Is Porn A Real Addiction?
Signs of porn addiction problem are real. But whether porn addiction is a real addiction is still a topic of debate in psychiatry and treatment communities. Some of these addictions (such as gambling addiction) are more acceptable than others (such as sex addiction) and medical professionals are still debating where addiction stops and compulsion begins.
Porn addiction causes really have nothing to do with sex. The core reason for porn addiction problem does revolve around sexual intercourse. Sexual desire may be the driving force for some people to watch porn. But it does not necessarily lead to addiction.
Is excessive porn consumption a compulsive disorder or an addiction? The revised definition of the term put up by the American Society of Addiction Medicine Addiction conclusively states that behavioural addictions (such as porn and gambling addiction) alter neural pathways in the same way as chemical addictions (alcoholism, drug abuse).
Regardless of it being an addiction or an obsessive-compulsive disorder, many people find themselves unable to stop or reduce their porn consumption and they need help.
Porn Addiction Signs give us a Clear Idea of the Problem
Pornography addiction means that a person becomes extremely emotionally dependent on pornography. It interferes with their daily lives, interpersonal relationships, and functions. This type of dependency is very common. This is why you need to pay attention to the porn addiction signs before they get out of hand.
There are many porn addiction side effects that you need to be aware of before you proceed further.
Porn addiction definition as per some doctors is a hypersexual disorder. This is a general term that includes behaviors and side effects such as excessive masturbation and constant anxiety. Pornography addiction is still a controversial topic. Some studies have shown that this is not a real problem at all.
The more we try to understand the brain’s response to stimuli, the better we can forecast and diagnose addictive behaviors. Using the internet does not have the external chemical effects of drugs and alcohol. However, it stimulates the reward center in the brain, which can reinforce certain behaviors.
Internet habits, therefore, must be really extreme to be an addiction. Even if someone plays a video game for a few hours, unless it significantly affects their health, it is probably not an addiction.
Porn addiction is hard to diagnose. It is now a normal habit that all adults are accustomed to watching on an occasional basis. However, the internet has become a major hub of pornographic content. Many people are starting to become an addict and it is becoming harmful for both physical and mental health.
Possible Causes Why People Become Porn Addicts
Due to the controversy surrounding the idea of
At the same time, porn addiction experts and supporters believe that this is a complicated issue with many possible causes. Some of these reasons may be:
- Underlying mental health conditions: A person can use pornography to avoid mental stress from work or studies
- Relationship issues: Pornography can be a vent for sexual dissatisfaction.
- Unhealthy cultural norms: Ideas about how people should behave and behave in sexual behavior. What kind of sexual behavior a person should enjoy, and similar norms may attract some people to watch pornography.
- Biological reasons: Certain biological factors, including changes in brain chemicals when viewing pornography, can increase your risk of addiction.
Do I Have Porn Addiction? Watch Out For These Porn Addiction Signs
You need to know whether excessive pornography has reached addiction levels. Ensure to pay attention to the 10 most common porn addiction signs:
1. You are not able to stop watching porn
Despite your best efforts, you still cannot stop using or viewing pornographic content. If your partner cannot stop, you will find that despite your attempts to communicate, they are spending more and more time on the Internet. You keep giving up your productive time only to watch porn. Moreover, you do not sleep as much as you used to. You keep wanting to watch porn at night and end up having insomnia
2. You cannot stop your porn habits abruptly
Your brain is a concoction of chemicals that is accustomed to the “feel good” hormones such as dopamine. There are scientific studies that highlight the Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction which affects this constant need to watch porn.
3. Craving more Porn
Porn addicts claim that they always experience the cravings to watch more and more porn. This is a key sign that one is suffering from porn addiction. People who are addicted to porn will experience cravings if they don’t watch it even for a short time.
An addiction is defined by its characteristics of wanting more despite its negative consequences. If your partner is craving for porn, you may find them sneaking away from you and watching adult content in another room. If you ask them about it, you will see that they might deny or get really defensive.
4. You lose productivity
Porn addicts can spend a long-time watching porn, wasting most of the day without accomplishing anything. You may find that people who are addicted to pornography are drowsy and lethargic and have not done much recently. They will seem like they don’t care or just that they are not interested in anything else. By wasting time, they are significantly losing their levels of energy and productivity.
5. You have lost interest in real sex
When someone is addicted to porn, they are likely to lose interest in real sex. Porn caters to high standards of beauty and sexual performance. This creates bad body image and lowers self-esteem.
Addicts compare the actors and artists that they see in porn to their real partners. Eventually, the partner becomes less attractive to their eyes as opposed to what porn has to offer.
This makes them appear indifferent and disinterested when you try to engage in sexual activities with them. They may require much more sexual stimulation (usually from porn) before they feel “turned on” or aroused.
