Pornhub, considered the most popular site for free porn, averaged 2.5 billion visits per month in 2022. To put this in perspective, Starbucks goes through 4 billion cups annually. So, porn is more popular than everyone’s favorite coffee — like, by far. As with any addiction, the path to recovery is difficult and riddled with relapse. The harrowing challenge to a partner of a porn addict is to maintain her own integrity and emotional health while offering her partner forgiveness and the space and support to manage his recovery, if he so chooses. If you or someone you know is struggling with compulsive or addictive porn use, please visit the free resource website SexandRelationshipHealing.com for assistance and guidance.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Although there is disagreement about the causes of pornography addiction, treatment usually involves addressing an underlying issue, which could relate to mental health. Accessing pornography is easy, and it can require significantly less effort than interacting with a partner. For some, this can contribute to an unhealthy cycle in which porn causes problems in a relationship, leading the person to rely even more heavily on pornography to achieve sexual satisfaction and escape the relationship issues. Male sexual dysfunction appears to be an increasingly common consequence of heavy porn use. If you find that you are avoiding IRL sex, this could be about intimacy issues and have nothing to do with porn. If you are avoiding connecting with people, not just sexually, that is a problem.
Pornography “addiction” treatment
- There is help if you feel your pornography habits are causing problems.
- At the very least, these are the issues that seem to drive heavy porn users into treatment.
- I have worked with clients who have had strict Catholic, Muslim, Hindi, and Jewish religious upbringings and educations.
- As a result, they may pressure themselves (or their sexual partners) to engage in certain activities or behaviors.
It’s not so simple as to just say, “Stop using pornography,” given that this would be almost meaningless to that person who watches pornography fewer than once a month. Mental health experts cannot agree on whether pornography addiction is real or how common it might be. Someone might start by watching a couple having sex, but then they may eventually “grow bored” by that type of porn. Most people first experiment with porn the same way they might experience with drugs.
What if it’s left untreated?
There’s still controversy over whether excessive pornography use is an actual behavioral addiction — like gambling or shopping — or perhaps something else. A 2013 UK study of 226 men found that frequent pornography use may be closer to a compulsion than an addiction. If someone else’s porn addiction is interfering with your quality of life or relationship, you may consider seeking support from trusted friends, family, and trained professionals or support groups. Porn addiction is problematic porn use as defined by a person continuing to watch, read, or listen to pornographic content despite experiencing negative consequences. Others will experience unwanted or adverse effects from porn consumption. Pornography use is a widespread means of dealing with one’s sexual drives.
The Consequences of Compulsive Porn Use
Porn addiction is a significant factor attributing to separation and divorce rates. Nearly 70% of divorce cases involve one partner meeting someone new over the Internet. Over half involved at least one party showing an excess interest in pornography. Many also spend increased time in online chat rooms engaging in cybersex. It may be depression or generalized anxiety that has been there forever. Or it is situational—you’re struggling with a job or relationship where you feel stressed and trapped or overwhelmed.
The American Psychiatric Association hasn’t formally recognized porn addiction as a diagnosis. However, the compulsion to watch porn mimics that of other behavioral process addictions. Magazines, VHS tapes, DVDs, and other traditional forms of pornography are still in use, but the vast majority of heavy porn users prefer the anonymity, affordability, and 24/7 accessibility that digital technologies provide. And this 11 or 12 hours per week number is the low end of the spectrum. Many users spend double or even triple that amount of time with pornography. If any of these sound like you, you may need help controlling your porn consumption.
Generally speaking, research on porn and health outcomes is either poorly designed or produces inconclusive results. Pornhob alone states that it has over 150 million daily active visitors, which averages to 3.2 billion views per month (1). Lifehacker has been a go-to source of tech help and life advice since 2005.
It may also contribute to the development of unrealistic sexual expectations and distorted perceptions of intimate relationships. Sexual violence, partner violence, anxiety, depression, compulsive pornography use, and commercial sexual exploitation are public health problems, and there is a possibility that pornography exacerbates these problems. Given that possibility, we need to know more about whether, how, and why pornography influences social norms as well as individuals’ behavior, and what we can do to address that influence if it is harmful.
By Michelle PugleMichelle Pugle, MA is a freelance writer and reporter focusing on mental health and chronic conditions. As seen in Verywell, Healthline, https://sober-home.org/ Psych Central, Everyday Health, and Health.com, among others. If you watch porn when bored or exhausted, consider changing your habits.
There are some signs, such as negative effects on relationships and employment. Let’s discuss the sexual challenges that are caused by unrealistic sexual expectations and how to work through them. Research finds a correlation between porn use and the likelihood of future breakups, https://sober-home.org/narcissism-and-alcoholism-similarities-differences/ but the effect is not necessarily based on the use of porn itself but whether a partner disapproves of it. Psychologists urge partners to discuss potentially divisive issues like porn use before getting married to avoid potentially devastating disputes in the future.
A partner may assume the other knows they disapprove of porn use but may never have openly discussed it, or other core values. Or someone may believe porn use is a sign that a partner has withdrawn from the relationship, but that concern tends to be based on an accumulation of signals. The widespread access to and use of pornography among adolescents indicates that it is not at all unusual for a given teen to use porn. However, parents, educators, and psychologists alike have expressed concern about porn serving as de facto sexual education for many young people, because of its unrealistic depictions of sexual activity. It may also be helpful to speak with a sex therapist to discuss your symptoms and determine a treatment plan.
Instead, some research shows, those who believe they have an addiction to pornography may not use it more than others, but may hold cultural or religious beliefs that make them feel more guilty about it. Other research shows that seeing oneself as a porn addict may be closely correlated to depression, anxiety, and anger. Even the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists agrees with this. The group says there’s little proof that either sex addiction or porn addiction are problems. In a position statement on the topic, the group cautions against making consensual sexual behavior a disorder.
Surveys find that around four percent of men and one percent of women believe they may be addicted to porn. Some researchers believe therapists should discuss clients’ cultural and religious beliefs, and consider their own, before making any diagnosis based on the use of porn. If you are experiencing issues managing your pornography viewing, there are treatment methods available to help you manage your symptoms. Porn “addiction” often occurs with a substance use disorder (SUD).
Fortunately, there are ways to treat a porn addiction, either by yourself or with a professional. Keep reading to learn if you have a porn addiction and how exactly you can improve your life starting today. A 2016 review highlights data on porn-related sexual dysfunction. However, some experts have criticized these findings, and one of the authors is a proponent of the idea that porn addiction is common. Obviously, sexual dysregulation is one; the addictive behavior essentially running your day.
It’s hard to help someone when you don’t understand their condition. You can read up on addiction and mental health issues to get a better awareness of the issues they are facing. Conditions such as epilepsy and dementia, as well as treatment for Parkinson’s with dopamine, can damage the part of your brain that controls sexual behavior. Whether it’s an addiction or not, those who use pornography regularly have intense urges or cravings for sex. Some experts believe there’s a link between heavy use of porn and dissatisfaction with relationships.