Understanding the condition
What is pornography addiction?
Pornography addiction is the term most people use when watching pornography has become hard to control and is causing harm. Clinically, it is usually assessed as compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, which the World Health Organization recognises in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an impulse control disorder.
An international survey of more than 82,000 adults in 42 countries found that around 4.8% may be at high risk of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder. In Singapore, We Care Community Services reported close to 200 pornography addiction cases in 2025, an increase of 80% since 2020.
Online pornography is free, private and available at any hour on any phone, in endless variety. For some people, use that began as occasional slowly becomes a daily pattern that takes up hours, disrupts sleep and work, and is kept hidden from partners and family.
Pornography can become a way of coping with stress, loneliness, low mood or boredom. Over time, the relief it brings becomes shorter and the urge returns more quickly, while shame and secrecy make it harder to talk about and easier to repeat.
Feeling uncomfortable or guilty about watching pornography is not, on its own, an addiction. What matters is loss of control and real harm over time. A careful, non-judgemental assessment helps tell the two apart.
Recognising the signs
Signs of pornography addiction
Recognising some of these signs in yourself or a loved one is not proof of an addiction.
A confidential conversation with a clinician can help you understand what you are experiencing, and what support, if any, would help.
- Spending much more time watching pornography than you intended
- Trying to cut down or stop, and finding it doesn’t last
- Using pornography to cope with stress, anxiety, loneliness or low mood
- Losing sleep, or falling behind at work or in your studies, because of it
- Watching at work, or in situations that put your job or reputation at risk
- Hiding your use, or not being honest about it with a partner
- Needing more time, or more novel material, to feel the same interest
- Losing interest in intimacy with a partner, or finding it more difficult
- Carrying on despite the harm it is causing to your relationships, work or wellbeing
Daily or prolonged viewing, often late at night or in long sessions, that has become hard to limit despite repeated attempts to cut down.
Live webcam sites, sexual chat and subscription content can add spending, contact with others and further secrecy to the pattern.
For some people, the pattern extends beyond pornography, to affairs, casual encounters or paid sex that feel out of control and are causing harm. Sometimes called sex addiction, this is assessed and treated in the same confidential way.
Viewing on work devices or during working hours can put careers and reputations at risk, and is often what finally prompts someone to seek help.
Discovery by a partner often brings a crisis of trust. Treatment can include support for partners through our family programme, so that both of you are supported as trust is rebuilt.
Compulsive sexual behaviour often goes together with heavy drinking, drug use, including stimulants such as methamphetamine, or other compulsive behaviours, such as gaming. Treatment addresses them together.
Clinical Team
Individualised careby experienced hands
We are honoured to walk alongside families and individuals as they navigate recovery and rebuild meaningful, connected lives.
Safety first
Shame, moodand early support
Stopping does not cause physical withdrawal in the way alcohol can, but the first weeks can be hard. Many people feel restless, irritable or low, and urges can be strong at times of stress or loneliness. Shame is common, and it often keeps people from asking for help. Compulsive sexual behaviour frequently goes together with depression, anxiety, ADHD or past trauma.
On admission, our team reviews your mental health, including mood and any thoughts of self-harm, and helps you plan practical changes from the start: agreeing how devices and accounts will be managed, setting up content filters, and deciding with you how, and how much, to involve a partner or family member.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of ending their life, call 995 in an emergency, or the Samaritans of Singapore on 1767, at any time. For mental health support at any hour, call or message the national mindline on 1771. For confidential counselling on pornography and sexual behaviour, We Care Community Services can be reached on 3165 8017.
Treatment
Our approach to pornography addiction treatment
Pornography addiction is rarely only about sex. It is often linked to stress, loneliness, low mood, anxiety, ADHD, trauma or difficulties with intimacy. We treat the person as a whole, without judgement, and help you rebuild trust and connection.
Our team includes Dr. Guo Song, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, who has co-authored research on how clinicians in Singapore apply the ICD-11 criteria for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, and Andy Leach, Intensive Outpatient Programme Lead, who holds a specialist diploma in working with compulsive sexual behaviour disorder and sex addiction.
Treatment begins with a 28-day residential stay at our restored heritage residence in Changi, followed by a 12-week intensive outpatient programme. This 16-week programme supports you through the months after residential care, when you are rebuilding routines, relationships and trust in everyday life.
