Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of men and women addicted to internet pornography. This is a very real addiction – one that can hurt your relationships, your personal life, your work life, and more.
An addiction to pornography can negatively affect your life in a variety of ways, including:
- Unrealistic Expectation of Sex – Sex is a very important and healthy part of a successful relationship. But pornography tends to change the way people see sex. They expect the ability to do less conventional sexual positions, or they expect sex faster. These can be very unhealthy for relationships.
- Need for Pornography for Sex – Some people find that they start to “need” pornography in order to get aroused. Pornography becomes a replacement for sex, and they struggle to find enjoyment of sexual experiences because they are so dependent on pornography for arousal.
- Interruption of Normal Life – Pornography is an addiction, like drugs or gambling. People find that they start to need to look at pornography in places and at times when it’s not appropriate, like at work, or every time their partner is away.
These only scratch the surface. Pornography addiction can affect how you see the world, what you enjoy, and even your stress levels.
When Normal Pornography Viewing Becomes an Addiction
A little bit of pornography is perfectly healthy in most situations, especially on infrequent occasion when you’re home alone and need a bit of release. But pornography becomes an addiction when you start to see the following behaviors:
- Watching Pornography at Work, at Gatherings, etc. – There are times when pornography are appropriate, and times when it is not. If you find yourself looking at pornography at work, when friends are around, when the kids are playing, etc., there is a good chance it is an addiction.
- Feeling “Off” Without Pornography – For something to be an addiction, there must be a “need” for it, especially when you have not experienced it in a while. If you find yourself suffering from anything that feels like a withdrawal, especially if it is in less than a couple of days, you may have an addiction.
- Real Sex Interest Has Decreased, or Changed – Pornography addiction can change real sex interests. It can increase the need for more taboo, violent, or unrealistic sex experiences, and in some cases it can cause what’s known as “pornography induced impotence” where you struggle to experience arousal and erections because of either excessive masturbation or lack of stimulation.
Getting Help for Pornography Addiction
It can be hard to even realize that you have pornography addiction, because pornography doesn’t seem on the same level as alcohol, cocaine, etc. But it can be just as damaging to relationships and healthy living. If you think you might have pornography addiction in the Long Island, Westbury, Oceanside, Merrick, Great Neck, Roslyn, and other areas, contact me today at (516) 732-0273 to find out about pornography addiction therapy.
