Hiding a Porn Habit Is Part of the Thrill for Many Addicts

Actor David Duchovny's public revelation that he was a sex addict had many people asking if sex addiction is a real disorder or just an excuse for bad behavior.

Many experts agree that an addiction to sex and pornography is much like an addiction to drugs and alcohol.

An elevated level of dopamine in the brain creates a high that the addict keeps chasing, said David Greenfield, the director of the Center for Internet Behavior and author of "Virtual Addiction."

"Sex is the most primitive, powerful, physiological force on the planet -- it's wired into our DNA. We all have the potential to become addicted to it," Greenfield said.

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Men are more susceptible to the behavior, according to research, and many sex addicts find it difficult to seek help. The secretiveness can be part of the excitement, experts say.

That was the case for a California minister who became addicted to Internet porn. He and his wife underwent counseling to try to save their marriage.

Paul Giesbrecht, pastor of Life Development and Outreach in Bakersfield, Calif., said that the Internet made getting porn easy and hiding his habit gave him a high.

"I think, definitely, on the Internet it's how close you get to someone walking in, whether it's Sheryl, you know, if she's in the house, 'How fast can I change this screen? How quick can I do this? Bam, oh, almost caught. Well, that was within a millisecond.' And, you know, you get kind of a rush off of that," Giesbrecht said in a counseling session that he permitted ABC News to attend.