Here is a list of books (and our summaries) about pornography addiction, sex addiction, or compulsive sexual behavior — and how to heal.
- The Embodied Path: Why Focusing on the Body is Essential for Healing Sex Addiction and Reclaiming Pleasure by Alexandra Katehakis (February 2024)
Alexandra Katehakis presents a therapeutic approach emphasizing the crucial role of body awareness in recovering from sex addiction and rediscovering healthy pleasure. Moving beyond purely cognitive strategies, this book likely explores somatic experiencing and psychodynamic principles. It guides readers to understand how trauma and addiction manifest physically, leading to a disconnect from one’s own body and authentic sensations. Katehakis argues that true healing involves reconnecting with bodily experiences, processing stored trauma, and developing mindful awareness to reclaim embodied sexuality and pleasure safely. The path involves integrating mind and body, essential for lasting recovery and a fulfilling intimate life. - 66 Days To Break The Porn Addiction: How to Quit Porn & Masturbation Addiction by M. K. Arman (July 2024)
M. K. Arman offers a structured, time-bound program designed to help individuals overcome pornography and masturbation addiction within 66 days, a period often cited for establishing new habits. This guide likely provides a step-by-step journey with daily or weekly tasks and reflections. Grounded in behavioral science and possibly neuroscience principles, it focuses on practical techniques for identifying triggers, managing cravings, reshaping thought patterns, and building resilience against relapse. The book aims to empower readers with actionable strategies and a clear roadmap to rewire behavior, regain mental clarity, and achieve lasting freedom from compulsive habits. - Love in Recovery: One Woman’s Story of Breaking Free from Shame and Healing from Pornography Addiction by Rachael Killackey (May 2023)
Rachael Killackey shares her vulnerable story of struggling with pornography addiction and masturbation as a Catholic woman, offering a unique blend of memoir and practical guidance. The book aims to break the silence and shame surrounding this issue, particularly within faith communities. Killackey explores the roots of her addiction, the path to healing through faith (including Confession), honesty, accountability, and professional help. She provides compassionate advice on handling sexual desire healthily and replacing addictive habits with acts of love. It serves as a resource for women seeking recovery and those ministering to them within a Catholic context. - Hope After Porn: Healing for the Hurting by Stephen Retief Brand (2022)
Stephen Retief Brand provides a resource aimed at offering encouragement and practical guidance for individuals seeking healing from the impact of pornography use. The book likely combines personal insights, possibly drawing from the author’s experiences or pastoral work, with principles for recovery. It addresses the emotional and spiritual toll of pornography struggles, focusing on pathways toward freedom and restoration. Brand probably emphasizes themes of grace, forgiveness (self and divine), understanding triggers, and building healthier habits and relationships. The central message revolves around the possibility of finding lasting hope and establishing a life beyond the confines of pornography’s influence. - Restored: True Stories of Love and Lust by Alice Taylor (2021)
Alice Taylor shares her deeply personal journey through pornography addiction and subsequent recovery, offering a raw and relatable perspective specifically for women facing similar struggles. The book combines memoir elements with practical insights, aiming to break the silence and shame often surrounding female compulsive sexual behavior. Taylor recounts her experiences, the hidden nature of her addiction, and the steps she took towards healing and freedom. By sharing true stories, both her own and potentially others’, Restored seeks to create a sense of community and hope, demonstrating that recovery is possible and providing encouragement for women seeking to reclaim their lives from addiction’s grip. - Facing the Shadow: Starting Sexual and Relationship Recovery [3rd Edition Workbook] by Patrick Carnes (2021)
This updated workbook by Patrick Carnes serves as a practical, hands-on guide for individuals beginning recovery from sexual addiction, aligning with his widely used thirty-task recovery model. Designed for personal use, often alongside therapy or 12-step work, it provides structured exercises and reflections. Users identify addictive patterns, explore underlying issues and trauma, challenge denial, and develop coping skills. This third edition likely incorporates refined concepts and exercises based on years of clinical application. It aims to help users build a foundation for lasting recovery by fostering self-awareness, emotional regulation, healthy sexuality, and relapse prevention strategies. - Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder: Understanding, Assessment, and Treatment edited by Praveen R. Kambam, Richard Krueger, and Peer Briken (APA Publishing, 2021)
This comprehensive clinical volume, published by the American Psychiatric Association, addresses Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) following its inclusion in the ICD-11. Edited by leading experts, it provides clinicians with current knowledge on understanding, assessing, and treating CSBD. Chapters cover diagnostic criteria (comparing CSBD and sexual addiction models), co-occurring disorders like substance abuse, the role of the internet, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy modalities, and specific considerations for diverse populations like women. It delves into forensic aspects and cultural influences, offering a thorough, evidence-based guide for mental health professionals working with individuals struggling with out-of-control sexual behaviors, grounded in the latest diagnostic frameworks. - Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing by Jay Stringer (2018)
Therapist Jay Stringer proposes that unwanted sexual behaviors, including pornography addiction, are often symptoms pointing towards deeper, unresolved emotional wounds, traumas, or unmet needs from one’s past. Instead of focusing solely on stopping the behavior, he encourages individuals to explore the meaning behind their specific sexual struggles, including the content of fantasies or porn use. Stringer guides readers through a process of self-discovery, linking current behaviors to past experiences and relational deficits. The book emphasizes self-compassion and understanding the “why” behind the “what,” suggesting that true healing comes from addressing these root causes and finding healthier ways to cope and connect. - Treating Pornography Addiction: The Essential Tools for Recovery by Dr. Kevin B. Skinner (2017)
Dr. Skinner, a therapist specializing in this area, provides a clinically informed guide focused on the essential tools and therapeutic techniques for overcoming pornography addiction. The book likely draws from evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), offering practical strategies for managing urges, identifying triggers, challenging irrational beliefs, and developing relapse prevention plans. It addresses the underlying emotional issues, potential co-occurring disorders, and the impact on partners and family systems. This resource aims to equip individuals with the concrete skills needed for sustained recovery, often reflecting approaches used in professional therapy settings. - Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction by Gary Wilson (2015).
