The number of people seeking treatment for porn addiction has trebled since the pandemic, according to new figures. More than 36,000 people sought support for porn addiction with UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT) - Britain's biggest private rehab provider - in 2021.
This is up from around 10,500 in 2020 - a rise of nearly 250 per cent. The proportion of women seeking treatment rose from 25 per cent to 38 per cent during the period.
Major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds had the highest figures in the country. But nearly all areas covered in the UKAT data saw their numbers at least double - and the company can no longer meet demand.
One patient, Tom, 38, told BBC Radio Newcastle he spent over £100,000 on a cocaine and pornography addiction and was watching sex videos for up to 15 hours a day. "Once I got cocaine I just had to watch porn for that rush," he said. "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."
UKAT, which treats over 3,000 people for addiction every year, says help for 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 surpress feelings. We can offer a small amount of help but in no way can we meet demand."
UKAT says the coronavirus pandemic fueled 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 on 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."
