Film Review: Pornography: Confronting the Addiction

Pornography: Confronting the Addiction (documentary film unrated and has no objectionable content whatsoever) 35 minutes

A film by Brandon Kowallis, Blue 8 Productions 2008

This documentary would be a wonderful primer for anyone concerned with their own or a partner's pornography problem. It takes a very gentle approach and wouldn't scare off anyone moderately aware of their challenge, as it presents all the information in a serious yet non-threatening tone with realistic-looking actors re-enacting real life scenarios. Those are interspersed with various authorities like a licensed marriage and family therapist, the author of a book on Pornography, a pastor who's an ex-porn user, and various other therapists.

They speak candidly about the progressive stages of pornography addiction: first use (usually as a child or teenager), how it becomes ingrained as a habit, the chemical cascade in the user's brain demystified as the reason why porn use becomes so difficult to quit, and then how to break the silence that the shameful nature of this compulsion engenders, and finally, the liberation which awaits the porn-free person. I used the word "primer" in my opening line intentionally: this is a short overview of pornography addiction, with the main points only briefly touched upon, so you'll have to supplement with other resources if you need more information.

Nothing in the film is presented as over-the-top or alarmist in tone, so it's a good film to watch together if you have an active Sex Addict/Compulsive (SAC) that you intuit might be ready for some insights into this compulsion. Its length (35 minutes) makes it especially tolerable for a SAC sensitive to too much focus on his "challenge."

One note of caution: There are two potentially problematic lines in the film, delivered by a male PhD therapist who emphatically debunks the axiom: "Once an addict, always an addict", in making his point that the brain's neuroplasticity enables the brain to renew itself over time with enough recovery, effectively rerouting the old addiction circuitry. This viewpoint may present a problem for those SACs destined to utilize the disease model (of 12-step, for example), since that model states one is never an ex-addict, only an addict who is "sober" one day at a time. I won't debate the validity of either position here, I merely want to point this out since the health-based model is a departure from the more popularly-held Disease Model in addiction treatment.

Many PoSAs try leaving books and pamphlets on porn addiction laying around in the hopes that their SACs will read them. This often yields disappointing results, however watching a short film like this one might be more beneficial. You'll have to use your own intuition on whether your SAC will watch it with you, and if so, I think this film will plant a positive seed within him. What's especially positive here is the hope for a better life, given towards the end of the presentation. The speakers credibly deliver freedom and renewed self-respect as a result of becoming porn-free, and that's palpable to them (and us!).

So why are we presenting a film for SACs here on a site for PoSAs? Two reasons. First, it's no secret to us that some PoSAs with active SACs (and I was one of them) leave no stone unturned in their quest for resources that might help their SAC get recovery. So when we find a good resource, we at POSARC will certainly share it with you. However, what really caught my attention was how PoSAs are given a good deal of the film's allotted time to present their stories, not just of the inherent difficulties of living with an active porn addict, but the serenity that comes when one's own recovery is pursued. The point is made that whether the SAC takes recovery for himself or not, that freedom from the PoSAs ceaseless depression and anxiety can be attained with her recovery. Their moving presentations are full of heart (and some tears, too) and you'll likely be able to identify with their shares.

—Lili