Do Porn Blocker Tools & Apps Work? How to Stop Porn Use

Watching pornography is fairly common in today’s society and can be a normal and healthy part of someone’s life. However, porn consumption can turn into a problem when watching it becomes compulsive and has a negative impact on one's life. 

Porn addiction can fit into the category of compulsive sexual behavior and while it does not have an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, porn addiction is a real issue that can have devastating long-term effects. There are strategies that can be used to help someone reduce or stop their porn use if they feel it has become problematic, including apps and tools that block pornographic content and platforms. 

Strategies for stopping pornography habits

Porn addiction treatment may involve various different techniques and levels of support that should be tailored to an individual's needs. It can be difficult to decide what kind of care is the best option, but a licensed professional can help you weigh those options. Some treatment programs, like Birches Health, have porn addiction specialists that can evaluate someone's porn behaviors and get started with a course of treatment if warranted. 

Therapeutic support

Therapy with a licensed professional can help someone evaluate their pornography use, identify triggers and come up with healthier coping skills to replace porn. Other types of therapy such as family therapy or couples counseling can help someone repair relationships that may have been compromised due to porn addiction. 

Group support

There are mutual support groups specifically for sex addiction like Sexaholics Anonymous and Sex Addicts Anonymous that follow a 12-step methodology and provide support through camaraderie and shared experiences.  

Create a Balanced Life

Certain emotions and situations can be triggering and increase someone's desire to watch porn to avoid those feelings. When trying to reduce porn use, creating a balanced life that involves enjoyable activities outside of porn is important. Joining new activities, exploring various hobbies, starting an exercise routine or volunteering are all ways to expand someone's interests and give them something other than porn in their lives. It is also important to try and avoid substituting porn with other negative coping mechanisms such as drug or alcohol use. 

Porn Blocker Apps

Even with various other interventions and supports in place, someone may still find it difficult abstaining from porn. In this instance there are apps and browser extensions that are made specifically to block access or exposure to pornographic material and sites. 

If you or a loved one are unsure if the level of porn being watched is within a healthy range or becoming a problem, Birches Health has a free porn addiction self-assessment test you can take online.

Which Porn Blocker tools and apps are best?

BlockerX

BlockerX is a free app that blocks pornographic sites in addition to gambling, gaming, dating and social media apps. This app has a feature that alerts an accountability partner if someone tries to get on a pornographic site. The app reports a reduction in 92% of premium users, which you can upgrade to from the free subscription. BlockerXs free plan has only limited features and the upgraded more comprehensive plans are necessary to access the full range of services. 

BlockerHero

BlockerHero is an app designed to block pornographic material on smartphones. Blockerhero promotes its ability to help users be more productive by helping reduce porn use. While it does have an overall positive review from users, one con of this app is that it tends to over-correct and limit access to websites that include any curse words or lewd language. 

Purity

Purity is a browser extension that blocks all adult websites automatically, including blocking in-URL keywords to avoid websites that have specific keywords. You can also choose to “lock” any website you do not want to visit. Purity has a feature to alert an accountability partner if you try to access a restricted website and also blocks images to help reduce overstimulation while browsing the web, showing text only. Purity does have a subscription fee of $5 per month of $50 for the year.

Covenant Eyes

Covenant Eyes differs from other apps in that it has an accompanying app called Victory that an accountability partner downloads to help someone abstain from porn. Covenant Eyes offers settings for friends, families, couples and individuals that cater specifically to someone's needs. The app also offers resources to learn more about porn addiction and how to help someone struggling with porn addiction. The downside to Covenant Eyes is the cost, starting at $17 per month, $184 per year of a one time payment for unlimited lifetime access of $750. 

Treatment for Porn Addiction

If you or someone you know is suffering from porn addiction it is important to seek out treatment. There are a variety of options for porn addiction treatment that range from inpatient care to outpatient therapy and support groups. Birches Health offers 100% remote care with porn addiction specialists who can help you overcome your addiction. 

Treatment for porn addiction can involve one of the following steps with Birches Health: 

• Book an Appointment today

• Speak with a Care Specialist 

• Refer Someone Else

You can also call 833-483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com to connect with the Birches team right away.

Sources:

• BlockerX 

• BlockerHero

• Purity

• Covenant Eyes