Addiction of pornography
Pornography addiction is excessive use of pornography. It has its roots in the viewing and hoarding of magazine and video pornography. A large percentage of people who are addicted to porn in any of its forms tend to experience difficulties in personal relationships. Porn addicts tend to isolate themselves from friends, family and coworkers to continue the behaviors that fuel the addiction. Pornography, like other drugs, produces an immediate high. Sexual arousal releases powerful endorphins in the brain, and the release provided by pornography can help to temporarily alleviate stress, depression and anger. But this relief is short-lived and the more people use pornography, the shorter the relief lasts. This can create a vicious cycle requiring a person to use more and more pornography.
Five Stages of Addiction
- Early exposure. Most girls and boys who get addicted to porn start early. They see the stuff when they are very young, and they get their foot in the door.
- Addiction. Later it becomes addiction. It becomes a regular part of your life. You’re hooked. You can’t quit.
- Escalation. After a while, escalation begins. You start to look for more and more graphic porn. You start using porn that would have disgusted you when you started. Now it excites you.
- Desensitization. Eventually, you start to become numb. Even the most graphic, degrading porn doesn’t excite you anymore. You become desperate to feel the same thrill again but can’t find it.
- Acting out sexually. At this point, many men make a dangerous jump and start acting out sexually. They move from the paper and plastic images of porn to the real world.
How to break the cycle
Some excellent options include:
- Staying busy with friends and family
- Scheduling other gratifying activities such as vacations or fun outings
- Regular Exercise can produces the same endorphins as pornography and can help the post-porn crash feel less overwhelming.
- Enlisting the assistance of a friend, family member or partner to maintain accountability
Treatment options
There are several excellent treatment options available for people struggling with both compulsive use of pornography and its aftereffects. These include therapy, medication, 12-step programs and sexual education. Many people find that they are simply unable to quit porn and the consequences of porn to their intimate lives, relationships and sexual performance are too high to manage on their own. So, don’t waste time suffering in silence. Seek help immediately.
Some are:
- Counseling
- Psychotherapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Constitutional homeopathy
- Acupuncture, acupressure and reflexology
