Porn addiction
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This Page was last reviewed and changed on August 30th, 2023
Many of us have a hard time acknowledging porn addiction as an illness, instead seeing it as a nasty habit that can easily be broken. What many of us do not know, however, is that much like the compulsion to take drugs, gamble, or excessively drink alcohol, porn addiction has the potential to cost people their relationships, careers, and social lives. This makes it just as powerful as any other addiction.
Porn addiction can present itself in several ways. You can consult this page for signs and symptoms of porn addiction as well as ways to approach recovery, for example, through porn rehabilitation and treatment programmes purposefully designed to help you overcome this affliction.
What is porn addiction?
Addiction is a condition characterised by obsessively seeking out a behaviour, with the powerlessness to stop even if it is causing harm to your health. Porn addiction, in much the same way, is a behavioural addiction that leads individuals to view pornographic material in a manner that is unhealthy and stands in the way of things which are important to them.
Porn addiction and the brain
Dopamine is the brain’s ‘feel-good hormone,’ a neurotransmitter associated with addiction. Dopamine has the power to drive our behaviour, pushing us to engage in activities that stimulate and excite us. Going out for an enjoyable meal, shopping, and playing video games are all examples of pursuits that trigger this system. When we view pornographic material, we are met with the same spike in dopamine that we get from other addictive behaviours, and we receive a rush of satisfaction and pleasure that motivates us to carry out that same activity again.
While dopamine is essential in fuelling our motivations, too much of it can put us into overdrive and lead to dangerous consequences. After repeated porn viewing, you may begin to feel that you need more of it to achieve the same rush. Along with the fact that we can access porn anywhere and at any time, this can make the compulsion particularly tricky to alleviate.
Why do we get addicted to porn?
Porn can be addictive because of the way it encourages high levels of dopamine in the brain, similar to the effects of alcohol addiction or drug addiction, which induce an intense ‘high’ that can cause some individuals to seek out the behaviour excessively. However, there are other factors which might also increase the likelihood of the development of porn addiction.
In some cases, excess porn viewing has been said to be associated with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression, with particular individuals using porn as a tool to escape negative emotions or feelings that are causing them distress. Much like other addictions, pornography can offer an escape from the hardships of everyday life.
Who can develop porn addiction?
Age is also a discernible factor in porn addiction, and research has observed that four in five UK sixteen to seventeen-year-olds watch porn, and on average, young people spend more than two hours a month using pornography sites.
Porn addiction could be down to societal changes, with pornography becoming increasingly easy to come by. With the growth of technology, so too has come a rise in availability and accessibility, giving individuals the key to their darkest fantasies, all from the convenience of their devices. In fact, since 2010, it has been recorded that Pornhub visits, specifically from mobile devices, have grown by 1424%, with users turning to their smartphones for porn more than all other platforms combined.
Am I suffering from porn addiction?
Finding out whether you are addicted to porn may require a more thorough medical assessment, but if you have answered ‘yes’ to more than three of the questions below, you might be struggling with porn addiction:
- Do you feel like your compulsion to view porn is starting to interfere with your sexual relationships?
- Have you tried to stop watching porn but found it impossible to do so?
- Has your porn viewership started to interfere with your professional life?
- Have your expectations of sexual behaviour changed as a result of your porn habits?
- Are you becoming increasingly distracted, thinking of porn even when you do not want to?
- Do you ever get caught up on porn sites, sometimes spending hours looking at them?
Common porn addiction signs to look out for:
- Feelings of guilt and shame when engaging with pornographic material
- Increased porn use
- Sexual dysfunction
- Feelings of shame and guilt
- Disconnect between yourself and partner
Another way to determine whether you have developed a porn addiction is if you use it as a method to self-medicate, feeling that it is the only outlet you have to relieve uncomfortable emotions such as fear, loneliness, disappointment or anger. Above all, if you are beginning to believe that porn feels more like a need than a choice, this is usually a good way to determine whether your porn use has developed into a chronic condition.
How can I support a loved one suffering from porn addiction?
It can be a difficult process to support someone trying to overcome porn addiction, particularly as a partner who might feel hurt as a result of your loved one’s excessive porn viewing. The key to true support comes with putting aside any personal judgements, choosing instead to create an open environment that is free from prejudice. Showing your partner that you care and that they need not feel ashamed is the best way to set them on the road to recovery.
Porn addiction treatment
Much like any other addiction, overcoming your porn dependence is not as simple as stopping the behaviour. While this may provide a short-term solution, there are often deeper problems that might have led your addiction to develop. At UKAT, we would recommend porn addiction treatment as a proven option to help you begin your journey towards recovery. Rehab for porn addiction, for example, provides treatment programmes, helping you to discuss your problems in a non-judgmental, nurturing environment that can support you in getting to the root of your addiction and considering practical tools to see the other side of your addiction.
Rather than seeing a porn addiction treatment programme as a frightening experience where you begin to worry about what is going to happen, think of it as an adventure where you will learn more about yourself and who you are. At UKAT, we have years of experience in treating multiple addictions, including porn addiction treatment, which will provide you with the perfect space to begin your journey.