A detailed psychiatric assessment, including screening for depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma and suicide risk, and a careful diagnosis using recognised criteria.
One-to-one counselling, daily process groups and skills workshops, drawing on approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and motivational interviewing, to understand triggers, manage urges and reduce shame.
EEG neurofeedback, attention training, TMS (iTBS) and cognitive remediation, designed to strengthen attention, impulse control and self-regulation.
Personal training, mindfulness, sleep support and nutrition, helping you rebuild daily routines and find healthier ways to manage stress and loneliness.
Depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma or another addiction are addressed together in one treatment plan. See co-occurring disorders.
Most people cannot avoid the internet. Before you leave, we help you plan how you will use your phone, computer and accounts, with filters, routines and boundaries that you, and if you wish your partner, agree on.
Before you leave, we coordinate with outpatient providers in Singapore or your home country, and connect you with peer recovery groups. The Winslow Recovery App supports you for a year after the programme.
For families
When a partner or family member is affected
Discovering a partner’s pornography use, or the secrecy around it, can bring shock, hurt and a deep sense of betrayal, and many partners also find themselves questioning their own worth. Parents may be worried about an adult son or daughter. These feelings are understandable, and you do not have to manage them alone.
We offer confidential guidance for families, including how to raise the subject of treatment with care and how to look after yourself while trust is rebuilt. Our team understands both Asian and Western family dynamics, and the particular sensitivities of high-profile families. During treatment, families take part through weekly therapist-led family groups and individual family therapy, in person or securely online.
Suitability
Who we are for
Residential and intensive outpatient treatment for adults seeking structured and discreet evidence-based care.
Our centre accommodates up to 26 residential clients at any one time.
Designed for individuals who are:
- Experiencing substance use and/or behavioural addictions, including co-occurring conditions
- Medically and psychiatrically stable for residential, non-hospital care
- Low to moderate risk to themselves or others
- Able to provide informed consent and communicate fluently in English
- Ready to engage actively in treatment and follow programme expectations
FAQ
Common questions
Answers to questions people often ask about pornography addiction and treatment.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Munidasa Winslow, Medical Director. Last reviewed October 2026.
Yes. The World Health Organization recognises compulsive sexual behaviour disorder in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), as an impulse control disorder. Many people call it pornography or sex addiction. Whatever the label, when it is causing real harm it is a recognised and treatable condition.
There is no set amount. The signs that matter are loss of control, use taking a central place in your life, repeated attempts to cut down that don’t last, and carrying on despite harm, over six months or more. Feeling guilty about pornography is not, by itself, a sign of addiction. A confidential conversation with a clinician can help you understand where you stand.
Start by looking after yourself: discovery is painful, and your feelings matter. When you are ready, our guide to starting the treatment conversation may help, and our team can advise you confidentially, even before your partner is ready to speak with us.
Yes. For some people, the difficulty extends beyond pornography to other sexual behaviour that has become hard to control. We assess and treat compulsive sexual behaviour in all its forms, in a confidential and non-judgemental setting.
Goals are agreed with you during treatment. Many people choose to stop completely; others aim for use that no longer feels out of control or causes harm. Either way, treatment focuses on regaining control and on building healthier intimacy and connection.
Not everyone does. Residential care is often considered when attempts to stop haven’t held, when there are other mental health concerns, or when daily life makes it too easy to fall back into old patterns. Our pre-admission assessment looks at the right level of care. If The Winslow isn’t the right fit, we will tell you and help you find support that is.
The programme runs for 16 weeks: a 28-day residential stay followed by a 12-week intensive outpatient programme. Depending on clinical need and progress, residential extensions of one to four weeks are common.
Some private insurance policies may offer partial coverage. We can provide supporting documentation for claims on request. Please check with your insurer directly. See our fees and inclusions.
Yes. Treatment is delivered in English, and the programme includes visa support and airport transfers. Most nationalities can enter Singapore visa-free for 30 to 90 days. When you return home, we coordinate a handover to providers there so your care continues.
Speak with a clinician
If you’re considering treatment for yourself or someone you care about, a confidential conversation can help clarify whether The Winslow is the right fit.
Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.