Watching porn may seem like a benign activity. However, over time it can lead to porn addiction which can affect an individual’s daily life and relationships. In this blog post, we’ll explore porn addiction, examining its signs, causes, effects, and pornography addiction help options.
What Is Porn Addiction?
Porn addiction is a compulsive behavior that involves excessive viewing of porn to the point it interferes with work, school, relationships, and other aspects of daily life. Also known as online sex addiction, frequent porn viewing can lead to serious issues if left unaddressed.
Is Porn Actually Addictive?
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) doesn’t recognize porn addiction as a true addiction. Additionally, the 2022 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) — the manual doctors use to diagnose mental disorders — doesn’t classify porn addiction as a mental disorder.
However, porn can be addictive, and some signs and symptoms of porn addiction are fairly similar to other behavioral addictions, such as gambling.
Porn Addiction Signs
While it isn’t recognized as an addiction by the APA, people who view pornography have an intense urge to watch it to the point it affects their daily activities. This is why some physicians classify it as a hypersexual disorder — a blanket term that includes behaviors such as excessive masturbation or having multiple sexual partners.
That said, here are common porn addiction symptoms:
1. Inability to Stop Watching Porn
One of the telltale signs that an individual may be struggling with porn addiction is being unable to quit watching porn. Often, people battling with porn addiction may try to quit multiple times but struggle to do so even after experiencing deep feelings of shame and guilt.
2. Disinterest in Hobbies
People battling with porn addiction may lose interest in activities they previously enjoyed, such as playing sports, cooking, painting, gardening, or reading.
3. Watching Porn at Risky Times
People battling with porn addiction may watch in appropriate settings, such as while at work, at school, or during family gatherings, despite the risk of getting caught.
4. Excessive Spending on Porn
While there are many free porn sites, numerous sites offer subscription plans with exclusive content. People grappling with porn addiction may spend substantial amounts of money to purchase exclusive pornographic content on porn sites.
In extreme cases, some individuals may even spend money that’s supposed to go toward essentials like rent, utilities, and groceries, leading to financial problems.
5. Finding Sex Less Satisfying
Most porn scenes are scripted and heavily edited. As a result, they aren’t a realistic depiction of intimacy and sex. Unfortunately, people with porn addiction may compare porn scenes with their sex lives and feel disappointed.
Gradually, this may cause people who watch porn frequently to lose interest in sex, opting to watch porn instead.
6. Progressing to More Extreme Pornography
Somewhat similar to how some users of alcohol eventually start using harder substances like meth and cocaine, some porn users may gravitate toward more extreme or disturbing genres of pornography like child and animal porn to experience pleasure and arousal.
7. Using Porn as a Coping Mechanism
Some porn viewers may turn to porn to deal with unpleasant feelings like sadness, anxiety, or other mental health issues. Over time, they may become dependent on porn to cope with life stress.
Porn Addiction Causes
Since the research on porn addiction is still inconclusive, researchers haven’t identified clear causes why some people become addicted to porn while others don’t.
However, like other behavioral addictions like gambling, various factors could cause porn addiction. Some factors that could contribute to porn addiction include:
Biological causes: Certain people may be more predisposed to porn addiction than others due to differences in their brain chemistry.
Relationship issues: Relationship problems, particularly when it comes to intimacy, may drive some people to turn to porn to cope with sexual dissatisfaction or to fulfill unrealized sexual desires.
Cultural factors: Societal expectations about looks, sex, and intimacy may draw some individuals to porn.
Underlying mental health issues: Mental health problems like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression may make some people watch porn as a coping mechanism.
Porn Addiction Effects
The effects of porn addiction can range from mild to severe. Some common effects of porn addiction include:
1. Reduced Intimacy Among Partners
Porn addiction can affect intimacy among partners. Men are especially susceptible to this because they generally view less affectionate types of pornography.
2. Reduced Self-Esteem
Porn addiction may affect the body image of porn viewers because they may compare themselves to porn performers who are more ”well-endowed” than them. This may significantly affect their self-esteem.