6. You become more demanding when it comes to sex
Porn addicts will have unrealistic thoughts about sex. When you watch porn, you develop bizarre ideas about sex, body image, and sexual acts. Porn artists are trained to act a certain way but it is completely different when it comes to real life.
People who watch too much porn will start to have weird or unrealistic expectations regarding sex. This will make them more demanding in the bedroom and easily upset. Finally, they end up alienating their partner.
Addiction to pornography creates unrealistic expectations for victims of their partners’ beauty. This will offend your partner’s appearance and cause more serious problems for their self-esteem. In this case, their partner may also feel physical and emotional discomfort.
7. You may experience physical pain
People with porn addiction may start to feel physical pain. Due to the pressure of excessive computer use, porn addicts often complain of wrist, back, and neck pain.
Also, you may also experience pain and swelling in your penis due to excessive “fapping”. The area might feel really sore after a session of PMO. As a result, you would end up feeling uncomfortable for the entire day. This condition is called oedema and can cause your erections to be painful, weaker and wither in size.
8. You start to lose money
Some porn addicts spend more money on content they think is of higher quality when it comes to porn. If this happens, they will soon find themselves in financial trouble. This makes them complain more about money issues but largely unwilling to disclose why it’s happening.
This can be dangerous as you may be wasting the money that you have saved up for your future or your family for useless activities. Financial hardship is a problematic result of being a porn addict.
9. You experience agitation and frustration easily
Like any addiction, porn addicts can easily become irritable when they ‘run out of porn’. When someone or something delays their porn viewing, they may become extremely impatient with certain activities.
Throughout the day, they will seem more irritable, agitated, and even unbalanced. You may feel out of control and frustrated and you may end up lashing out at your loved ones. Your partner may notice a dramatic change in your personality. They may also feel that you are not the person they used to love. The psychological aspects of porn addiction can become dangerous in the long term and have a negative impact on not only you but also society.
10. You become distant
When people develop porn addiction, they experience distraction from all aspects of their life. They start to isolate themselves and try to stay away from social events at all costs. Even when they are with friends, family, or at work, their attention will turn to pornography. In fact, it will affect your work and relationships. This will alienate them from their partners and their attempts to connect with other people in general.
11. You may have excessive negative feelings
When porn becomes an addiction, a person’s sexual feelings will be full of fear, shame, depression, or regret. A person may feel embarrassed by wanting to watch pornographic content. This is because it becomes difficult for them to control these desires. They even show signs of clinical depression or suicidal thoughts.
Research shows that people with sexual obsessive-compulsive disorder often show signs of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. A study found that 28% of sex-addicted men showed signs of depression, compared with 12% in the general population.
Recognize Porn Addiction and Treat it Quickly
Many people believe that the only cause of addiction-related conditions is substance abuse. However, psychological habits have almost the same effect on addiction as chemical habits.
In the United States and around the world, the fastest-growing addiction other than substance abuse disorder may be pornography. Internet pornography is very common because it is easy to access and many people use it often.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only made it more popular among people, mainly due to the boredom factor. Many people who regularly use porn see their porn addiction as a quick escape from stress or boredom. However, this habit may quickly become detrimental, especially once it starts interfering with personal relationships, career goals, or family life.
Porn addiction becomes more and more apparent around early puberty as the frequency of viewing porn increases during this time. When puberty begins, young people succumb to the urges to spend hours watching adult content.
Mental health support for Porn addition :
This addiction can affect a person’s psychological , physical , emotional and spiritual well-being. The impact of mental illness can vary for every individual. Hence there has to be an effective approach for people with mental health disorder and those who are going through mental illness.
Here are a few steps that can be taken by the care-takers or individual himself :
- Seek the help of mental health professional ( could be online or offline)
- Medical advice ( for medication ) could also be helpful for some extreme cases
- Understand that you are not alone in this journey of recover path, there are many who are traversing in the same journey of yours. Join a mental health support group where you can connect to others.
- Involve in a brain activity that distract yourself from watching porn. There are many activities that could be used as distraction.
Take a Step Back and Observe Your Behavior
Determining if a person is a porn addict is very similar to finding out if someone is a substance addict. Like any other addiction, porn addiction can seriously affect personal and even professional life in some cases.
Now you know what the porn addiction signs are. The important thing is to take a step back and observe the behavior of you or your loved one objectively. If you find out the unpleasant truth about yourself or your loved one, take action and act accordingly.
There are tons of available resources both online and offline. These might help you get rid of these porn addiction signs and symptoms. There is no point in avoiding this behavior or keeping it a secret from your loved ones. The best way to solve this problem is to solve the problem face to face with compassion and respect.
Do you think you have any of these porn addiction signs? Let us know in the comments below!
