Porn addiction statistics - who benefits?

I'm always on the lookout for new statistics on porn addiction. Quality research is hard to find.

From my own experience of working as an addiction therapist, I'm sure that porn addiction is increasingly recognised as a widespread issue. The growing traffic and enquiries I receive through this website are also evidence of the trend.

Having said that, I'm also convinced that of the many millions of people who regularly access pornography, the vast majority don't have a troubled or compulsive relationship with it. However, news stories and recovery websites frequently quote statistics suggesting that the problem is a full-on epidemic. As with any survey findings and stats, it pays to examine the purpose of the research, and the sponsor behind it.

Firstly, we have the problem of definition, specifically with the term 'addiction'. Any survey that bandies the word around is going to get some skewed results, for the reasons I've written about previously.

Next, there's the obvious embarrassment that surrounds this delicate aspect of our private lives. Many of the stats are based on surveys of people already attending recovery groups or some form of therapy. We have little insight into the proportion of addicts who have yet to come to terms with their habit, and I suspect this proportion is a large one. A BBC survey at the beginning of this year produced some fascinating results, but still within this constraint.

Let's not forget the motive behind much of the research too. I've read reports churned out by tabloid newspapers, far-right groups, freedom-of-speech groups, religious groups, sellers of therapy materials and parties with some other vested interest in the results. A healthy dose of cynicism should always be applied.

For example, here's a recent news feature about the consequences of porn addiction. I'm not criticising the article - it's an insightful piece and features some interesting case studies and comments. Let's pick out some of the quoted stats:

Forty percent of porn addicts lose their spouses, 58 percent suffer severe financial losses, and as many as 40 percent will lose their jobs.

Some pretty hairy figures. This was part of Mary Anne Layden's testimony to the U.S. Senate during hearings on "The Science Behind Pornography Addiction," in November 2004. Layden is a psychotherapist and director of education at the Center for Cognitive Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. We're not told in the article where these stats originate from, but the context of their deployment is interesting.

For the 10 percent of adults admitting to sexual addiction, ...

That's some percentage, but we're not informed where the figure comes from.

Paying subscribers to adult Web sites: 10 million
Individuals viewing at least one adult Web site per week globally: 70 million
One viewing session typically involves: 75 to 100 pages

These stats don't specifically target addiction, but the sensational message is clear. The article does mention that these figures are provided by TopTen Reviews Inc. They sell internet software and their research carries the caveat: "... In reality, statistics are hard to ascertain and may be estimated by local and regional worldwide sources." My point exactly.

So where am I going with this, and what's my vested interest in the subject? Perhaps I'm talking down the size of a problem that my own website is designed to help address. Alternatively, I could be underestimating the sheer scale of the issue. With stats like these, we really can't say.

I have a feeling that porn addiction statistics may always suffer from the constraints mentioned above, but this isn't a call for researchers to give up on the subject. I'd really like to get a clearer picture of the extent of the problem, and hope that some new survey will deliver it one of these days. Until then, we should be clear that the stats are vague conjecture, and are too easily worked to underline any argument about pornography (both for and against) and any debate about the reality of porn addiction.

We just don't know how big the problem is.  If you're troubled by your porn habit, it's possible to deduce from the shock-horror stats that you are one of the lost millions on a hopeless voyage to despair. Other stats might convey that everyone else is doing it so why worry? These are disorientating messages at a time when you need a handle on your own predicament.

Let's simply conclude with what we do know. You aren't alone. If you are worried about your habit, it doesn't matter how you compare with the masses - you are entitled to help and support in making some positive changes.