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Porn Addiction
Porn addiction is more than viewing erotic materials for personal enjoyment or as something shared with a partner to add some variety to one's love life. A porn addict uses this medium as a way to space out to deal with stress, worries, or emotional upset, or in an attempt to get a "high" from seeing images that feed into their sexual fantasies.
What is Porn Addiction?
Porn addicts either accumulate large collections of pornography or spend a lot of time viewing Internet porn. Typically, they isolate themselves while watching, and they may spend hours or days in this activity. Despite wanting to stop or being told they need to stop by their partner or a concerned friends or family members, they are unable to give up their porn habit.
Signs of Porn Addiction
Person who is addicted to porn may be doing these kinds of activities as part of their addiction:
- Choosing viewing porn over work or family commitments
- Devoting a large amount of time to thinking about pornographic images they have seen, and planning the next time they can view porn
- Spending blocks of time on a regular basis looking at porn
- Spending money on pay-per-view pornography or using a webcam to see real-time images
- Watching porn in secret or lying about their activities
- Visiting strip clubs or adult book stores
Causes of Addiction
For some porn addicts, the root of the problem starts in childhood. The person may have been exposed to inappropriate images as a child and started spending time fixating and fantasizing about what they have seen. Others start using porn as a way to cope with physical, emotional or sexual abuse they had experienced in childhood.
Consequences of Porn Addiction
Being addicted to porn can have several negative consequences for the individual involved. The porn addict continues to use this medium in spite of the risk or reality of:
- Debt from spending money on porn
- Depression
- Job loss
- Relationship breakups
- Separation and/or divorce
Help and Treatment for Porn Addiction
A person who is wondering how to quit using porn has treatment options available to them. They can get help from a therapist who works with clients individually, or investigate rehab centers that provide treatment programs for porn addicts. In some cases, an inpatient stay is appropriate, but therapy can be provided on an outpatient basis as well.
Beyond Quitting: Porn Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation
A person who has quit porn needs follow-up care and support from other former porn addicts to avoid slipping back into old behavior patterns. They can join a support group or follow a 12-step program. Some people continue to see a therapist individually in the recovery phase.
