Questioning whether porn addiction is a true addiction or not is quite common amongst people who have a compulsive need to consume erotic material.
Many people refuse to acknowledge their addiction, while others inquire about porn addiction to understand the signs and symptoms. Porn addiction is a highly controversial topic in the medical community as it does not classify as a true addiction.
However, pornographic addiction has the same hallmarks of addiction as any other addictive material. For example, people with porn addiction experience similar withdrawal symptoms and difficulties associated with substance addiction or alcohol abuse.
About 6% of the people in our society are addicted to porn. As it affects numerous people, it’s vital to understand the causes and the warning signs of pornography addiction before devising an effective treatment strategy.
Potential Causes of Porn Addiction
Porn addiction has several causes. Some people get addicted to porn because they use it to distract themselves from underlying mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, etc. At the same time, others start consuming erotic material out of boredom.
As they spend more time watching porn, they form a dependency due to the release of dopamine in their brain. Here are some other causes of pornographic addiction.
- Underlying co-occurring disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety, psychological stress issues, etc.
- Cultural norms make people believe they can only follow specific patterns for sexual satisfaction. Porn opens the doorway to exploring different sexualities.
- Biological factors such as a change in brain chemistry.
- Unique genetics and physiology.
- Ease of accessibility.
5 Warning Signs and Symptoms of Porn Addiction
Porn addiction has various indications that help you recognize your obsessive-compulsive need to constantly consume graphic material. Here are the five most common warning signs of porn addiction.
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Intense Urges to Watch Porn
The most obvious warning sign of porn addiction is the sudden intense urge to consume erotic material. Such intense cravings result in people excessively consuming porn which causes progression and dependency.
As people increase their time spent watching porn, they form a tolerance. When you watch something that pleases you, your brain releases dopamine. The changes in brain chemicals stop occurring due to excessive viewing of porn.
As a result, a person cannot achieve the same pleasure. Then they start watching more graphic and violent content to satisfy themselves. Due to the release of dopamine, porn makes a person physically and emotionally dependent.
But dopamine has a short-lived effect. The temporary effect results in strong urges to watch porn once a person becomes addicted because the brain becomes accustomed to the chemical changes.
For proper functioning, an addicted person will have to watch porn.
Without this, they will experience porn withdrawal symptoms, increasing their temptation to watch more erotic content. Therefore the first common warning sign of porn addiction is an intense urge to consume pornographic material for satisfaction.
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Feelings of Shame, Guilt, and Anger
People with porn addiction feel shame, guilt, anger, and frustration about watching porn. Yet despite these feelings, they continue to watch erotic content and engage in addictive behavior.
When someone is addicted to porn, they also become irritable when they cannot access pornographic content.
Besides this, the addicted person also feels frustrated and behaves aggressively, which impacts their personal life. But once they watch porn to satisfy themselves, it makes them guilty due to their inability to stop.
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Inability to Stop
Pornography isn’t inherently bad, as many people watch it for gratification. But some people form unhealthy relationships with adult content. They recognize their compulsive behavior and constant need to watch porn, but they have an inability to stop.
Multiple failed attempts to quit are among the common warning signs of porn addiction. Unfortunately, porn is highly addictive, which makes it difficult for individuals to stop. In some cases, people find it impossible to quit.
But porn addiction has numerous associated symptoms which are detrimental to your personal and professional life. Therefore, if you recognize your inability to stop viewing porn, you must consult professional help.
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Sexual Dissatisfaction
Addiction to porn causes sexual dissatisfaction. People lose interest in sex with their partners because they have unrealistic sexual fantasies and ideas.
Porn promotes these concepts, which results in little to no libido. This also explains why people lose their sex drive, resulting in aggression and irritability. Therefore your tendency to forego sex and intimacy is one of the hallmarks of porn addiction.
Once you have a porn addiction, your brain associates pleasure with consuming erotic material. Then it changes your idea of pleasure.
You form an inability to feel physically stimulated without watching porn. Over time, this leads to a loss of interest in sex, eroding your romantic and sexual relationships.
So if you notice any signs of sexual dissatisfaction, you must seek medical assistance to overcome porn addiction before it creates relationship conflicts.
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Developing a Tolerance for Porn
Watching porn triggers neurochemical brain reactions, such as the release of dopamine. These neurochemical brain changes produce pleasurable feelings, which intensify with the overconsumption of porn.
Soon you develop a tolerance because your brain no longer produces the same dopamine levels. You need more graphic content to achieve the same levels of pleasure.
With time, porn addicts start viewing more extreme forms of porn. They may even resort to violent pornography, which can negatively affect their mental health.
Besides this, the tolerance for porn increases a person’s time duration watching erotic material. Therefore, if you notice yourself developing a tolerance, you must consult a therapist to devise a treatment strategy. Otherwise, your porn addiction will become worse with time.
Final Words
Many people watch porn as a hobby for gratification. But porn can trigger chemical changes in your brain, which makes you dependent on erotic material for sexual satisfaction.
When you constantly think about watching porn, it takes over your life and makes you neglect your responsibilities.
Before that happens, you must take a porn addiction test to know whether you’re developing an addiction. Next, you can recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction, look into various treatment plans, and walk on the path to long-term recovery.
