Do you think you are addicted to porn? Or do you suspect your husband watches too much porn? A lot of researches show that the number of persons watching porn has increased so much in this COVID-19 lockdown. Pornography has always been a controversial topic, some ignore it, some are offended by the mention of it, whereas some involve in it rarely, and some access it regularly.
What is Porn Addiction?
Watching porn is purely one’s personal choice and preference. But when does it turn into an addiction? Porn addiction is when a person has no control and cannot stop himself from watching it, even though he wants to stop. The obsession leads to negative impacts and becomes an obstacle in their daily activities, career, relationships, and other aspects of life.
While some believe that interest in pornography improves their sex life and acts as a safe method to relieve their desires, some think that it is the main factor that encourages sexual aggression and spoils personal relationships.
Is porn addiction bad? Continue to explore this article to find out the symptoms, causes, and ways to overcome them.
Signs of Porn Addiction
If you are speculating that your compulsion is increasing day by day, watch out for the below warning signs which might indicate porn addiction.
i). You are desperate to stop watching those sexually explicit videos, but not able to do so.
ii). You always keep on thinking about porn even when you are not watching it.
iii). You ignore responsibilities like dinner meetings to watch pornography.
iv). You may find your partner less attractive, losing interest in real sex life.
v). You are not sexually satisfied with your partner when porn is not involved in the process.
vi). You lose track of time watching porn and are not interested in doing anything else.
vii). You feel ashamed and depressed about watching porn and hide it from your spouse and relations.
viii). Instead of cutting down on the viewing time, you start watching more and more extreme porn.
ix). You become more demanding by expecting unrealistic things in sex.
x). You spend the money for your groceries on pornography.
xi). You are always distracted and get irritated easily when you are not able to watch porn.
xii). You become sneaky to watch porn in your workplace, or in places where you might get noticed.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, then it is high time you seek professional help to overcome the issue of porn addiction.
Causes of Pornography Addiction
India witnessed a 95% increase in porn consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown. The most alarming concern is that the number of students watching porn is increasing rapidly. But the reasons for porn addiction are still unclear and researches suggest that there are some factors that influence the person to fall a victim to porn.
i). Personal Choice – Many starts watching porn because they like it. But when they go for more rush and couldn’t resist viewing porn, then it turns into an addiction.
ii). Biological Factors – When a person watches porn, the chemistry of their brain gets modified which may develop addictions.
iii). Mental Health Conditions – People can resort to pornography to escape mental stress and depression.
iv). Injurious Cultural Influences – Unhealthy social norms about sex and sexual behaviors might induce pornography use.
v). Relationship Issues – Sexual dissatisfaction with their partner can be another reason why people choose pornography.
vi). Family Conflict – Unstable family with a history of physical or sexual abuse can be a major factor in influencing porn use.
vii). Other Addictions – A person with other addictions like drugs or alcohol is more likely to engage in excessive porn watching.
Porn Addiction Treatment and Home Remedies
Some doctors and counselors feel that porn addiction is not a medical condition and that treatment is not required. Still, there are many treatment options available for persons who seek professional help to overcome porn addiction.
Therapy
You can discuss your issues with a mental health professional and based on the evaluation, they might suggest cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Relationship Counselling
Involving your partner in the therapy sessions can cultivate trust and remove the negative impacts of porn in the relationship.
Medication
Medications like antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-androgens can help in controlling the brain to refrain from the thoughts of obsession. This can help in reducing porn addiction levels.
Lifestyle Changes
You can outgrow the porn addiction on your own by adopting some lifestyle changes.
i). Delete the bookmarks of the porn websites on all your devices
ii). Ask your partner or a friend to install anti-porn software on your device without sharing the password.
iii). Engage in new hobbies which interest you.
iv). If you feel the urge to watch porn, try to remember its negative impacts on your life.
v). Try to keep track of your setbacks, reminders, and the other activities that help you in overcoming the addiction.
vi). Talk to the people who faced similar kinds of issues and find out how they bounced back to normal life.
Conclusion
Whether it is a compulsive behavior or an addiction, watching excessive porn videos can cause serious problems in your personal relationship and as well as in your work environment. If you have tried everything to stop watching porn and you are not able to, then seek help from experienced medical professionals. A trained therapist can set up a plan and guide you in conquering porn addiction and improving the quality of your life.
