If you’ve ever found yourself wondering if your porn consumption borders on a porn addiction, you’re not alone.

Before I go any further, I want to make one thing clear – this is a judgment-free zone, one dedicated to educating and enlightening without any shaming. Think of this as a helpful form of sex education (not the type you were subjected to in grade school that made you and your classmates painfully uncomfortable). At the end of the day, masturbation, pornography use, and any associated struggles you have related to porn are part of American culture. Besides, many of us had our first experience with porn as adolescents.

After all, it’s easy to access and promises instant gratification. For most guys, porn use contributes to a healthy, versatile sex life. According to the American Psychiatric Association (also known as the APA), various international studies have put porn consumption rates at 50 percent to 99 percent among men. 

So, how do you know when your use of pornography has become an issue?

In this article, we’ll explore the following:

• What porn addiction is/whether it’s truly addictive
• Porn addiction causes, signs, & symptoms
• How viewing pornography can impact your relationships
• Mental health, your brain, and pornography addiction
• Ways to overcome an addiction to porn

Let’s dive right in!

What is porn addiction?

Porn addiction, simply put, is when a person can’t stop watching pornography, especially when they want to. At its worst, porn addiction interferes with a person’s everyday life, personal life, relationships, and work life.

It’s also referred to as online porn addiction or problematic pornography use. If left unchecked, it can lead to serious, permanent interpersonal and sexual problems.

Is pornography addiction a real addiction?

Even though it’s widely viewed as a form of sex addiction, using porn isn’t considered an actual addiction. How come?

Because the three major authorities on disorders – the APA, the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (aka the DSM-5), and the World Health Organization (aka the WHO) – don’t recognize it as an addiction. The closest you’ll get is compulsive sexual behavior, which the WHO recently added to their list of mental health disorders. It’s the only mental health condition mentioned related to sex.

And yet, many guys still feel it’s a form of addiction. I feel you. Maybe that’s because porn triggers major dopamine releases in the brain. If you didn’t know, dopamine is the hormone that plays a key role in the brain’s reward center. When activated, it makes you feel good, pleased, and satisfied. It’s also worth mentioning that porn use often goes hand-in-hand with substance abuse.

The dopamine surges many men experience while viewing porn is very similar to what happens when using alcohol or drugs, the two most common substance use disorders. Usually, that’s the underlying factor in the formation of addictive behaviors.

Pornography addiction is classified under behavioral addictions, or addictions centered around habits and behaviors – like social media usage or sexual activity.

Common causes of porn addiction

The following are common reasons why men find themselves addicted to porn. Keep in mind this list isn’t exhaustive.

• Biological factors (ex: genetics)
• Mental health issues (anxiety, depression, PTSD)
• Relationship problems
• Self-esteem difficulties

Signs of porn addiction

Some of the most typical signs encountered when a man thinks he’s struggling with an addiction to pornography include:

• Feeling guilt or shame after you watch porn, yet continuing to use it
• Ignoring your daily responsibilities to watch porn
• It takes viewing extreme porn to achieve the same results milder forms once did
• Porn use causes intimacy or relationship problems
• You use porn as a coping mechanism for difficult emotions or mental health issues
• Your sex life becomes less fulfilling
• You’re starting to spend a substantial amount of money on pornography

Porn addiction symptoms

The symptoms most attributed to porn addiction are:

• Agitation or mood disorders/mood swings when trying to quit using porn
• Engaging in risky behavior
• Experiencing cravings or urges for more
• Feeling unable to stop viewing porn
• Intrusive thoughts
• Isolation and seclusion
• Lack of interest in sex with your partner
• Sexual dysfunction
• Unwanted or excessive sexual arousal (commonly attributed to any form of a hypersexual disorder)

How pornography use affects the brain

Neuroplasticity is often brought up when talking up addiction and recovery. It sounds like a fancy buzzword, but all it’s referring to is your brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. In other words, it’s all about your brain’s ability to adapt and change.

Prolonged porn consumption can have a stunting effect on your cognitive development, impairing functions like decision-making, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. Because porn use is often a convenient route to sexual satisfaction, extra emphasis should be placed on the word prolonged.

So long as you aren’t binging it the way you do a Netflix series, I think you should be okay.

Porn addiction and relationships

Porn addiction can have several negative effects on you and your loved one. It’s necessary to mention that just because something is listed, doesn’t mean it applies to you or your relationship. Again, my core focal point is comprehensive, yet concise sex education.

