Baumgardner: How to tell if your spouse is addicted to porn

Male in bed browsing the internet late with a tablet Male in bed browsing the internet late with a tablet

By Julie Baumgardner June 21, 2015 3 min read

This is the second column in a series about pornography and its impact on marriages, families and communities.

Last week’s column dealt with how pornography impacts the brain. Research says it’s more addictive than cocaine and a habit harder to break than heroin.

Julie Baumgardner

The U.S. Justice Department believes that nine out of 10 children between 8 and 16 years old have been exposed to porn online. The porn industry preys on young people, understanding the brain’s power and the challenges of forgetting these images once they have been seen.

Many men understand that porn is costing them all they have – in many instances their career and their marriage – but they can’t quit. One man told his counselor he spent $75,000 in one month viewing porn.

Laurie Hall, author of “An Affair of the Mind,” found herself married to a porn addict. Like many others, she asked herself a million times, “What did I miss? How could I be so stupid? What is wrong with me?