Michael Barta, Ph.D., LPC, CSAT-S talks about the ways the COVID-19 public health pandemic and the worldwide stay at home order is like pouring rocket fuel on the wildfire that is pornography addiction.
Pornography is one of the most common coping mechanisms used as a way to regulate during times of stress. However, the effects of pornography on the nervous system and relationships over time can turn it into something that’s needed instead of wanted. Dr. Barta warns that behavioral health professionals should be ready for the fallout after COVID-19.
In this candid webinar we cover:
- Statistics of pornography use before COVID-19 and as they stand now
- The problems with pornography consumption such as diminished trust between intimate couples, lack of attraction to family and child-raising, compulsive pornography users have greater impairments of sexual arousal and erectile difficulties in intimate relationships, among others
- Understanding how pornography changes the brain and how the brain becomes addicted in order to reduce stigma and shame
Pornography is highly addictive because it uses a person’s own brain chemicals to produce a reward and with prolonged use will changes the brain’s reward circuitry. – Dr. Michael Barta
Key Webinar Takeaways:
1. Clinicians will see a surge in problematic sexual behaviors
Ask your clients about their pornography usage, even if you do not specialize in sex addiction.
2. The Public Health issue
15 states that have passed legislation concerning porn, seeing it as a public health issue: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
3. Typical causation of pornography addiction:
- Pleasure
- Stress relief
- Coping
- Numbing
- Used as a method to deal with unresolved trauma
4. TINSA® is a new paradigm in addiction treatment
- A treatment model Dr. Barta developed over 12-years based on the study of neurology
- The TINSA® treats the root cause/trauma of the addiction rather than focusing on symptomology and behavioral fixes
About Dr. Michael Barta
Dr. Barta was trained in sexual addiction by Dr. Patrick Carnes and has over 34 years of addiction recovery experience and 12 years specializing in the treatment of sex and porn addictions and the betrayed partners. His published book, TINSA™ (Trauma-Induced Sexual Addiction) provides a neurological approach to the treatment of sex and pornography addictions. Dr. Barta has utilized his clinical skill and personal recovery to create a neurobiological model that works on the cause or core of sexual addiction and is now expanding this Model to treat all addictions. He is a nationally recognized speaker in the field of sex addiction and frequently provides lectures and training for therapists regarding the treatment of sex and pornography addictions and compulsivity.
