What Is Porn Addiction and How to Stop It

While many psychiatric professionals do not agree that porn addiction is an actual addiction, it is not a myth, and for many, it represents a true problem. Considering it takes a toll on both mental and physical health, a compulsion to resort to pornography to feel normal is something that needs to be seriously discussed.

This kind of addiction can cause great damage to relationships, partnerships, careers, and self-esteem.

What is a porn addiction

In order to understand what is porn addiction, we must know what addiction means.

Any kind of addiction means to become compulsively preoccupied with the habit or activity in order to achieve the desired effect. The same rule applies to porn addiction as well. 

Pornography addiction unofficially falls under the spectrum of sex addictions, and even though still not recognized as a mental disorder, many have gone through the challenges and consequences of being dependent on porn. 

Before answering the question of “how to stop porn addiction,” let’s understand what it is, how it develops, and what side effects of porn can a person have.

Also Try: Are You a Porn Addict Quiz

Is porn addictive

There are many controversies surrounding the veracity of porn addiction. Many believe that porn can be addictive, and if continued for longer periods of time, it can harm life and relationships.

Concluding that porn could not be addictive will not provide any solution to people who are already dealing with the problem. Pornography addiction unofficially falls under the spectrum of sex addictions and even though still not recognized as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the remedies can only be figured out if it is taken as one.

What porn does to your brain

So, why is porn addictive?

Like all other addictions, porn addiction too relies on the part of the brain responsible for giving rewards. By using a stimulus, such as pornography, the brain is tricked into releasing abnormal levels of dopamine. This reaction resembles one has when using drugs, being addicted to alcohol, and gambling.

After going through enough cycles of receiving the stimulus and releasing dopamine, the brain learns to recreate the process. Therefore, you are encouraged to take steps to ensure the dopamine flows do not stop.

After some time, the mentioned cycle grows strong enough to override conscious actions. 

As a result, one is driven to the point of being unable to overcome the urges and watch pornography, almost against one’s will. Once a person notices the porn addiction complications caused in life, one usually attempts to fight those urges, which are often fruitless.

Signs of porn addiction

Porn addiction can have negative consequences. Although it can give temporary satiation, the long-term effects can be dangerous. 

How to know if you’re addicted to porn?

If there are signs of pornography addiction but you aren’t sure if they are serious enough, check out the porn addict symptoms list below to have a clearer picture:

• Excessive masturbation
• Extensive and frequent watching of pornographic content. We might constitute “excessive” as the amount that interferes with the normal daily functions negatively affecting a person’s life.
• An increasing amount of time is needed to find enough stimulating types of pornography to reach the climax or to be aroused. As time goes by, more and more time is allocated to finding exciting material.
• A sense of distress if pornography watching is prohibited
• using pornography to alleviate anxiety or depression 
• Retrieval from social interactions due to an excess of time invested in pornography watching.
• Losing interest in sex because of the comparison of real-life love with pornographic interactions.
• Being more demanding in sex because of unrealistic expectations
• Rare/ frequent physical pain due to excessive strain in the body from watching excessive porn. 
• Being distracted from the real aspects of life due to overindulgence in porn.
• Growing irritability in real life when they are deprived of pornographic content. 

Related Reading: Dealing with Sex and Pornography Addiction in a Marriage

The consequences of porn addiction

Is watching porn unhealthy?

Depending on the level of craving, the side effects of porn addiction can be dire. The addiction itself desensitizes the addict, and the lust can grow bigger and bigger.

What once started as achieving erotic arousal through watching porn can grow into an insatiable desire, which can drive the person to play out those fantasies in real life with partners that are maybe unwilling.

Such a desire can cloud the ethical rationale and lead to a violent outcome. More often than not, the addicts will neglect the social circumstances and watch pornography in inappropriate places, such as work or public transportation. If left uncontrolled, the addiction can lead to public humiliation and even jail time.

What causes porn addiction

Porn addiction is relatively easily developed as it leans onto the most basic survival instinct — the sexual drive responsible for ensuring progeny.

This addiction is a shortcut to receiving nature’s “happiness hormone” without actually investing time and effort into finding a partner to fulfill the sexual drive.

There can be both psychological and biological reasons for the addiction to happen. How to stop porn addiction can be answered by looking into how this plays a role in a person’s life and what has the person unsuccessfully attempted to do in order to solve the problem.

• Environmental factors in early life, like abuse or exposure to sexual content, could be one of the main psychological reasons.
• Others might be depression or anxiety, where the brain is looking for a way to relieve the tension caused by stress by receiving a quick dopamine injection.
• There are also genetic reasons for the addictions, as a higher level of testosterone or estrogen and genetic predisposition for impulsivity. If the person is prone to emotional de-regulation, there is a higher chance of developing the addiction.
• There are also social reasons behind the curtain of addiction. Social rejection and isolation can discourage one from investing effort into building a healthy sexual relationship and turn to an easier way.

