Signs of Porn Addiction

Porn is short for pornography.

Pornography is any content that is adult in nature – it often shows nudity or sexually explicit acts. [1]

Pornography is available in physical or digital formats.

Due to the growth and increase in ease of access, the internet is now the main source of pornographic content.

Whilst porn is by definition sexually explicit in nature, and therefore should only be viewed by adults, (those over the age of 18) exposure to pornography has become an issue for children and teenagers as well as adults.

Studies have shown that 27% of all online videos are pornographic in content and that 16% of all data flow is related to the uploading, accessing, and sharing of pornographic material. [2]

What Is a Porn Addiction?

When we think of addictions, it’s likely that we think of drugs and alcohol.

There kinds of addiction are only one type of addiction: substance abuse.

There are also psychological and behavioural addictions.

Porn addiction is classed as a type of behavioural addiction, as watching porn is a behaviour (a thing that you do).

Behavioural addictions are defined as something that is characterised by:

loss of control
impairment of usual function in some manner
‘risky’ use

It is important to note that porn addiction is different to what is known as a sex and love addiction, which is defined as a distinct addiction in itself. [3]

Porn Addiction: The Statistics

There is not a lot of research that provides statistics on how common porn addiction may be.

There are, however, studies on the frequency with which people access porn, and what effects this may have.

One study asked a group of men how frequently they accessed porn on a weekly basis.

The results found that on average:

63% of men aged 18-30 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least)
38% of men aged 31-49 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least)
25% of men aged 50-68 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least)

The same study asked a group of women the same question.

The results showed that on average:

21% of women aged 18-30 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least)
5% of women aged 31-49 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least)
0% of women aged 50-68 reported accessing porn several times a week (at least) [4]

This suggests that men are overall more likely to access pornography than women, in general terms.

Why Is Porn Addictive?

One argument for understanding porn addiction is that with an increase in availability, comes a similar increase in use.

A study on online porn addiction suggests that online porn addiction, in particular, may be rife due to three factors:

accessibility (being able to find content with ease)
affordability (being able to find and access content for free, or at low cost)
anonymity (being able to find and access content without other people knowing about it [5]

However, accessing pornography itself is not pathological and does not suggest an addiction – just like how drinking on a weekend does not mean you are addicted to alcohol, accessing explicit content online does not mean that you are addicted to porn.

In fact, some research has suggested that accessing porn in a moderate, controlled manner is usual, expected and even healthy sexual behaviour. [6]

Like other addictions, engagement with pornography becomes an addiction when it stops being casual and instead turns into a compulsion that has genuinely harmful impacts on the life of the individual.

What Are the Top 10 Signs of Porn Addiction?

If this is the case, then how is it possible to identify porn addiction?

There are some signs of addiction to pornography that you can look out for.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the following, there is a chance that you are experiencing an addiction to porn:

You are watching porn compulsively
You are watching porn for extended periods at a time
You find it difficult to stop thinking about porn
Your Interest in sex has reduced or declined.
You are less attracted to your partner(s)
You are making more demands of your partner in bed
You are experiencing physical pain and strain
You are spending large amounts on accessing porn
You are finding yourself feeling angry more frequently
You are finding yourself feeling distracted more frequently

1. You are watching porn compulsively

If you are watching porn on a very regular basis, at inopportune and potentially inappropriate times, then there is a chance that you are watching porn compulsively.

A compulsion is when you experience a very strong urge to do something and feel that you cannot relax until you do it.

You may find that you are struggling to stop watching pornographic content, feeling compelled to access it even when you ordinarily would not be interested in doing so.

2. You are watching porn for extended periods at a time

If you are spending large time spans watching porn, spending hours and sometimes even losing days to accessing online pornographic content, then there is a high chance that you are struggling with a porn addiction.

You may feel that you have a reduced interest in other activities, including work commitments, spending time with your loved ones, or other leisure activities that you may have prioritised in the past.

3. You find it difficult to stop thinking about porn

It is likely that you will experience strong urges to view porn, even cravings.

This may mean that you are needing to find excuses to leave certain situations to fulfil your cravings, which can create feelings of confusion, suspicion, and even abandonment for some spouses.

4. Your Interest in sex has reduced or declined

Although it seems counterintuitive, research has shown that as the amount of porn an individual accesses increases, their desire to actually have sex decreases.

In the case of an addiction to porn, you may feel that you lose most or all interest in having sex yourself.

You may find advances or the initiation of sexual behaviours to be frustrating or an annoyance rather than arousing.

