Surfing porn at work is like a silent epidemic

NEW YORK: Watching porn is a problem affecting the workplace and families, one expected to grow with the number of people addicted to sex, experts say. “It’s a silent epidemic. It really is the only way I can categorise it,” said Chris Tuell, a professor in addiction studies at the University of Cincinnati and director of the Family Service counselling centre in southern Ohio.

Online porn addiction is a form of sexual addiction studied by the Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, Pa. Books and Web sites offer courses of treatment and support groups such as Sexaholics Anonymous with chapters meeting worldwide.

But online porn addiction and other forms of sexual addiction have yet to gain formal recognition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the guide used in diagnosing mental illness.

“It’s something that’s out there damaging marriages, relationships. Certainly it’s impacting the work force,” Tuell said.