Although it is proven that millions of people around the world visit pornographic sites daily, porn addiction is a compulsion that carries negative consequences to the mental, emotional, and social well-being of the individual who suffers from it.
Porn addiction can lead you to neglect your social and work life, yet, like any other addiction, it is very challenging to stop watching it voluntarily.
However, you can take specific actions to overcome this condition. This article will further explain the definition of this disorder and how to stop porn addiction to restore overall happiness in your life.
What Exactly Is Porn Addiction?
Watching porn doesn't automatically turn you into a porn addict. What differentiates any habit from an addiction is the compulsive need to engage in this behavior and the negative consequences it brings to the rest of your life.
That is why mental health experts insist on proving that this is a real problem that should be treated like any other addiction, even if it isn’t officially recognized as a mental illness. Characterizing porn as problematic is related to toxic views about sexuality, which is not what we’re trying to convey here.
In fact, some evidence suggests that harmful perspectives about pornography play the most significant role in determining its negative consequences to our mental health. However, porn addiction is a real problem and should be treated as such.
Pornography addicts experience irresistible cravings that they need to satisfy immediately, which leads them to neglect their responsibilities and jeopardize their life's stability and emotional well-being.
A 2020 research found that 56.6% of participants reported visiting pornographic sites or watching pornography at some point during their life. This study concluded that compulsive pornography use was associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
Although there is no official consensus about the possible causes of porn addiction, there are a number of factors that play a significant role.
Among them are biological factors, unrealistic societal and cultural attitudes about sexuality, other mental health conditions, or relationship issues. Some people develop a porn addiction when struggling with sexual problems or dissatisfaction within their intimate relationships.
Symptoms of Porn Addiction
If you are concerned about your porn consumption habits, there are some warning signs you can consider to help you address the issue.
You might have porn addiction problems if:
- You are consumed with porn-related thoughts even when you are not watching it.
- You consume porn at work or other social settings where others might see you.
- You feel guilty, depressed, or ashamed after watching porn.
- You keep watching porn despite the harm or negative consequences it has brought to your relationships, work, or any other area.
- Your porn consumption reduces sexual satisfaction with partners.
- You hide your porn consumption from your intimate partner.
- You usually lose track of time when watching porn.
- You’ve tried to quit watching porn in the past but failed.
Why Is Porn Addiction a Problem?
Over time, porn addiction begins to take over your life. This negatively impacts your emotional and mental well-being, just like any other addiction or mental health problem when left untreated.
Porn addiction problems can lead you to:
- Develop other mental health issues. The shame or guilt related to porn addiction can cause you to develop other mental health issues.
Researchers found that people who reported viewing pornography were more likely to suffer from mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, because of their compulsion and inability to stop. - Engage in risky behavior. After a while, you begin to watch porn in inappropriate places to get the same emotional release, such as work meetings or family reunions.
It could also lead to using substances like alcohol or drugs while watching porn to get the same satisfactory feelings of the first experience. - Risk financial stability. You might spend increasing amounts of money on porn, to the point of being unable to meet your financial obligations or having to ask for money from other people to pay your bills.
- Harm your relationships. You begin to neglect your social interactions and relationships to keep your porn addiction a secret.
- Fail to keep commitments. You might spend so much time watching porn that you start neglecting your responsibilities and risk your employment. Porn addiction can lead you to stop participating in activities or hobbies you used to enjoy since it consumes most of your time.
Another reason porn addiction is a problem is that you can't stop it. You've probably tried to let go of this habit in the past, but you can't control it on your own.
This condition undermines your self-esteem, self-confidence, and ability to pursue long-term goals, causing a dangerous detriment to your overall mental health.
Eli Nash on TEDx gave an interesting speech about porn addiction:
How to Stop Watching Porn
Pornography, like any other addictive substance, gives your brain a dopamine rush that triggers a feel-good reaction.
Porn addicts expect and crave this response more and more over time, but they need to up the stakes to get the same satisfaction they had initially. After all, our brain gets used to our habits.
