Are you asking questions? Am I addicted to porn? Do I have a problem? What are the top signs of a porn addiction? It can be a lot to learn, especially if you are scared to know the answers. It can be very overwhelming to come face to face with something you are not ready to admit.
Maybe someone has said something offensive to you. Perhaps you have been put on the spot. If you wonder if you are an addict or what the signs of a porn addiction really are, this article will answer your questions. We’ll look at what addiction is and the signs to look out for.
Additionally, in this article, we will examine why pornography itself is so addicting. We’ll dive in deep when looking at some of the signs of a porn addict. This is just to help you understand if you have these symptoms, signs, or indications. Plus, we’ll look at recovery resources!
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape – that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
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What is Considered To Be Porn Addiction?
If you are unsure of what is considered to be porn addiction or addiction in general, this section should help clear things up. We’ll look at what classifies an individual as an addict and what porn addiction looks like.
What Classifies Someone As An Addict?
An addiction is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system that involves reward, motivation, and memory. It’s about the way your body craves a substance or behavior, especially if it causes a compulsive or obsessive pursuit of “reward” and a lack of concern over consequences.
Someone experiencing an addiction is likely to:
- be unable to stay away from the substance or stop the addictive behavior
- display a lack of self-control
- have an increased desire for the substance or behavior
- dismiss how their behavior could be causing problems
- lack an emotional response
What is Considered To Be Porn Addiction?
According to Medical News Today, porn addiction is an emotional dependence on pornography. It interferes with the person’s daily life, their relationships, and just their ability to function as a human being. This really means that all areas of the person’s life are affected by this addiction.
Often, an addict will become dissatisfied with their own sex life and even engage in risky behaviors, like looking at pornography while on the job. This might sound extreme, but there are plenty of people out there who have lost their ability to be in control of this addiction.
If you believe you are a porn addict, now is the perfect time to take action and join a group from Celebrate Recovery or another support group in your area.
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. – Romans 13:12
Why is Porn So Addicting?
Maybe you are wondering why porn is so addicting. Perhaps you’re curious as to why people might put themselves in a situation where they might feel guilt and shame. Let’s talk about addiction in general first. Then, we will find out why porn is so addicting.
Why is ANYTHING So Addictive?
According to Harvard University, scientists now believe that many people participate in addictive behaviors to escape discomfort. That includes both the physical and the emotional side of things. People want to feel good and better at the same time.
Seeking an exciting sensation can often lead to self-medication. When people realize that they can feel better by doing something destructive, they often compromise their morals in order to feel better by using unhealthy substances.
Most addictive substances and unhealthy behaviors give the user a sense of being “high” – both a physical and a psychological state. Unfortunately, you can never get that first “high” again. Your tolerance level will cause you to need more to get high.
This means that you will likely use more of the addictive substances or behaviors in an effort to achieve that original high again. Because of this cycle, the addict has a difficult time quitting the destructive behaviors that branded him or her to be an addict in the first place.
If you are a family member of an addict, you might enjoy this article – Family Roles in Addiction.
Each generation becomes more addicted to the sedatives of life to dull the pain of living. – Billy Graham
Why is Porn So Addictive?
The main reason that porn is so addictive is because when people watch it, they experience elevated levels of dopamine. Dopamine is the “happy” hormone. It will make you feel good for as long as you feed it, but guilt and shame typically follow it.
As with any addiction, some people use their addiction to pornography as a way to escape the depression and stress they must feel if they do not distract themselves in that way. It doesn’t always work this way, of course. Some people use it as a means to escape something else.
There are plenty of individuals who were born with an addictive gene. They are predisposed to be attracted to addiction. Being an addict comes naturally to them. Often, these individuals are eager to fight this side of themselves and live normal lives without any addictions.
Generally, when someone is predisposed to being an addict, they become addicted to something. It might not be pornography; it might not be alcohol. It could be a certain television show, a specific person, or a place they enjoy visiting.
Porn goes hand-in-hand with any other addiction. It can compete with the best of them. In certain societies, people are not shunned if they have an addiction to pornography because, unlike drugs, it is legal. This has advantages and disadvantages, as they often go untreated.
Sin is not rational. – Edward T. Welch
How to Know If You Have a Porn Addiction
If you want to discover how to know if you have a porn addiction, you probably already have one. The good news is that you are seeing it and realizing that the problem is there. That is Step 1 in the 12 steps of recovery! The bad news is that you’ve got some work to do!
