Short answer: The best-supported route is talking therapy, usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with a therapist who understands compulsive sexual behaviour, combined with practical changes to your surroundings and a support network. Evidence is still limited, and no approach works for everyone. This guide is about the options, not a promise of results.
This is not about shame. "Porn addiction" is a popular phrase. In the WHO's ICD-11 the formal term is compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD), and only a professional can say whether it fits you. If you are unsure whether your use is a problem, start with our guide to the signs: https://mamoriblocker.com/guides/porn-addiction-signs/
A clinical review of CSBD describes psychotherapy as the basis of care. The cognitive behavioural parts it lists are psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, self-regulation training, mindfulness, and relapse prevention. Acceptance and commitment therapy has also been used. In plain terms, that means learning how the pattern works, building your own reasons for change, practising ways to ride out urges, and planning for slips.
The same review says that people seeking treatment often have other problems alongside it. It gives ranges of 46% to 96% for anxiety disorders, 39% to 81% for mood disorders, and 46% to 71% for substance use disorders. So if you have been anxious, low, or drinking more, tell whoever you talk to. Treating those can matter as much as the behaviour itself.
A preregistered systematic review of treatments for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, with a focus on problematic pornography use, found that treatment appears to reduce symptoms, with the most support for cognitive behavioural therapy. It also noted that only 4 of the 24 studies were randomised controlled trials. Its authors say study quality was mostly low and that strong conclusions about specific treatments should be drawn with caution. In other words, therapy is the best-supported route, not a guarantee.
On medication, the clinical review says SSRIs or naltrexone may be considered depending on severity, that these are used off-label, and that the evidence rests on one randomised controlled trial and one open-label trial. That is a conversation for a doctor, not something to try on your own.
The review's authors also oppose approaches that prohibit masturbation or pornography use outright, or that rely on abstinence-based addiction models. You may still choose to stop completely. Just know that therapists differ in approach, and it is fair to ask a prospective therapist how they work.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away.
Therapy works on the reasons. Your phone setup works on the opportunities. These do different jobs, and together they are stronger.
Can you stop porn addiction on your own?
Some people make real progress alone with changes to their surroundings, triggers, and routines. If you keep returning to it despite wanting to stop, or it is affecting your work, sleep, or relationships, professional support is a sensible next step, not a sign of weakness.
How long does recovery take?
There is no reliable timeline, and anyone promising a fixed number of days is guessing. The NHS says a typical CBT course is 5 to 15 sessions, but individual progress varies.
Is it an addiction or a compulsion?
Researchers still debate how best to describe it. ICD-11 classes compulsive sexual behaviour disorder as an impulse control disorder. A licensed professional can assess your situation.
Do I have to stop completely?
That is your decision. If you want to stop completely, that is a valid goal. The clinical review's authors simply caution against rigid prohibition-only or abstinence-based addiction models as a treatment approach, so it is fair to ask a therapist how they work and to agree a goal that fits you.
Mamori is one more layer, not a treatment, and it will not fix the reasons behind an urge. It does make the "harder to reach" step stronger while you work on those.
Honest limits: Android allows only one VPN at a time, so another VPN or blocker that takes the slot can switch Mamori's filter off. No blocker replaces support from people or a therapist. For a child's phone, use Screen Time or Family Link as the base layer, since Mamori is built for adults who want to block it for themselves.
There is a 7-day free trial on the monthly and annual plans, plus a one-time lifetime option. No account, no tracking.
Last checked 11 Oct 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice.