Adult content addiction ‘has trebled in UK since Covid pandemic’, report says
The number of people seeking help for porn addiction has trebled since the pandemic, according to shocking new figures.
More than 36,000 people across the country turned to UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT) – Britain's biggest private rehab provider – for support with a porn addiction in 2021.
This signifies a whopping rise of nearly 250%, up from around 10,5000 people in 2020.
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Major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds had the highest porn addiction figures in the country.
But nearly all areas covered in the UKAT data saw their numbers at least double.
The proportion of women seeking help also rose from 25% to 38% during the period.
The rehab provider has said that the massive rises have meant they can no longer meet demand.
One patient, Tom, said he's splashed out over £100,000 on a cocaine and pornography addiction, which saw him watching sex videos for up to 15 hours a day.
"Once I got cocaine I just had to watch porn for that rush," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.
The 38-year-old said the addiction left him 'absolutely broken', adding: "It really affects your libido in real life, sometimes nothing happens because you're so anxious.
"It affected me being with women, because I was so used to watching porn. Addiction is a disease, it's an illness. I was just a mess, just absolutely broken.
"One night I spent £2,000 in lockdown on escorts and cocaine – that was my worst night but over the years it's well over £100,000 on the drugs and porn."
The figures released in the report relate to the number of people visiting support pages for porn addiction on UKAT's website during 2020 and 2021.
According to UKAT, pornography is now the second most common addiction men seek help for behind alcohol.
Director Simon Stephens said: "The first thing I say to clients is that this is not always about sex, this is about learning how to deal with emotions in a way that is less destructive.
"Availability of this material that allows people to create a stimulus that creates dopamine in the brain, one of the effects of that is to suppress feelings.
"We can offer a small amount of help but in no way can we meet demand."
UKAT, which treats over 3,000 people at its clinics every year for a variety of addictions, says the pandemic fuelled online addictions, including pornography.
Nuno Albuquerque, a treatment consultant from UKAT, said: "Self-isolation and restrictions had a big impact on people, on their well-being and mental health and we can't lose sight of that,
"Living in fear and uncertainty sees addictions grow – and porn for some was a coping mechanisms, especially as couples in some cases, could not be together with space for intimacy."
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