Indications of Porn Addiction
Most signs of porn addiction, including an addiction to pornography of any kind, relate to the person’s inability to maintain any sense of self-control when it comes to this addiction. Addiction like this causes changes that are:
- social, such as seeking out circumstances that allow this addictive behavior to continue (think of an addict wanting to be alone)
- behavioral, such as a need for increased secrecy and control of one’s schedule
- health-related, such as insomnia
Someone with an addiction to pornography will not easily stop their behavior, even if they can see all of the problems that this addiction is causing in their life. Often, they’ll display a complete lack of control or go into complete seclusion to meet their cravings.
According to Healthline, there are actual behavioral and emotional changes that are associated with a porn addiction. These changes include:
- having an unrealistic or unbalanced judgment of the pros and cons associated with an addiction to pornography
- blaming other things or other people for their addiction
- having increased levels of depression and anxiety
- being increasingly susceptible to stress triggers
- having difficulty identifying feelings
- having trouble discerning the difference between their feelings and their emotions
If addictions are really as prevalent as they seem, we would think that Scripture would be preoccupied with this struggle. And it is. – Edward T. Welch
Signs of Porn Addiction
Because the diagnosis of having a porn addiction is so controversial, we will expand on some signs or areas where you might see a problem in your life if you have an addiction to porn.
#1. Porn addiction leads to possible relationship issues.
Pornography does this by making a person feel differently – making sexual intercourse less attractive and making the person feel less satisfied by their partner. According to the latest statistics, pornography doubles the divorce rates among couples.
It is clear that sexually explicit content is not suitable for marital health. Read more about what healthy Christian sex is. Aim to always participate in healthy activities, not ones that could damage the relationships that you are currently in.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age… – Titus 2:11-12
#2. Porn addiction can cause a less satisfying sex life.
What happens is that someone addicted to porn watches explicit material for sexual arousal. Because they have decided to do this, their sexual life becomes less fulfilling, leading to arguments between their spouses or mates.
A less satisfying sex life might also happen because an addicted partner demands uncomfortable acts from their partner that they have seen as “normal” in a pornographic show or movie. Aim to always seek a healthy way to communicate with your spouse.
Learn the Top 25 Traits of a Successful Marriage.
…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7
#3. You might see financial strain with a porn addiction.
Pornography often occurs on illegal sites. Those addicted to pornography typically end up spending large sums of money just to be able to view the porn they want to watch. This leads to mismanagement of finances and sometimes the occurrence of debt.
Do you think that you might have a problem? Check out Step 1 of the 12 steps found when going through the 12-step Christian recovery program called Celebrate Recovery.
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. – Proverbs 25:28
#4. You will likely participate in risky behaviors if you have a porn addiction.
Addiction is more than just an interest in something. Someone who is addicted to porn is compelled to view it any place, anytime, just to satisfy their addiction. This can be at the expense of something or someone else.
An addict might even engage in risky behaviors at their workplace or school, leading to them being fired, dismissed, shamed, arrested, or more than one of those options.
In almost every situation, you can find a better way to spend your time. If you are on the fence and are about to have an addiction like this, try church, the community center, or look into a volunteer opportunity near you.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. – Ephesians 5:15
#5. Porn addiction can lead to a decline in mental health.
An addicted person continues to consume pornography despite the negative consequences, resulting in constant problems in relationships and eventually even a decline in mental health. It also causes a lack of concentration due to the fog created in one’s mind.
If you are consumed by thoughts of pornography and this sounds like you, consider Celebrate Recovery or another 12-step program related to your addiction.
Yes, even if your minds have been corrupted by drugs [porn addiction is like a drug to many], they can be renewed. The Bible says in Romans 12 that if we surrender to Christ, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. – Billy Graham
#6. Addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms.
When an addicted person is unable to access pornography because of their dependence on it, they likely experience withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and irritability. This is mostly due to an imbalance of the feel-good chemicals in the brain.
Read some great prayers on depression – 100 Simple Prayers for Depression, Anxiety, and Hope.
An addiction is something that almost consumes a person’s time and energy and that they can’t break out of on their own. – Billy Graham
Am I Addicted to Porn?
In the previous section, we discussed porn addiction signs. If you were thinking, yes, that sounds like me to most of the signs listed, you are probably addicted to pornography. However, there are some questions you can ask to determine the big question – Am I addicted to porn?
- Has your porn addiction negatively affected one or more of your relationships?
- Has your work or school performance suffered due to your addiction to porn?
- Have you ever done something illegal to be able to continue your addiction to porn?
- Do you use pornography most of the time when you are alone?
- Is porn the first thing you think about when you get out of bed?
- