Item from the Smart Marriages Archive, reproduced in the Divorce Statistics Collection
NEW YORK - For some people, looking at online pornography can get out of
control, resulting in cyber sex addiction or infidelity.

In response to the rising number of marital problems caused by cyber porn
addiction, cyber affairs and habitual online sex tracked by the Center
for Online Addiction, the Center is adding couples counseling to its
existing Virtual Clinic services.

The Center's Virtual Clinic has been helping people cope with
Internet-related problems such as online gambling, online auction
addiction, compulsive day trading and raising children in the digital age
since its inception in 1997. The Bradford, Penn.-based Center currently
works with individuals, corporations, schools, government agencies and
other health care institutions.

Founder and psychologist Dr. Kimberly Young, author of Caught in the Net:
How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction and A Winning Strategy
for Recovery treats people online and via private e-mail or chat sessions
- a growing, but still controversial, trend in the delivery of mental
health services. Young also offers appointments in person or by phone.

The new couples' health care service will target relationships suffering
from the aftermath of online infidelity or cyber sexual addiction.
According to the Center, cyber sexual addiction has become a specific
sub-category of Internet addiction; it estimates that one in five
Internet addicts engage in some form of online sexual activity.

The Center's early studies have found that people who suffer from low
self-esteem, a severely distorted body image, untreated sexual
dysfunction or pre-existing sexual addiction are more at risk to develop
cyber sexual addictions. It has also found that men are more likely to
view pornography online, while women are more likely to participate in
erotic chat sessions.

The staff points out that online sexual compulsion is not limited to
those with previous psychiatric problems, but that the Internet has
inspired a new sense of permissiveness in surfers. According to Young,
the anonymous context of cyber space has eliminated conventional messages
about sex, allowing users to play out sexual fantasies without fear of
being discovered.

Young uses the "ACE" model of cyber sexual addiction - anonymity,
convenience and escape - all characteristic features of the Internet.
"Cyber sex may seem like a private, safe and anonymous way to explore
those fantasies," says Young. "Therefore, individuals are more likely to
experiment. But cyber sexual addiction can severely impact the stability
of a relationship and can even result in separation and divorce."

Young says her couples counseling will allow both parties to engage in
the therapy session to "help rebuild the broken trust, renew commitment
and hopefully rekindle the passion of a monogamous relationship."

Couples can choose the multiple session e-mail plan, which includes three
on-going e-mail replies or the telephone counseling package plan, which
includes three 60-minute telephone sessions. The fee includes an initial
diagnostic consultation and brief, "solution-focused" interventions that
are used to foster immediate results. The length of the phone sessions
can be altered for your convenience.

Young has said online treatment for online addiction has lead to
criticism the service is akin to holding an AA meeting at a local bar.
But Young says, "that is a poor analogy. The goal of treatment in
alcoholism is abstinence, but Internet addiction recovery focuses on
moderation and control similar to treating eating disorders."

According to Young, using the Internet as a first step toward recovery is
the best way to learn how to make healthy choices about online usage.
"Many practitioners are unfamiliar with how to approach the recovery and
prevention of online addiction. For our clients, though, the Virtual
Clinic has been effective and actually makes it possible for families
seeking treatment to find professional help and support no matter where
they live."

The couples' counseling service will be available immediately and more
information is available at www.Netaddiction.com.

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