Pornography and cybersex addiction does not only affect a certain individual’s life. It has a far- reaching impact on the lives of his or her family members, as well as other members of society.
Cybersex addiction can have long-lasting, detrimental effects on an addict and their family members. Various statistics reveal that this form of destructive addiction is a major contributing factor to the end of marriages and dysfunctional households.
Here is a look at how a certain individual’s cybersex addiction affects their entire family as well as other spheres of life:
Family
Cybersex addiction affects all members of a family. Children whose parents are engaged in cybersex experience trauma, insecurities and mental anguish and are often scarred for life. Meanwhile, married women or men involved in this type of addiction become less attached to their significant other. In a large number of cases, the hurt, anger and betrayal is too much to bear, which leads to the separation or divorce of couples. Families also feel ashamed of a cybersex addict’s behavior and isolate themselves to avoid facing the humiliation of living with a cybersex addict. Adolescent addicts become distant and disengaged from their families and can display hostile and angry behaviors directed toward their parents.
Individual level
The urge to visit porn sites or adult chat rooms makes an individual lose sense of the reality. Some addicts go as far as to have physical relationships with the people they meet online. As a result, they miss work or lose their jobs as well as money due to wasting hours on the Internet. In addition, cybersex addicts find it increasingly difficult to find a new job due to excessive distractions. For adolescents the impact includes missed school, lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities and participation in risky and dangerous behaviors in a secret and discreet effort to meet up with online connections.
Psychological
Undoubtedly, an individual’s cybersex addiction has a deep psychological impact on their family members. Family members who are constantly lied to, lose their trust in and respect for the individual. They begin to expect the worst in every situation and lose hope.
Moreover, living with a cyber sex addict is like living a nightmare. Families go through emotional distress and misery, which affects the functioning of their homes.
Physical
The toll on one’s health, as well as their family members, due to cyber addiction cannot be ignored. Constant stress due to a family member’s cybersex addiction problem leads to several health issues, such as loss of appetite, blood pressure issues and even depression. Some adolescents face physical harm from online predators who lure them into meeting up in person.
Financial
With cybersex addiction comes a plethora of expenses, including medical and therapy expenses. The situation obviously aggravates if the cybersex addict is unemployed or an adolescent who cannot work.
Community
The society at large suffers due to the addictions of a few individuals. Online sexual behaviors are connected to criminal activities. It causes an addict to engage in illicit business, such as filming porn videos. Moreover, porn and explicit material online leads to aggressive behavior and the incidence of rape. Many adolescent cybersex addicts put themselves in dangerous and risky situations as they are lured into meeting up with predators who disguise themselves as adolescents in their online profiles.
Cybersex addiction is a threat to families and the society at large. It is a grave issue, which needs to be treated with professional therapy. STAR Guides is a well-known cybersex addiction center located in Utah for adolescents as well as adults struggling with cybersex addiction. For more details about the organization’s cybersex addiction treatment, Wilderness therapy program, click here.