Porn today is prevalent and potent. A teenager today can see more porn in five minutes over the Internet than his parents have seen in their lifetime. Porn, today, can be extreme, making the “hardcore” porn of twenty years ago look tame. 

Porn can cause serious problems depending on:

• how much, how often, and under what circumstances a person is using porn;
• the type of porn involved, and
• the emotional impact of porn use on an intimate partner. 

For example, compulsively and secretively masturbating to violent, degrading or child pornography can cause emotional damage compared to occasionally watching erotic films.

Porn Addiction

Porn can be as powerfully addictive as using hard drugs as it can sexually excite, create a fantasy escape, and produce a sense of intoxixation and relaxation through orgasm. Therefore regular porn use can alter brain and body chemistry, create a dependency on it, and lead to withdrawal effects when a person tries to quit, just like drug addiction.  .

Porn addiction can also be as destructive in a marriage, as as having an affair. A large percentage of female partners of porn users are disgusted by porn, see it as disrespectful and degrading to women, or consider private porn use as “cheating.”

Porn can also significantly harm a person’s sexuality.   Over time, porn directs sexual energy and desires away from sexual closeness with a real life partner, and makes sex with a real life partner less arousing. It also divert sexual interests  toward risky, unloving, harmful, and illegal sexual behaviors.

Regular porn use can also damage a person’s mental health, physical well-being, family life, self-esteem, social relationships, and work. As their emotional and sexual attachment to porn deepens, many porn users become more self-centered, defensive about, and preoccupied with porn. They may lie to cover-up porn use and pull away from friends and family. Sleep disorders and other health problems can emerge. Emotional problems include feeling irritable and quick to anger, experiencing increased feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, shame and self-loathing. The consequences of a porn habit can eventually spill into harming a person’s work life and career. Two out of three companies discipline employees for misusing the Internet at work, and pornography is the cause in over 40 percent of these cases.

Quitting porn is similar to giving up a drug habit. Success occurs for people who get clear on life priorities, secure strong support systems, and develop strategies for dealing effectively with porn cravings and desires. As with other health concerns, the sooner you are able to recognize problems and get help, the easier it is to address them. Recovery involves admitting the problem, seeking out support for making healthy changes, addressing the problems porn has created, and learning new, healthier approaches to sex and relationship intimacy. 

Symptoms of Porn Addiction

• Secretive porn use.
• Spending large amounts of time thinking about or using porn.
• not getting enough sleep and/or sleeping poorly without porn use
• maintaining hidden stashes of porn
• inability to feel good unless  porn is used
• tendency to view other people as sexual objects with a tendecy to fantasising about living out porn scenes with them
• difficulty establishing or maintaining an intimate sexual relationship.
• afraid of having  porn use discovered.
• engaging in sexually compulsive or addictive behavior.
• difficulty managing and/or limiting porn use.
• ignore or fail to complete house, job or school responsibilities because of porn
• compromised school, career and work opportunities because of porn.
• neglecting family and/or important social relationships.because of porn
• exposing minors to pornography or contributing to possible exposure.
• unable to be completely honest with intimate partner.
• defensive when confronted about porn activities.
• using porn even though  it bothers  partner (or someone else).
• difficulty becoming or staying sexually aroused with a real partner.
• difficulty distinguishing between sexual fantasy and reality.

Adverse outcomes of Porn Use

• Self-absorbed and self-centered.
• Alienated from family, friends and/or an intimate partner.
• Guilt about using porn.
• Shame and self-loathing about my porn use.
• Often angry and irritated with others.
• Having diminished integrity and self-worth.
• Depressed much of the time.
• Stressed and anxious much of the time.