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We are periodically asked by those not familiar with the array of problems that can accompany a pornography addiction, if wilderness therapy is a bit too drastic of an intervention for an addicted teen.
Our answer is quite simply “No!”. While we are not going to make the case that every teen with a pornography addiction needs to complete a wilderness therapy program, we hold a strong belief that wilderness therapy is a needed intervention for pornography addiction under certain conditions. Listed below are four conditions that require an intensive out of home intervention stemming from an addiction to pornography:
Example—15 year-old boy who has been viewing porn on a daily basis since age 11 moves into using a fake profile as an attractive adult woman in social media to solicit adult men into highly sexualized chats involving plans to begin hooking up in person. When confronted by parents, the youth consistently denies it, yet the behaviors continue leading to escalating family conflicts.
Example—16 year-old boy who is addicted to porn compiles a collection of “explicit selfies” of girls who he has coerced to engage with him in sexting sessions. He begins placing the images on revenge porn websites and using the images to blackmail the girls.
Example—17 year-old addicted to pornography since the age 13 unable to break free from the addiction on his own and even with extended outpatient treatment his longest period of ten days of abstinence before falling back into the addiction. He is experiencing depression, feelings of failure and self-loathing which is leading to school failure and social isolation.
Example—14 year-old addicted to pornography who despite repeated efforts by his parents to limit has access to porn continues to find ways, including theft, to obtain electronic devices to access the internet to view porn. He is unwilling to discuss the issue with his parents and refuses to attend or participate in counseling services.
These four examples are based on true-to-life scenarios and similar situations occur daily in our highly sexualized, technology driven society and unfortunately will become more common place with the rising generation.
Matt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working in the field of youth treatment and psychotherapy since 1995. He did his undergraduate work at BYU and earned his M.S.W. at the University of Utah. He has worked in a variety of treatment setting in his career ranging from wilderness therapy and residential treatment to outpatient treatment and state government.