This is how porn addiction develops.
It may be possible for you to gain control of your harmful porn consumption habits by trying these steps:
- Get rid of porn. Delete all the porn you have on your computer and block all pornographic websites from your electronic devices. If possible, ask someone you trust to lock your devices with security passwords and delete all copies of pornography you can get your hands on.
- Plan an activity. Keeping busy is one of the best treatments on how to stop watching porn, as it takes your mind off the dopamine rush related to it. Schedule an activity every time you feel the urge to watch porn, such as going to the gym, listening to music, or any other enjoyable task.
- Avoid triggers. If certain situations or attitudes make you want to watch porn, avoid those scenarios. For example, if you’ve developed the habit of watching porn after work, do not turn on the computer as soon as you get home.
- Remain grounded. Think about the negative impacts porn has brought to your life to avoid falling back into the habit. Make a list of the damage and losses your porn addiction has done to your relationships, work, and personal life. Consider journaling about what you’ve been through and what plans you have for your life outside of this addiction.
- Set goals. Just like any other habit you want to get rid of, making goals and working toward achieving them can get you back in control of your behavior.
- Get help. Recruit a close friend or someone you trust to help you overcome your porn addiction problems and hold you accountable for breaking out of the cycle.
However, if all these actions are not enough, you should seek professional help. Both in-person or online counseling can help restore a sense of well-being in your life.
While it may be uncomfortable exposing facts about your intimate thoughts and behaviors, confronting this reality will ensure you get proper porn addiction treatment and, therefore, lasting recovery from porn addiction.
Counseling for Porn Addiction
Porn addiction can be challenging to address because of its accessibility, affordability, and anonymity. However, there are widely available methods to treat this condition.
Here are some options for porn addiction counseling.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
This therapy works by helping you identify, challenge, and transform patterns of thinking that trigger specific behaviors that fuel porn use.
The therapist uses Motivational Interviewing or strategic questions to guide you toward improvement. This will make you recognize the pros and cons of your addiction and prompt them in a direction that will improve your life according to your values and standards.
Mindfulness is another tool used in CBT that helps you maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations and leads you to take control of your urges.
Group therapy
Connecting with others to heal personal traumas and experiencing emotional intimacy can be a powerful tool to explore how your past experiences might have affected your self-confidence and vulnerability around others.
Moreover, sharing your concerns with people going through the same process is highly encouraging and keeps you on track with your recovery goals.
The relationships you build within the therapy group can motivate you to overcome porn addiction.
Clinical hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy uses guided meditation to bring you into a trance-like state to address deeper issues that might be involved in your porn addiction.
Clinical hypnotherapy leads you to find the root cause of your mental health issue by accessing the subconscious realm and leading you to porn addiction recovery.
Starting therapy can be a challenging decision. If you are still on the fence about it, you should ensure the conditions are as comfortable as possible to guarantee a long-term commitment to the treatment.
That is why online therapy is a viable alternative to in-person therapy to treat porn addiction or any other mental health issue. This approach allows you to discuss your intimacies from the comfort of your home or from anywhere you like, especially if you don't live near your therapist.
In addition, online counseling is more affordable than in-person treatment, providing anonymity if you so desire, as well as having more options available for finding the ideal therapist for you.
Final Words
Millions of people consume pornography every day, which does not necessarily make it a harmful habit. However, when watching porn becomes a compulsive behavior, it can lead to porn addiction and damaging repercussions in your social, work, and personal life.
If you feel that porn is consuming your life, there are specific actions you can take to overcome your addiction, such as finding pleasurable activities to distract yourself or asking someone you trust to help you.
And if none of this works, there is a wide range of therapies that can help you overcome this addiction.
Find qualified mental health professionals to start online counseling from our DoMental network to help you work through the cause and effects of your porn addiction. You can learn how to stop porn addiction and acquire new coping skills to live a more joyful, less self-destructive life.
