Porn Addiction: Signs, and How to Stop

"It was an evening at the game when my friend Dan stumbled across a porn site while using his computer. He didn't think much of it. He was only curious and began to watch. But that curiosity turned into a habit. As time went by, porn became his daily escape. He thought it was normal. But as the weeks turned into months, Dan realized he had a problem. Quitting, however, felt nearly impossible."

If you're someone like Dan, don't fret, there's hope for you. Here, we'll show you how to quit porn. We'll also reveal the signs and causes of porn. Let's begin!

What Is Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction is an uncontrolled behavior to view pornographic content excessively, despite it may negatively affect your mental health, relationships, or daily life.

Today, porn addiction affects people of all ages globally. According to PornHub's annual year-in-review statement, the top country for porn viewing is the United States. Besides, over 100 million people visit Pornhub every day.

In a study involving 2,075 adults, roughly 11% of men and 3% of women stated that "I am addicted to pornography."

How to Tell If You Have Porn Addiction

Many of you might feel ashamed to admit to porn addiction, but it is just a behavioral addiction, just like nicotine dependence, and not a moral flaw. If you're wondering whether you're struggling with porn addiction or not, here are the signs and symptoms to help you identify it:

• Can't stop watching porn, even at work.
• The frequency and duration of porn viewing increase continuously.
• Getting irritated or anxious when you can't access porn.
• Attempting to stop porn viewing but have always failed.
• Feeling guilty or ashamed after watching porn, but still unable to stop.
• Losing interest in real-life sex or intimacy.
• You mainly use porn to escape stress, anxiety, or emotional problems.
• Seeing people more as sexual objects than as full human beings.
• Willing to spend large amounts of money just to access porn.

If you've noticed any of the signs we've mentioned, there's a strong possibility you're dealing with porn addiction. To break porn addiction to avoid harmful effects, keep reading!

5 Steps to Quit Porn Addiction

If you're struggling with porn addiction, below are 5 steps to quitting porn.

*We collected these tips from experts and real porn-addicted Reddit users.

Step 1. Understand Your Porn Addiction Causes

If you want to quit porn, the first step is to identify the root cause of your addiction. Only when you find the root can you prescribe the right remedy.

And as I've mentioned earlier, you might turn to porn in order to cope with negative emotions. A study published on PubMed also found that many individuals struggling with porn addiction use it as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, anxiety, or loneliness. If so, proceed with identifying the triggers that cause this negative emotion and then seeking healthy ways to combat it.

Step 2. Set Clear Goals

Once you've identified and understood your triggers, the next step is to set a clear and achievable goal.

One effective goal to set is by trying the 6-day no-contact challenge. This challenge is a short-term commitment where you abstain from all forms of pornography, masturbation, and sexual triggers for six consecutive days.

Research indicates that brief periods of abstinence can lead to increased self-awareness and improved self-control among individuals struggling with problematic pornography use.

After you've successfully completed this initial phase, you can reward yourself and gradually extend the duration to strengthen your self-discipline and resilience.

Step 3. Block Access to Porn

At first, sticking to your goal of not viewing pornography is a big challenge, especially when images pop up that can spark your urges. Therefore, the next step you should take is to actively avoid that content.

One Reddit user said he overcame porn addiction by starting to unfollow and exit NSFW subreddits. I have to say, this is a good start. Now, it's your turn! Go to remove all porn resources and delete any related bookmarks or apps from your devices.

But what if your willpower fails you when porn materials come into? This time, AirDroid Porn Blocker can be your ally by blocking all porn websites and content. This tool is also useful if you need to help someone with a porn addiction, such as your family members.

Step 4. Develop New Habits

Porn addiction is a behavioral issue. It is a habit that when accustomed to, can create strong neural associations in the brain, and reinforce the behavior through repeated dopamine release.

Therefore, to break this pattern, it's essential to replace it with a healthier habit. Activities like exercising, meditation, playing with a pet, massage, shopping, etc. produce dopamine in a healthy way, which reduces dependence on pornography.

This is evident in the real-life case of Nick, Michelle's fiance, who thought he had overcome his porn addiction. Without an alternative to fill the emotional and psychological space that porn once occupied, he found himself slipping back. This case reminds us that recovery is not just about stopping; it's about transforming.

Step 5. Seek Professional Supports If Needed

If you've tried everything on your own and nothing seems to work, it might be time to seek professional support. When you do that, you will be introduced to different treatment options for porn addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This focuses on recognizing and changing the negative thoughts and behaviors tied to porn use.
• Psychodynamic Therapy: This treatment uncovers the emotional roots of your porn addiction. After that, it helps develop healthier ways to process emotions and reduce reliance on porn.

Sometimes, you may be given some medication to help overcome porn addiction. Though there is no specific medication solely for treating porn addiction, some are helpful to control compulsive urges, such as Naltrexone.

Additionally, like Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for alcoholics, you can also join local or online porn addiction support groups.

FAQs about Porn Addiction

The Bottom Line

Porn addiction is a serious issue and recovery is a painful journey, but with the right steps and determination, it is possible to quit porn addiction and achieve a more balanced life.

If explicit images on social media or across different websites and ads are what spark your urges, don't hesitate to use powerful tools like AirDroid Porn Blocker to filter adult content without any hitch.