Porn addiction: Doesn’t everyone look at a little porn?
Pornography addiction is the most common of all sexually addictive behaviors.
All it takes is a computer, smart phone, or other Internet connected device to access an almost infinite variety of porn images, videos, sexual chat, and more. The porn user can have it all, right from the comfort of their own home and with very little risk of discovery.
The statistics are down right scary:
• Pornography makes up 37% of all the content on the Internet – (based on early 2013 research)
• 25% of all search engine queries are related to pornography.
• The average age of first exposure to porn for males is 11 years old.
It’s fair to say that enormous numbers of porn users equates to enormous numbers of porn addicts; which leads us to say that Internet Porn Addiction is an addiction epidemic.
We can also say that many of the people out of control with porn today might never have had a problem if it weren’t for the access, anonymity, and substantial effects on the brain, of porn available specifically by the Internet.
Internet pornography is powerful stuff. No wonder it’s been called the “Crack Cocaine of Sex.”
The good news is that you can stop using porn and stay stopped as soon as you make the decision to do whatever it takes … and then do it without stopping
Find out if this problem fits for you and then make your decision to quit using porn for good. It’s time to start living your life sexually sober with peace and integrity.
[1] http://www.optenet.com/en-us/new.asp?id=270. Retrieved 3.5.2013. http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/. Retrieved 3.5.2013
[2] http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html. Retrieved 3.5.2013
[3] http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html. Retrieved 3.5.2013
[4] http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/. Retrieved 3.5.2013
Are you a porn addict? Apply the sex addiction criteria outlined in “The Symptoms” page to your relationship to porn and take the “Sexual Addiction Screening Test” for a good idea of where you stand. Consider the following questions as well.
1. Do you look for opportunities to be alone to view porn or engage in sexual chat? Do you plan your day or week in order to have this time, or do you have a regular pattern or ritual of using Internet porn?
2. Do you spend more time viewing porn or use it more often than you had planned? Do you view porn at work? Do you take unnecessary Risks?
3. Has the pornography content you seek escalated in intensity over time? It’s probably not Playboy images anymore.
4. Have you been caught using porn, promised to stop, and then not kept that promise? Have you tried to stop and failed more than once (or more than twice)?
In “The Porn Trap”, the authors suggest that using Internet pornography is much like the gambler who feeds the slot machine waiting for his number to come up.
The porn addict does the same thing – he or she keeps searching for that “one” picture, video, chat, or fantasy that gets them to their “reward”.
Absorbed in a “high” state of arousal the porn addict is like a junky chasing a fix. Some discover disturbing, violent, or even illegal content that, to their surprise and shame, brings a high intensity of arousal. The ease of accessibility and anonymity make this possible in ways that were far less likely in the old days of magazines and porno DVD’s.
Like grabbing hold of an electric current, they can’t seem to let go. They feel incredible shame about their arousal, but despite it all, they look again and again.
Addiction to Internet pornography is the result of many causes. You can learn more about these here. There is, however, one important factor that makes Internet pornography particularly powerful, and that is the effect it has on the brain.
Maltz, W. & Maltz, L., (2008). The Porn Trap. New York: Harper Collins
Internet Pornography and the Brain
Chronic Internet pornography use changes the brain’s reward circuitry in some unique ways. I encourage you to read the following article for more details on just how this works.
There is logic to these powerful effects and it’s helpful to understand how porn works in the brain. Keep in mind that these brain changes are not permanent and repair does happen, but not until you stop and stay stopped.
Stop Using Porn and Stay Stopped
Give yourself the gift of porn addiction recovery and live a life of honesty, intimacy, and healthy sexuality. This problem won’t get better on it’s own, but it does get better when you make a decision and follow a process of recovery.
Recovery begins when you ask for help. Why not start now? Let your desire for a life free from pornography move you to a serious decision for sexual health and then “step up” to the phone and start dialing.
Are you ready to “step up” to the plate of recovery, or will “your addict” win the day? If your phone is too heavy, type out an email and press send. Do it now, or this motivated moment may pass for who knows how long. It’s time.
Follow your heart and then just follow directions. It’s that easy.
We know a way out. We are IITAP certified, porn addiction therapy specialists. Contact us for help today.
One more thing … after you ask for help, do this…
Install filter and accountability software on all your Internet devices.
I recommend Covenant Eyes to track everywhere your web browser(s) goes and to automatically generate an email that flags questionable content. Pick an accountability partner and then let them set the passwords. It won’t stop you absolutely, but it may slow you down long enough to make a better decision.
Covenant Eyes also has a porn blocker / filter that does a good job of preventing access to sexual content. Get the environment to support your sexual sobriety and demonstrate your sincerity with bold action.
Why would anyone struggling with pornography not do this?