This book focuses on the neurological impact of readily available internet pornography, arguing it acts as a “supernormal stimulus” that can hijack the brain’s reward circuitry, much like drugs. Wilson compiles scientific research and numerous anecdotal accounts to illustrate how excessive consumption may lead to changes in brain structure and function. He explains concepts like dopamine desensitization and hypofrontality, linking them to symptoms reported by users, such as erectile dysfunction with partners, decreased libido, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. The book aims to validate the struggles of those affected and suggests that recovery involves understanding these neurological changes and allowing the brain to heal through abstinence. - Always Turned On: Sex Addiction in the Digital Age
by Robert Weiss and Jennifer Schneider (2015) This book specifically examines how the internet and digital technologies have transformed the landscape of sex addiction. Weiss and Schneider discuss the “triple A engine” (Accessibility, Affordability, Anonymity) of online sexual content and platforms, explaining how it fuels compulsive behaviors like pornography addiction, cybersex, online affairs, and more. They explore the unique challenges posed by constant connectivity and the blurring lines between fantasy and reality. The authors provide insights into diagnosis, the impact on relationships in the digital era, and updated approaches to treatment and recovery that account for the pervasive role of technology in modern sexual addiction patterns. - Breaking the Cycle: Free Yourself from Sex Addiction, Porn Obsession, and Shame by George N. Collins (2011)
This book offers a pathway to freedom for those caught in the cycle of sex addiction or pornography obsession, emphasizing the pervasive role of shame. Collins helps readers understand the potential origins of these compulsive behaviors, often linked to early life experiences, emotional deficits, or trauma. He outlines the addictive cycle and provides practical steps for breaking free, which include acknowledging the problem, understanding personal triggers, challenging destructive thought patterns, and developing healthier coping strategies. The book promotes self-compassion and highlights the importance of seeking support, aiming to empower readers to overcome compulsive behaviors and build a life free from shame. - The Porn Trap: The Essential Guide to Overcoming Problems Caused by Pornography by Wendy Maltz and Larry Maltz (2010)
This comprehensive guide, written by therapists, addresses the spectrum of problems associated with pornography use, from casual viewing escalating to compulsive behavior. The Maltzes clearly explain how porn can negatively impact self-esteem, relationships, sexual intimacy, and family stability, outlining the mechanisms by which it can become addictive. They offer practical, actionable strategies and exercises for individuals seeking to break free and for couples working to rebuild trust and intimacy damaged by porn use. The book emphasizes open communication, establishing healthy boundaries, understanding triggers, and cultivating a positive and realistic approach to sexuality, making it accessible for affected individuals and partners. - Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction by Patrick Carnes (updated in 2001)
As a foundational text in the field, this book defines sexual addiction, outlining its core components: compulsive behavior, loss of control, negative consequences, and preoccupation. Carnes introduces his model of the addiction cycle (preoccupation, ritualization, compulsive behavior, despair) and identifies common underlying beliefs held by addicts, such as feeling inherently unlovable or damaged. He explores the role of secrecy, denial, and often, early trauma or attachment issues in fueling the addiction. The book provides a framework for recognizing the patterns of sexual addiction, comparing its progressive nature to substance abuse, and emphasizes the need for professional help and support systems. - Don’t Call It Love: Recovery from Sexual Addiction by Patrick Carnes (1992)
Building upon Out of the Shadows, this book shifts focus to the process of recovery from sexual addiction. Carnes outlines key recovery tasks, emphasizing that healing involves more than just stopping the behavior. It requires addressing deep-seated shame, understanding the impact of past trauma, developing healthy intimacy skills, and rebuilding trust in relationships. The book delves into the complexities faced by addicts and their partners, exploring concepts like trauma bonding and the necessity of rigorous honesty. It serves as a guide through the stages of recovery, offering practical insights and stressing the importance of therapy, 12-step programs, and strong support networks. - Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain by William M. Struthers (1992)
Neurophysiologist William Struthers integrates brain science, psychology, and Christian theology to explain how pornography specifically affects the male brain and hinders the capacity for genuine intimacy. He details how porn consumption can alter neural pathways related to reward, bonding, and sexual response, leading to objectification and isolation rather than connection. Struthers argues that men are inherently “wired” for relationship, but pornography exploits and corrupts this wiring. The book aims to educate men, their partners, and those who support them (like pastors or counselors) about these neurobiological and spiritual consequences, advocating for recovery pathways that restore healthy relational and sexual functioning.