Understanding how these factors played a role in creating the issue can help figure out how to stop porn addiction.

Related Reading: How Watching Porn Ruins Relationships

How porn affects relationships

A healthy relationship and porn cannot be mixed. It is so because sex is more about love and intimacy in real life whereas in porn, a body is merely treated as an object. Almost everything in porn is simply a twisted form of reality. 

It is an over-dramatic sex movie where only one-tenth of it could be true. 

Porn is simply an exaggeration and any normally functioning human being should be able to understand that. However, once porn begins to pave its way into the relationship, it can bring some upheaval if not treated with caution. 

In fact, the research also points out that indulging in porn beyond a limit will limit relationship satisfaction.

Here are a few pornography problems and ways in which porn affects relationships:

• It increases the feelings of loneliness

Porn dramatizes sex and considering that is not achievable in real life, it leaves the porn addcit feeling lonely and helpless as their partner is not able to replicate what shows on the screen.

• It can cause hurt

There’s a good chance that your addiction can hurt your partner. In the quest of replicating what you saw in the porn, you might do something your partner is not comfortable with.

• It can induce fight

Your idea of sex and pleasure might not match your partner’s because of your overindulgence in porn. This can also lead to excessive fights as what you would expect is unrealistic and your partner will not agree with you.

Related Reading: 6 Proven Tips to Overcoming Porn Addiction Immediately

Check out the personal story of this couple where their relationship was getting affected with severe porn addiction and how they worked on the bond together to fight the problem:

Recovery from porn addiction: Treatments & natural remedies

How to break porn addiction? How to stop pornography addiction?

Breaking any kind of addiction is a difficult task and one that addicts usually need support for. 

1. Recognize that the problem exists

Reclaiming life through perseverance and hard work is possible. The best solutions depend on the individuality of the addict and the level of addiction, but there are several steps and pieces of advice that are helpful. 

2. Try to avoid extensive alone time and idleness

It’s obvious that the allurement to watch pornographic content happens when we have no more pressing matters to attend to, and we are alone. Do your best to keep yourself entertained and busy elsewhere. Find a creative hobby and socialize more with people around you. It will help if you exercise every time you feel the emptiness of addiction withdrawal. 

3. Create your support group

Create your support group by confiding in people you trust, who will show respect for your challenge. You will be surprised by the amount of understanding and privilege those people will show if you ask it right. If you are too ashamed to confess, try looking for support groups online or in person. 

4. Educate yourself about the problem

There is no such thing as too much information when you are dealing with an addiction. You are not alone in this, and many people have shared their experiences online, and you can surely reflect on some of them. Sharing the load that way will ease your journey to recovery. 

5. Probably the best option would be psychotherapy

Probably the best option would be psychotherapy, as it would be tailored to your own personality and needs. A skilled psychologist will help you discover and implement the most effective methods of overcoming the addiction and support you throughout the process of recovery. 

It will probably be uncomfortable to shed light on your thoughts and behaviors, but there is no reason for you to be ashamed in front of a professional. You recognized the issue, and you are putting in an effort to make it right.

Related Reading: Is Porn Bad or Good? Understanding the Divide

When to see a doctor or therapist

Once you understand what is porn addiction and how severe is your case, you would like to know, “How to stop my porn addiction?”

You can reach out to a psychologist for a more targeted remedy. You must see a doctor if you face one or more problems as mentioned below:

• Difficulty in orgasming during sex
• Sexual dysfunctions like not being able to hold an erection or not being able to lubricate enough
• Porn has led to or is a result of other addictions
• Porn addiction is causing relationship problems
• Other mental troubles like depression, stress are caused because of porn compulsion 
• You want to move out of the addiction but aren’t being able to help yourself

Different therapists can have different views when it comes to what is porn addiction. 

While some might feel it is just a phase, others might consider it harmful, and some may call it an addiction. So, always settle for a doctor whose thoughts align with yours because more than anyone, you understand what’s going on inside your brain and body.

What if it’s left untreated

Anyone recognizing what is porn addiction, suffering from it deserves to be treated because the habit can take a dangerous turn over a period of time. Once you accept the problem and find a therapist who does, you must look after it because if it is not treated:

• It can cause mental health problems
• It can aggravate physical pains
• It can deteriorate the relationship quality
• It can cause social alienation

Takeaway

Porn addiction might start as a simple urge of temporary satisfaction, but it can grow into an addiction due to various causes. Undeniably, there are many dangers of pornography as it begins to negatively affect the person and the relationships surrounding them.

However, with the right approach and willingness of treatment, the recovery is not too far.

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Rachael Pace Author

Rachael Pace is a noted relationship writer associated with Marriage.com. She provides inspiration, support, and empowerment in the form of motivational articles and essays. Rachael enjoys studying the evolution of loving partnerships... Read more and is passionate about writing on them. She believes that everyone should make room for love in their lives and encourages couples to work on overcoming their challenges together. Read less

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