With more free porn flooding the Internet every day, it’s no surprise that an increasing number of people are becoming addicted to the thrill and excitement it provides. For many people, viewing pornographic material goes hand-in-hand with masturbating (no pun intended). This provides much-needed stress relief, sexual pleasure, and a dopamine rush. It’s this last side effect that causes some people to become addicted and reliant on graphic material for pleasure and happiness.
But what’s the difference between viewing porn for pleasure and having a porn addiction? Keep reading to discover the most common signs of porn addiction and tips for overcoming this debilitating dependency.
What is Porn Addiction?
Porn addiction is considered a behavioral addiction, which can make it more difficult to recognize. Unlike substance abuse, it’s easy for people to conceal their porn addiction, with some people not even believing the addiction exists. But for those who have let porn consume or even ruin their lives, the dependency is real.
Similar to other addictions, porn addiction is described as an uncontrollable need to view pornographic material, despite the negative consequences it has on your life. These can range from professional and personal issues to health problems – both physical and mental. Understanding and recognizing the warning signs of porn addiction is the first step toward recovery.
Common Signs of Porn Addiction
Porn addiction and dependency can manifest itself in various ways, including changes in your personality, mood, and productivity. Porn addiction looks different for everyone, but here are some of the most common signs that may suggest your occasional viewing habits have transformed into an unhealthy addiction.
The Inability to Stop
The first sign that you may be addicted to porn is that you’re unable to stop, despite trying. If you set goals for yourself and can’t seem to reach them, it could mean that your addiction is taking over your logic.
For example, if you promise yourself that you’ll only view pornography once a day before bed but find yourself sneaking into the bathroom at work or viewing it in the car on your drive home, it could be a sign that you’re addicted.
Increased Viewing Habits
For many people, viewing pornography occasionally is a form of stress relief or a way to experience sexual arousal and release from time to time. If you find yourself wanting to view porn more regularly, it may be a sign of addiction.
Has your viewing increased from a couple of times a week to a couple of times a day? You may experience increased cravings to view porn at inappropriate times. Some porn addicts sneak out of bed at night with their partners to watch porn or prefer watching porn over actual intimacy.
Lost Interest in Sex
Speaking of choosing porn over intimacy, lost interest in sex with your partner is another sign you may be relying too heavily on porn. Porn is meant to be thrilling, exciting, and, ultimately, unrealistic. The people depicted in porn videos are paid actors and perform as such.
Viewing too much pornography can give you unrealistic expectations of what sex should be, causing you to lose interest in real intimacy and lean more toward the erotic and exciting world of porn.
Some porn addicts start to view their partners differently as well. If you’re in an intimate relationship, you may subconsciously place unrealistic expectations on your significant other to look, act, and perform the same as your favorite film stars. Signs you’re addicted to porn include being unresponsive to your partner’s advances, not being aroused by the same stimulation you once were, and an overall disinterest in sex in real life.
Increased Demands for Sex
While some porn addicts lose interest in sex, others actually find they become more demanding of their partners. If you’re in an intimate relationship, you may feel an overwhelming desire to act out your fantasies and sexual desires in real life. Porn addicts often ask their partners to reenact their favorite sex scenes or scenarios – many of which are out of character and may make the other person feel uncomfortable.
You may also find yourself wanting sex more and placing more pressure on your partner to perform. This can lead to frustration, resentment, and isolation. Many porn addicts also place unrealistic expectations on their partners, creating alienation and distrust.
Wasted Time
For some addicts, viewing porn is all-consuming. What feels like just a few minutes in front of the computer could turn into hours of lost time. If you notice that you’re losing hours or even days at a time viewing porn, it could be a sign that your addiction is taking over.
Some addicts notice a dip in energy levels, productivity, and motivation. After a long viewing session, you may feel lackluster and even depressed. You may lack the motivation to accomplish things in both your personal and professional life. Porn addiction can cause some people to lose interest in hobbies and activities they used to enjoy doing.
This is another way in which porn addiction can negatively impact your professional life. Some addicts forgo work and other important obligations in order to feed their addiction. Calling out sick, showing up late, leaving early, or even shirking major responsibilities could be a sign that porn is monopolizing your time and compromising your livelihood.
Financial Trouble
Compromising your job isn’t the only way that porn addicts put themselves at financial risk. While there’s plenty of free porn online, many addicts who have very specific fetishes or desires are willing to pay for exclusive content, live web sessions with cam models, and other more extreme content.
Similar to a gambling addiction, porn addicts become increasingly willing to spend more money on the content they want. Another reason for this is that they become immune to the same old content. You may find yourself craving more extreme and explicit forms of pornography which may be difficult to access without paying for it. Before long, you may be spending money you don’t have or borrowing money you can’t pay back.
Mood Swings
Addictions of all kinds can affect your personality, demeanor, and overall mood. Many addicts are subconsciously frustrated with themselves and their inability to stop – and viewing pornography is no different. You may find yourself feeling depressed, anxious, and isolated from your friends and loved ones. The more you view porn, the less apt you are to socialize or even leave the house. You may also decline invitations to social gatherings to avoid being questioned about your behavior.
All of these things can lead to internal frustration, which may also manifest as anger. Porn addicts get extremely defensive when confronted with suspicions about their addiction. It’s also embarrassing and may cause you to lash out as a defense mechanism. These drastic mood swings or changes in your personality that are out of character for you may all be signs that porn is taking over your life.
Physical Ailments
Porn addiction doesn’t just negatively impact your mind or personality. It can actually cause physical deterioration as well. Excessive computer use can cause a variety of symptoms including eye strain, neck pain, headaches, and blurred vision. You may also experience poor posture, hand cramping, or wrist pain if you view porn on your mobile device.
