The Problem of Porn Addiction

To take the test, simply answer yes or no to each of the following questions.

Do you ever feel overly distracted by, preoccupied with, or obsessed with pornography?
When you start to use pornography, do you sometimes have trouble stopping, consistently looking at it for longer periods than intended?
Do you ever use porn as a way to avoid stress, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, or other forms of emotional discomfort?
After you use porn, do you sometimes regret it or feel depressed?
Have you ever promised yourself or another person that you would stop using porn, only to break that promise later?
Do you ever look forward to events with family/friends ending so you can look at porn?
Have you ever kept secrets about or lied about your porn use?
Have you ever experienced negative consequences related to your porn use, such as relationship trouble, social/emotional isolation, issues at work/school, etc.?
Does your porn use potentially offend others, violate community standards, or place you in danger of arrest?
Do you feel restless, irritable, or discontent when you are unable to use porn?

A ‘yes’ response to three or more of the ten questions listed above indicates that porn addiction may be an issue.

For a long time people with porn-related issues were thought to have a history of early-life trauma. Recently, however there is a new and rapidly growing subcategory of people struggling with pornography. These individuals meet the basic criteria used to identify addiction but lack the underlying early-life trauma that typically drives addictive behavior. Rather than qualifying as traditional trauma-driven porn addicts, it appears these non-trauma-driven individuals have developed a “conditioned” addiction to pornography.

Typically, conditioned porn addicts start viewing porn at a young age, often before puberty hits. And then they fail to move beyond this easily accessed sexual outlet. For these individuals, porn serves as both sex education and sexual fulfillment. The unfortunate result of this is that the user’s emotional and psychological development in terms of sexuality and relationships can be stunted – beginning and ending with what they learn from porn. As such, their ability to form and maintain meaningful real-world romantic and sexual attachments may not develop or may not fully develop in the usual ways.

Initial treatment for conditioned porn addicts mirrors treatment for traditional addicts. In other words, early work is focused on stopping addictive behavior, breaking through denial, managing the crisis or crises that precipitated treatment, and developing tactics to combat triggers and relapse. At that point, because conditioned porn addiction is not driven by trauma, the treatment approach diverges. Rather than working to resolve early-life trauma, treatment transitions toward social development – learning how to develop and maintain real-world romantic and sexual connections. Admittedly, not all conditioned porn addicts are entirely bereft when it comes to real-world relationships. In fact, some are quite adept socially. But the majority need to be walked through the adolescent and early adult stages of social development to some degree, and that, rather than trauma resolution, is the second-level treatment focus for this population.

In SCA we not only learn how to stop the addictive behaviors but also how to grow spiritually to live a more fulfilling life.

“Porn-I can stop whenever I want”

Did your use of porn start with the belief: “It’s no big deal, everyone does it. I can stop whenever I want.” But over time you noticed the patterns deepening and attempts to reduce usage fall by the wayside. Guilt and shame may prevent you from even addressing the issue.

Porn usage is usually done in private and is available around the clock. You my start to find yourself planning your day around it. Staying up later than you want to. Having one slip after another. None of this means you are weak. It means you are trying to manage this burden on your own. At SCA you can find that you are not alone and it’s about not having to navigate everything by yourself. It’s a place where you can take your time and understand what is driving the behavior, but more important it’s a place where you can start building healthier patterns.

ISO’s 2025 Annual Conference in St. Louis

Update from Sharon S., ISO Chair:

In April we convened ISO’s Annual Conference in St. Louis — in person for the first time since 2019! We also welcomed folks from around the world via Zoom. A huge thanks to the planning committee for hosting a great meeting!

ISO’s Annual Conference is our fellowship’s business meeting, where we share how and what SCA meetings and intergroups are doing across the world. We talk about how best to reach newcomers and support members. We note our progress and challenge ourselves to do more.

