Can ChatGPT help fight pornography addiction?

Zach Rhoads By: Zach Rhoads
Reviewed By: Dr Stanton Peele

Posted on March 7th, 2023 - Last updated: October 2nd, 2023
This content was written in accordance with our Editorial Guidelines.

As a lunchtime exercise I wrote to ChatGPT and asked it:
“How would Dr Stanton Peele recommend helping someone with a pornography addiction?”
Here’s what it replied:

Dr. Stanton Peele’s approach to helping someone with a pornography addiction is similar to his approach to addiction in general. He believes that pornography addiction is a choice, not a disease, and that recovery should focus on empowering individuals to take control of their lives and make positive changes. Here are some ways in which Dr. Peele would recommend helping someone with a pornography addiction:

  1. Encourage self-empowerment: Dr. Peele believes that people with pornography addiction can overcome their struggles by taking responsibility for their actions and making positive changes in their lives. He emphasizes the importance of self-empowerment and encourages individuals to develop a strong sense of self-worth and personal responsibility.
  2. Identify triggers: Dr. Peele recommends that individuals with pornography addiction identify the triggers that lead them to use pornography. Triggers can include stress, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness. Once the triggers are identified, individuals can develop strategies to manage them.
  3. Find healthy replacements: Dr. Peele emphasizes the importance of finding healthy replacements for addictive behavior. This can include activities such as exercise, meditation, and spending time with friends and family. By replacing addictive behavior with healthy alternatives, individuals can break free from their addiction.
  4. Seek support: Dr. Peele recommends seeking support from professionals and loved ones. This can include talking to a therapist, joining a support group, or confiding in a trusted friend or family member. Seeking support is crucial in overcoming addiction and can provide individuals with the encouragement and guidance they need to succeed.
  5. Celebrate progress: Dr. Peele encourages individuals to celebrate their progress, no matter how small. By focusing on positive changes and accomplishments, individuals can build momentum and feel motivated to continue on their path towards recovery.

Overall, Dr. Peele’s approach to helping someone with a pornography addiction is centered around self-empowerment, identifying triggers, finding healthy replacements, seeking support, and celebrating progress. His approach focuses on treating the whole person and empowering individuals to take control of their lives and overcome their struggles with pornography addiction.


Stanton and I agreed that the answers weren’t bad, especially the first (we’re all about empowerment — the opposite of powerlessness).

After that, the answers, as you might expect, were very generic.  But they give you SOME of the avenues we would be pursuing. We would like to have seen it making references to areas such as values, meaning, skills, strengths and intimacy.

Fortunately our “IRL” coaches, with their years of experience in helping people with pornography addiction,  are able to see the details and meet our client where they are at with empathy, RESPONSIVENESS and human connection.

Rest easy LPP coaches – AI is not ready to replace you just yet!

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