, research supported approach used by mental health practitioners around the World.

Teach Yourself CBT and Overcome Your Problems for only £149!

Our online CBT course has been designed to teach you the fundamental tools and techniques of clinically proven Cognitive Behavioural Therapy without having to see a therapist.

Structured over TEN, in-depth modules, this self-managed course will teach you everything you need to know to change the way you think about and experience your mental health problems without having to visit a therapist.

Click Self-Help CBT to find out more.

Alternative Therapy Options for Pornophobia

Although our preferred form of psychotherapy for Pornophobia is Tranceformental CBT we also offer alternative psychotherapies for those who might prefer a different approach.

These include:

• Psychodynamic therapy which focuses more on emotional problems and relies on the Therapeutic Relationship to bring about change. Available with Paul.
• General Counselling which is less structured but still provides a safe and non-judgmental environment to discuss issues which is therapeutic in its own right.
• Hypnotherapy is an alternative form of therapy that can be applied to a very wide range of problems and is available with Joan.

Free Initial Consultations for Pornophobia

We offer all prospective clients an initial consultation to discuss your Pornophobia prior to commencing any treatment plans.

The consultation is free and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available as part of our online therapy service.

At TranceForm Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapeutic relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so its important to be able to ‘meet’ to discuss our change programmes BEFORE proceeding.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.