Breaking Free from Compulsive Porn Use for Good
Our services are virtual, private, and completely confidential.
Our Process
Recovery starts by understanding your personal pattern, not using a one-size-fits-all fix.
We work on 3 goals: Abstinence, maintenance, preventing relapse
Goal 1: Access & Abstinence
The first goal is to create enough distance from pornography to interrupt the cycle of compulsive use.
Initially, we meet regularly to assess your patterns and create a personalized treatment plan. We focus on practical ways to block access to devices, technology, routines, and environments. When appropriate, we also consider a short trial of medications to reduce compulsive urges and support initial abstinence.
Our initial goal is usually a 30-day period of abstinence which allows you to step out of the cycle of repeated use, reduce reactivity to triggers, and lets your brain reset.
The objective is not simply to rely on willpower. It is to change the conditions that maintain the behavior while giving you the time and support needed to establish a different pattern.
Goal 2: Strategy & Support
Once you have established a period of abstinence, treatment shifts toward maintaining the gains you have made.
By the time people see us, many people can already go weeks or even months without pornography. However, during periods of stress, anxiety, rejection, old patterns unexpectedly return.
The goal at this stage is to develop a strategy to prepare for these times and move beyond short bursts of avoiding pornography toward building a sustainable way of responding to stress, emotions, and urges without returning to pornography.
Goal 3: Relapse Prevention
As your skills become more established, treatment increasingly focuses on preparing for and preventing relapse. The goal is to establish a system in place to deal with close calls and relapse. We examine situations in which you came close to returning to pornography, including what happened immediately before the urge, how you responded, and where the treatment plan could be strengthened. These “close calls” can provide valuable information and allow us to refine your relapse-prevention strategy before a lapse becomes a return to the previous pattern.
FAQs
Can we keep this completely private?
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Your visit and treatment are kept strictly confidential. Your privacy is important to us. Visits are conducted virtually through a secure video appointment, allowing you to speak from the comfort of your own home, car, or other private location. We have worked with a wide range of people and know how much courage it takes to make the first appointment. We understand how painful this addiction can be, have seen people recover when they find the right strategy, and simply are here to help.
How do I get started?
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Getting started is simple. Call or text 510-902-7080 to set up an initial consultation with Dr. Raheem. To learn more about his approach to pornography addiction, you can read his interview with Everyday Health: Everyday Health with Dr. Raheem
What makes you different?
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You may feel you have already tried everything by this point. You may be wondering if this is worth your investment in time, resources, and effort. Our approach is different. Your care is provided by a board-certified Addiction Medicine physician with specialized training and experience in the treatment of addictive and compulsive behaviors. We provide a structured plan, track progress against that plan, and our visits are focused and action-oriented. We prescribe medications that stabilize the anxiety and urges that occur with pornography addiction.
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What medications can we use?
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How often do we meet?
While there are currently no FDA-approved medications specifically designated for pornography addiction or Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), such as paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline, and citalopram, are frequently prescribed off-label to help manage the condition. These medications work by regulating mood, managing intrusive sexual thoughts, and reducing compulsive behaviors, while a common side effect, a modest reduction in overall libido, is often advantageous in lowering baseline sexual drive and urges.
We suggest meeting weekly for at least the first month, then biweekly, then monthly. We can adjust this based on your individual needs. Your first visit is comprehensive and longer, then follow-ups are generally 20 minutes or shorter. A significant part of treatment happens outside of visits. Depending on your individualized plan, this may include setting up blocking or filtering software, attending support groups, connecting with counseling or therapy when appropriate, and making targeted changes to lifestyle patterns and routines.