Any type of repetitive physical motion or movement over long periods of time can also cause strain and discomfort. Some porn addicts even experience sleep deprivation due to too many hours of viewing and increased exposure to blue light from digital devices which is proven to interfere with sleep and cause insomnia. Some men with porn addiction may also suffer from erectile dysfunction and other issues with getting and staying aroused, but the research surrounding this theory is still ongoing.
How to Stop Viewing Porn
If you recognize any of these porn addiction signs in yourself or someone you know, it may be time for a change. The good news is that with some knowledge, commitment, and self-awareness, you can make the changes needed to break free from your porn addiction and reclaim your life.
Many of these tactics involve cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This common form of therapy involves replacing certain thought patterns in relation to stimuli or other external factors. By changing your thoughts in relation to these external factors (in this case, porn), you can work to also change your behaviors. In time, you may learn to rely less heavily on porn for stress relief or as a distraction from your daily life. You’ll also notice fewer cravings and urges, increased energy and motivation, and improved relationships.
Here are a few things you can do to help address and overcome your porn addiction.
Recognize Your Triggers
Countless things can trigger your desire to watch porn from stress and sexual arousal to stimulating content or visual materials. Something as simple as a sex scene in a movie or a racy advertisement can send some people reeling and spiraling down the road of addictive behaviors.
By recognizing your triggers, you can take the necessary steps to avoid them or plan for them. In life, some things are unavoidable. Although you can put porn blockers on your electronic devices (more on this below), you can’t prevent every urge or temptation that comes your way. Instead, you can formulate a plan to address those triggers as they arise. The more prepared you are, the better equipped you’ll be to face and overcome these challenges.
Get Active
Physical activity works wonders for your mental and physical well-being. It’s also a popular way to reduce stress, boost energy levels, and increase happiness. If you’re suffering from porn addiction, adopting a new exercise routine or physical activity can do wonders for your mood and stress levels as you navigate your new lifestyle.
Exercise also helps boost your self-esteem, making you feel more confident and capable of battling your addiction. All forms of exercise and physical activity can act as healthy habits and replacements for your porn addiction from walking and hiking to bike riding, kayaking, playing sports, or even hitting the gym.
Find a Support Group
Sometimes, we need help and support through difficult times. And overcoming porn addiction isn’t easy. This is one reason many people find support groups to help them manage their thoughts, feelings, and urges. Many counseling programs are available both online and in person.
Not everyone is comfortable attending an in-person counseling session for porn addiction, which is one reason online groups and forums are so popular. Here, you’ll meet and connect with like-minded individuals facing the same struggles. You’ll soon realize that you’re not alone and find inspiration and advice from those going through a similar experience. This sense of belonging and community can be a valuable tool in your journey toward a porn-free life.
Utilize CBT and ACT Methods
In addition to group therapy, you can also utilize individual therapy services and methods including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). Both forms of therapy can be done one-on-one with a counselor or through an online program like Stop Together.
CBT and ACT focus on accepting your thoughts and urges while simultaneously committing to new actions and behaviors that align best with your values, goals, and desires. When you learn to stop denying and fighting against your inner thoughts and emotions, you can establish a healthier relationship with these feelings and create space and distance to accept them, release them, and move on with your life.
Install a Porn Blocker
One of the easiest ways to support porn addiction recovery is to install porn blockers on your electronic devices. These include your laptop or PC, tablet, smartphone, and any other devices you normally use to access porn. Porn blockers prevent you from visiting certain websites, and clicking on links, and stop pop-up ads from tempting you to stray from your path to recovery.
Keep in mind, though, that porn blockers are not the ultimate solution – they’re simply a tool to support your efforts of overcoming porn addiction. By reducing your temptation, you can work toward creating stronger willpower and the ability to say no to porn once and for all.
Try Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation are two great ways to reduce negative thoughts, block out distractions, and learn to tap into your true self. By quieting your mind and learning to let negative thoughts and feelings flow in and out without judgment or a strong reaction, you can work to address your porn habits in this same way.
When an urge arises, acknowledge it, accept it, and set it free without giving in to it. Soon, these thoughts and urges will have less of a hold on you and you’ll be able to move past them naturally and automatically.
Meditating takes time and practice. Mindfulness apps can help guide you through the practice. Yoga is another great technique for learning to quiet the mind and control your breathing. Find a quiet place to relax and practice your meditation. This can be done in the morning, in the evening, or both and may soon replace the timeframes you once used to view pornography.
Change Your Surroundings
Sometimes, change requires a shift in your environment. By changing your physical surroundings, you can elicit change in your mind and habits as well. If the computer you once used to view porn is in your bedroom or office, move it somewhere else. Place it in a common area where you’ll be less inclined to view or search explicit material.
You can also add positive elements to your home or office like motivational quotes, an essential oil diffuser, or stress balls, and other materials that help distract your mind and hands when the urge to view pornography arises. Overcoming porn addiction is an entire lifestyle change, not just a quick fix. By changing your surroundings, you can also change your behaviors.
Embrace a Porn-Free Life
They say that admission is the first step toward recovery. After reading these porn addiction signs, it’s important, to be honest with yourself about where you stand and what your behaviors indicate.
If watching pornography is consuming your time and life, negatively impacting your mood and relationships, or putting you into debt, you may be facing more than just a bad habit. You may be struggling with porn addiction.
By adopting some of these techniques for change, you can stop relying on porn as your main source of happiness and stress relief and, instead, adopt a newer, healthier lifestyle that better aligns with your true self.