It was fantastic to be together in person this year! I’ve been on many of Zoom calls with SCA Executive Committee members and fellows I feel quite connected to that I have never actually been in the same room with. Meeting in person strengthened our relationships and deepened trust.

Here are some meeting highlights from our three-day conference:

New Characteristic about sexual anorexia

One of the most significant decisions made at this year’s ISO was to add a new Characteristic about sexual anorexia/avoidance to The Characteristics Most of Us Seem to Have in Common. You can read the history of this decision in the minutes. Here is the new characteristic:

We were sexually anorexic: in despair about our lack of physical and emotional intimacy with ourselves and others, yet unaware of how much we feared and avoided it.

SCA has a YouTube Channel

Gary S. and his Outreach team built a SCA YouTube Channel in 2024! Check it out to see the great content they’re creating and be sure to subscribe! (https://www.youtube.com/@SCA-Recovery)

Audio Recovery Book in development

Gordon B., our Fiduciary Chair, is working to create an audio version of SCA’s Recovery Book that will be available for purchase on Amazon. We’ll keep you posted.

Executive Board Elections

Gary S. was reelected for a two-year term as Outreach Chair

Randy S. was elected as Director at Large, stepping in for Charles D. who resigned the position earlier this year. Thank you, Charles, for your service!

Tami V. was reelected for another one-year term as Outside Director

I was elected for a two-year term as ISO Chair

Emphasis on our 7th Tradition

We budgeted $4,000 for the 2025 ISO Annual Conference, and I’m happy to report that we came in under budget at $3,053!

ISO’s modest budget supports meetings, our website, literature creation and translation, and outreach to newcomers. As we built our 2026 budget, we reflected on the importance of our 7th tradition — that SCA is self-supporting through the contributions of its members. Your gifts help meetings buy literature, rent meeting space, and sponsor workshops. ISO receives a portion of the contributions you make to your meetings and intergroups. Please consider chipping in when you attend a meeting — your donations are vital in helping us reach the still-suffering addict.

If you’d like to read the Minutes from the Conference, contact the SCAnner editor. A Special thanks to Recording Secretary Maranda T. for her efforts!

Officially approved a new characteristic on Sexual Anorexia/Avoidance

Last week a new characteristic was approved at the 2025 International Service Organization (ISO) conference. Here is the language of the newly approved characteristic:

We were sexually anorexic: in despair about our lack of physical and emotional intimacy with ourselves and others, yet unaware of how much we feared and avoided it.

The ISO of SCA also unanimously approved a motion to list this new characteristic as #11 in our list of The Characteristics Most of Us Seem to Have in Common. This new characteristic #11 is now incorporated into all the www.sca-recovery.org characteristic readings, including “Newcomers,” “Program and Tools,” and the SCA Literature store, where individual copies of the Four-Fold and For the Newcomer can be downloaded and printed for free. These include the revised Characteristics. As of this morning, both the SCA NY and the SCA LA websites have also included the revised Characteristics.

Saturday Workshops on the 14 Characteristics

The ISO Recovery Book sub-committee wants your input!

SCA’s International Service Organization (ISO) will hold a series of Saturday afternoon workshops to read and discuss the recently submitted draft commentaries on The 14 Characteristics Most of Us Seem to have in Common.

These drafts have not yet been considered by ISO to become Conference-approved SCA literature. All members of the fellowship are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions. These workshops will be held every Saturday from October 31st through December 12^th. The intent is to read the commentaries on two (2) characteristics at each session, followed by open sharing and a short, simple survey to obtain feedback. Each session will also include a reading of the Prologue and Epilogue, the chapters that introduce and summarize the commentaries.

These workshops will take place on Saturday afternoons, beginning October 31st at 3:00 pm USA Eastern Time in ISO Zoom room #2. Contact Gary S. at sca.iso.inreach@gmail.com for the Zoom room number and password, then use the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7877162543?pwd=bXo3WE1tUVFaSmhPTTJPZWJHUDVMUT09

We look forward to your participation and hearing your comments on the proposed literature.