Porn Addiction – A Growing Problem
Porn addiction is progressive and creeps up on you
To many, simply viewing porn is not seen as leading to a porn addiction or addictive behaviour merely what some of us have been doing for ages via magazines, films, and DVD’s. However, the world is a rapidly evolving place, and the internet now affords many the opportunity for much easier access to watching pornography and this can be on laptops, computers, tablets and mobile telephones. Also, the content has changed and it is now certainly much more hard core and to please all tastes and not generally able to be regulated as it used to be. Over time, there will evolve the viewing of progressively more extreme pornography to get the same effect that the less extreme porn once offered.
Porn addiction is one subset of the wider family of sex and love addictions.
Porn addiction is often secretive
The addictive behaviour will start, for some, with the secretive nature that they choose to view porn and then there follows the uncontrollable mental urge to view more. The current state of the country, with the majority working from home, has created a situation where this urge to watch porn has become easier and thus leading to it being watched more frequently and in most cases without the chance of being caught. So, the circumstances have been created that if you are going to develop addictive behaviour, over a shorter period of time, then the perfect storm has been allowed to occur.
Porn addiction affects dopamine levels in the brain
In watching pornography there is, undoubtedly, a reward system whereby regions of the brain are activated which alter the Dopamine levels which in turn are associated with motivation and pleasant feelings. It is this increase in levels of Dopamine that will lead us to wanting more and in turn result in a change in our behaviour. What happens, over time, is that the level of Dopamine will not increase, and we resort to more similar and repetitive behaviour just trying to get the feelings we felt from the initial stimulus.
Most porn addicts will deny their porn addiction
The denial will stem from us making excuses for our behaviour and not wanting to recognise how it is starting to create problems with our life and relationships. This is where “what may have been seen as normal behaviour, with the occasional viewing of porn” becomes increasingly repetitive and starts to impact on our daily life, but we will still find reasons to justify it and that is where it becomes a problem. These excuses can include, it helps to alleviate my stress, it helps with my boredom, it helps me forget my daily problems.
Porn addiction affects all ages, including teenagers
One major concern is the easy ability for under 18’s to view porn. This can lead to a distorted mental idea of how relationships should progress. This altered thinking can form a basis for perceiving how particular sex plays a part in relationships and the inappropriate manner in which your partner can be viewed in an unrealistic fantasy world. Therefore, there are no age restraints to the negative effects of porn.
Porn addiction affects relationships
There are a few very clear mental dangers around becoming addicted to pornography. One, is the fact that you will start to lose interest in real sex. Your partner may appear less attractive to you, and you will start to not respond to their approaches. Your stimulus will be from what you watch online and not what you see in the real world. Your partner may feel rejected, and unloved.
You might try and get your partner to re-enact what you have been viewing and this new demanding and frightening behaviour will undoubtedly cause a rift and concern within the relationship.
Porn addiction leads to people neglecting their responsibilities and wasting time
There is an increasing amount of time that you are spending looking at different sites. Suddenly, you find that other things that should be being accomplished are just not getting done. Days are just becoming wasted.
Porn addiction is expensive financially
As you choose to be encouraged, by the providers, to watch different and perceived higher quality content then financially there could become, very quickly, a strain on your finances. Also, should you suffer the misfortune of your bank details being accessed without your permission, it is going to be highly embarrassing to contact your bank to try and get the money refunded. Hence, so many people lose money this way.
Porn addiction leads to feelings of guilt and shame
Inevitably, those people with an addiction to pornography have generally reached a very low mental level, before they seek help, as they find it so difficult to share this particular problem with others with the feeling of being judged if they do. Ultimately, at the Haynes Clinic we have found those being admitted for a pornography addiction, have high feelings of guilt, shame, sadness, anger and remorse.
A rehab clinic provides a safe environment to stop using porn
There is no detox medication to help with the obsessive thoughts of stopping watching porn, similar to the way that addictive substances work, there is usually no success in trying to daily ease back on the amount of content that is being viewed. It is best to be admitted to a rehab clinic as a safe environment, without access to laptops, mobile phones and computers whereby the ability to access porn is completely stopped. To be admitted to a residential rehab is critical, the breaking of the daily routine can then be accomplished within this controlled environment. Merely stopping is not enough, it is important to be part of a structured therapeutic day and to feel that you can trust and be honest with the therapist which will enable you to open up and share your experiences.
Again, as a resident at Haynes Clinic you would also be looking to understand and work a 12 Step model of Recovery. The only difference would be the first Step with the wording now reading:
“We admitted we were powerless over our addictive sexual behaviour – that our lives had become unmanageable.
A 28 day residential stay should act as a sufficient period of time to enable the individual to break the cycle of their addictive behaviour, coupled with the intensive daily therapy and ongoing Aftercare and support groups in order to stay well. This form of treatment is effective for all sex and love addictions.
