What is pornography addiction?
Pornography addiction is when a person struggles with looking at pornography to the point that it is affecting his relationships, job, finances, or other major aspect of life. Like any other addiction, when a person looks at porn, it is a pleasurable experience that increases a person’s desire for more.
As with other addictions, looking at sexualized images or videos may start out small, such as seeing a picture of a woman or man scantily clothed. This experience can increase a person’s desire to look at more and more pictures or videos like what they first saw because they hope to get the same excitement they first felt.
Heavy pornography usage may contribute to withdrawal symptoms when an addict attempts to stop. Withdrawal symptoms happen when a person experiences negative symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, depressed mood, or other negative reaction when there has been an extended time without viewing porn. Withdrawal for porn addicts does not look like it does with other addictions. Irritability and impulsiveness may be evidence of withdrawal from porn.
How does pornography affect a person?
Sexually explicit material stimulates the release of hormones that make a person feel energetic, calm, and pleasurable, especially when used while masturbating. The person viewing porn may not see the pictures or videos as real people, which leads to objectifying others. This effect may have an impact on how a person views others in a real relationship and the sexual nature of a relationship.
Pornography can contribute to isolation and withdrawal from others. It can also create distrust in relationships if hidden from a partner. A person viewing pornography may be inadvertently producing feelings of jealousy, hurt, and/or resentment in their partner.
Due to pornography having a more intense nature than physical sex with a partner, the content of some of the images and videos can increase fantasies that a partner may not want to reenact, causing friction and distrust in relationships.
Statistics regarding pornography addiction.
The Family Research Council found the following through their research:
- Men who look at porn are not as satisfied with their relationships and are more distant. Wives can usually tell this difference and do not like it.
- Frequent porn use often leads to infidelity and divorce.
- Porn use desensitizes one to content and increases cravings for more deviant material for the same rush.
- Two-thirds of couples where pornography use is present lose the desire for sexual intercourse.
- Pornography can lead to loss of interest in family relationships.
- Porn IS addictive!
- Porn use by men increases their tolerance for abnormal sexual experiences, including rape, sexual aggression, and sexual promiscuity.
- Long-term use of porn in men increases the view of women as sexual objects, not people.
- Child sex offenders often have a history of chronic pornography viewing.
- Adolescents who view porn have initial negative feelings about it but eventually start to enjoy it very much.
- “The main defenses against pornography are close family life, a good marriage, and good relations between parents and children, coupled with deliberate parental monitoring of Internet use. Traditionally, the government has kept a tight lid on sexual traffic and businesses, but in matters of pornography that has waned almost completely, except where child pornography is concerned. Given the massive, deleterious individual, marital, family, and social effects of pornography, it is time for citizens, communities, and government to reconsider their laissez-faire approach.”
Barna has just completed one of the biggest studies ever done on pornography addiction statistics and they found:
- Teens and young adults rank not recycling as more immoral than viewing pornography.
- Six in ten young adults view porn either daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Teenage boys and adult men are more than 2-4 times more likely to look at porn than teenage girls and women.
Treatment of Pornography Addiction
Due to the highly secretive nature of pornography addiction, every measure should be taken to decrease and stop the use of pornography. In my work with porn addicts and according to the research I have viewed, I have learned that this disease cannot be underestimated. It is more devastating than other addictions due to its highly secretive nature that can go undetected for years.
Treatment almost always consists of using an internet blocker, sometimes called a porn filter, as well as creating a whole new life structure to help an individual create new ways to meet their needs and cope, instead of using pornography. Different actions and coping skills may include changing spiritual influences and relational influences, making career adjustments, and more. A thorough assessment is needed to help determine the depth of treatment needed.
If you struggle with this condition, call me TODAY 706-955-0230.
PLEASE DON’T LET PORN CONTINUE TO HURT YOU AND YOUR MARRIAGE OR FAMILY. COUNSELING IS CONFIDENTIAL UNDER THE FEDERAL HIPAA LAW. IF TALKING TO ME FIRST WOULD HELP YOU MAKE A DECISION, PLEASE CALL AND GET A 15-MINUTE PHONE CONSULTATION.
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