3. Decreased Sexual Satisfaction
There’s an adage that says, ”comparison is the thief of joy.” Watching porn can rob porn addicts of joy during sex because they may begin to compare their sexual abilities to professional porn performers.
4. Sexual Dysfunction
Long-term porn viewing can lead to sexual dysfunction issues such as erectile dysfunction, delayed or premature ejaculation, pain during sex, and difficulty getting aroused or having an orgasm.
5. Mental Health Issues
While the research is still ongoing, early research suggests porn addicts may be more susceptible to mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and depression.
6. Phone Dependence
Porn addiction can also lead to phone addiction, as porn addicts may frequently rely on their smartphones to stay stimulated.
Porn Addiction Treatment
Because porn addiction isn’t recognized as a mental disorder or behavioral addiction, there are no established guidelines on how to treat it. Nonetheless, like other behavioral addictions, some common treatment options for porn addiction include:
1. Medication
Certain medications can help control brain neurotransmitters linked to compulsive thoughts and actions. For instance, naltrexone is often used to treat porn addiction as it reduces the craving for porn and the pleasurable feelings that follow after viewing it.
2. Porn Addiction Therapy
Individual therapy sessions can help treat porn addiction by helping porn addicts understand their relationship with porn and what triggers them. Additionally, group therapy sessions can also help as they bring together individuals battling with porn addiction to share their stories in a safe space and learn from one another.
3. Peer Groups
Similar to how support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous help people with alcohol use disorder overcome alcoholism, support groups like Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) and Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA) can help porn addicts recover from pornography addiction.
4. Behavioral Therapies
Behavioral therapies such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can also help porn addicts overcome porn addiction by helping them understand the thoughts and triggers that cause them to watch porn and help them develop healthy coping mechanisms.
How to Help Someone With a Porn Addiction
Watching porn every so often may seem like a harmless activity. However, when done regularly, it can quickly become addictive and harm your well-being. Fortunately, porn addiction isn’t possible to overcome. With the right support and determination, it’s possible to break free from the shackles of porn addiction.
So if you believe you or a loved one is struggling with porn addiction, don’t hesitate to seek help. We understand that it can feel daunting to seek porn addiction help due to the stigma surrounding it. However, porn addiction doesn’t have to be a solitary struggle.
At Honu House, our addiction experts will walk with you or your loved one every step of the way. From an initial assessment to exploring different treatment options, our specialists will create a personalized treatment plan depending on the severity of your addiction. Contact us today to learn more about how to help a porn addict and our treatment options.
FAQs
Are Sex and Porn Addiction the Same Thing?
While some people use the terms sex and porn addiction interchangeably, the two aren’t the same. Porn addiction is a type of sex addiction. However, sex addiction includes other behavioral disorders other than porn addiction, including excessive masturbation, voyeurism, or having sex with multiple partners.
What Are Some Common Porn Addiction Symptoms?
Some common porn addiction symptoms include an inability to discontinue watching porn, intense urges to view porn, disinterest in hobbies, lack of interest in sex, and extreme mood swings. If you or a loved one exhibits any of these symptoms due to excessive porn consumption, consult an addiction specialist.
Why Is Porn Addictive?
Like drugs, alcohol, and other behavioral addictions, porn affects the pleasure and reward system of the brain, triggering the release of dopamine. This is what makes it addictive. In addition, with the proliferation of free porn sites, porn is easily accessible, making it difficult to avoid.
Is Porn Addiction a Real Medical Condition?
The concept of porn addiction is a contentious issue within the medical field. While porn addiction isn’t listed as a mental disorder or behavioral addiction in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it shares several characteristics with other behavioral addictions like gambling.
Is It Possible to Overcome Porn Addiction Alone?
While it may be possible to overcome mild porn addiction alone, it’s advisable to seek professional porn addiction support for severe cases. Consult an addiction professional to determine the severity of your addiction.