In some cases, porn addiction may even be linked to sexual dysfunction. [7]

5. You are less attracted to your partner(s)

Due to the focus on aesthetics and beauty in the porn industry, you may find that your standards of attractiveness have increased often to unrealistic levels.

For this reason, you may find that you do not find your real-life partner as attractive as you once did, as they do not fit the unrealistic standards you are being exposed to in pornographic material.

This can lead to deep issues with intimacy and can challenge your relationship with your partner, as your lack of attraction can potentially damage their self-image, and potentially even their confidence.

6. You are making more demands of your partner in bed

As well as foregrounding unrealistic expectations of how our bodies should look, function, and connect with one another, it can also expose us to a wider variety of sexual activity.

This may mean that your usual sexual engagement may become boring or lack interest for you.

There is a possibility that in these cases, you may ask your partner to engage with specific acts in order to feel engaged.

The risk of this is that some partners may not be open to trying different things in the bedroom, and may therefore feel uncomfortable at your suggestions, and confused as to why your intimacy dynamic has altered.

7. You are experiencing physical pain and strain

Watching and engaging with porn physically for a long time can cause you some physical harm via repetitive strain injuries.

Specific areas that may be impacted are the wrist, back and neck. There is a possibility that you experience more headaches as your screen time increases.

8. You are spending large amounts on accessing porn

For some people, accessing free content is one of the main benefits of online pornography.

However, in some cases, it is likely that as you grow addicted, you may feel tempted to access ‘premium’ content through subscriptions or payment plans.

This can cause issues around money management.

It can become complicated if your spouse or family are confused as to why you are struggling with finances, as you are likely not to want to disclose the reason behind your increased spending.

9. You are finding yourself feeling angry more frequently

Anger is a common experience in many kinds of addiction, whether they be physical, substance based or behavioural addictions.

This is usually because addiction takes up a lot of our headspace.

If you are addicted to alcohol, you may find yourself thinking about it more and more, and growing agitated when you cannot drink.

This can also be the case with porn addiction, and it can manifest into feelings of annoyance and rage which often leads to increased conflicts with romantic partners.

10. You are finding yourself feeling distracted more frequently

As mentioned above, an addiction takes up a lot of your mental energy.

If your focus is consistently elsewhere, this may impact various spheres of your life.

You may be struggling to concentrate at work or school.

There is a likelihood that you may miss deadlines, forget to complete chores, and may not seem engaged in relationships with others.

The Impact of Porn Addiction

When porn addiction takes hold, there is a genuine risk that it can impact all areas of your life.

Like with any addiction, if your focus is elsewhere, there is a real chance that other areas of your life may become neglected.

The effects of porn addiction are especially linked to deteriorating romantic relationships, as some romantic partners may feel betrayed, replaced and undermined by your repeated engagement with porn.

It can decrease your ability to reach sexual satisfaction and engage positively with your personal relationships in all aspects of life.

Porn Addiction Treatment

If you believe that your engagement with porn is having genuinely negative effects on multiple areas of your daily life, then you may benefit from accessing treatment for porn addiction.

Like with any kind of addiction, to access help, you can speak with a medical professional.

This can be daunting for many people, as the idea of sharing such intimate details with a stranger can lead to lots of anxiety and embarrassment.

However, medical, and mental health professionals are trained and experienced clinicians who are there to support you without making judgements.

The main forms of support that usually makeup porn addiction treatment plans include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Family Therapy
Group Therapy
Holistic Therapy/ Alternative Therapy (Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Equine Therapy, etc).
Individual Therapy (1-1 Therapy)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Psychotherapy
Mindfulness
Support groups
Regular contact with a GP, therapist, or another appropriate clinician

Sometimes, pornography addiction can develop as a kind of coping mechanism for another mental health condition.

This may mean that by taking care of yourself in terms of general stress, anxiety, low mood, or any mental health disorder, you may see that the intensity of your addiction begins to decline.

Support for mental health disorders can either be pharmacological (medication) behavioural and emotional (such as behavioural therapy) or a mix of the two.

By discussing your experience with a trained clinician, you will be able to identify what kinds of support may work best for you to help you tackle what may be at the root of your addictive behaviours and move forward to improve your quality of life and combat relationship issues.

Get Help Today

If you are concerned about your engagement with pornographic content, Rehab Recovery can give you non-judgemental advice and support for yourself, a family member or a friend.

You can call us on 0800 088 66 86, or you can request a call back to speak to a member of the team.

If you would prefer not to speak over the phone for any reason, the Rehab Recovery chat lines are open 24/7 to provide you with support and to answer any questions you may have about accessing support for an addiction to porn.