Where the Mind Cannot Dare: A Case of Addictive Use of Online Pornography and Its Relationship With Childhood Trauma

Abstract

Dysfunctional use of cybersex has often been conceptualized as a “behavioral addiction” sharing common traits with substance addiction. We describe the case of a treatment-seeking man, who displayed addictive use of pornography. The case is presented from two perspectives: (1) a symptom-based approach inspired by the addiction model of excessive sexual behaviors and (2) a process-based approach aimed to identify the psychological processes and risk factors that may foster the development of addiction-like symptoms. This article shows how case conceptualization according to a process-based approach is likely to result in psychological intervention that targets the specific processes and risk factors involved in addictive cybersex use.