Excessive porn consumption impacts relationships in the following ways:

• Decreased emotional connection and sexual satisfaction
• Difficulty getting aroused without porn
• Engaging in sex with your partner less often
• Increased infidelity
• Lack of trust amongst partners

Does porn cause erectile dysfunction?

The simple answer is – there is no clear consensus. To some experts, porn increases the likelihood of erectile dysfunction, or ED, because it causes some men to feel less confident. To others, it helps overcome ED, playing a role in foreplay between partners. It may not be what you want to hear, but this really is a case-by-case sort of issue.

Pornography addiction and mental health

Mental health issues often associated with porn addiction (or co-occur with it) include:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Personality disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Ways to overcome porn addiction

Overcoming an addiction to pornography isn’t easy. Trying to quit without specific guidelines or goals has unintended negative consequences – like making it harder to truly let go. Consider these pointers if you find yourself struggling to give up porn.

Reach out to an AASECT-certified sex therapist

AASECT stands for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. AASECT-certified sex therapists are mental health professionals who specialize in treating clients with sexual issues and concerns. Why does this matter?

Because they specialize in all sexually related problems! I’ll put it this way. Imagine you’re an athlete who just tore his anterior cruciate ligament (aka ACL), a major part of knee stability. You’re presented with two doctors to consult with in the aftermath — one who’s a general practitioner and one who has decades of experience in “knee reconstruction.” Who are you going to go with?

I don’t know about you, but I want the knee reconstructionist. Sounds like a doc that’ll make me happy to pay my insurance co-pay. That’s the difference between other therapists and AASECT-certified ones like me.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, aka CBT, is a form of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy uses psychological methods, combined with regular personal interaction, to help someone change their behavior, increase happiness, and overcome any life obstacles.

CBT’s main goal is to treat various mental health related conditions through psycho-social means (combining aspects of psychology with social work). When used correctly, I’ve seen it help clients identify triggers and ways to positively restructure them, making it one of the most effective treatments for substance abuse disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. If you use it the right way, CBT makes the thought of internet pornography nauseating.

Install content filters on all your devices

A content filter is a program that screens all online content on any device connected to the internet. It blocks content containing specific words or images based on the restriction parameters created, preventing access to harmful, illegal, or inappropriate content.

Installing one on all your devices (your work phone, personal phone, laptop, desktop, tablets, and anything else you can use to view pornography) makes it harder to access porn. It’s kind of a cold turkey approach, but one I recommend if your goal is to quit immediately.

As an added bonus, stay off of social media. That’s where the majority of “thirst traps,” or subtle sexual content, gets posted.

Join a support group

Support groups are a great way to meet like-minded people with similar problems. Being in the same room or digital space as other guys who know what it’s like to struggle with porn use makes it easier to open up about your woes.

I know it’s never an easy topic to broach, but it becomes less unbearable when you’re in the presence of other people who know your pain. It’s hard for them to be judgmental – and if you’re being honest, isn’t that what you’re most afraid of?

Reach out to SAMHSA

SAMHSA, also known as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is a segment of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA aims to improve the quality and availability of treatment and rehab services to reduce death, disability, and illness, in addition to the societal costs of mental illness and substance abuse.

SAMHSA has a behavioral health treatment center locator on their site that serves as an anonymous and confidential resource for anyone wanting help with mental health or substance abuse disorders. It’s a “.gov” website, meaning it’s an official government website.

Consider addiction treatment

If none of the previously mentioned options stands out to you, think about reaching out to a mental health professional – anyone with the experience and qualifications to help you understand the role porn is playing in your life. Also consider finding some other form of professional help, like a social worker or therapist.

Do your research, then sit down and weigh all your treatment options. At the end of the day, the decision you make is about your well-being. It’s important you place a premium on finding what works best.

Conclusion

I want to reiterate something one more time – pornography isn’t a bad thing. Watching porn doesn’t make you a bad person. Porn consumption can be important to the sexual health of a fully formed, mature adult. However, when left unchecked, it becomes a sexual addiction, taking away from the quality of your real-life experiences and interactions.

Whether it’s ongoing battles with masturbation or masturbation addiction or general porn addiction, I specialize in all forms of sexual addiction. My holistic approach to pornography addiction and sex therapy ensures you and your partner rekindle the spark that made life satisfying, both in and out of the bedroom.

It’s more than a means of income for me. It’s my life’s passion.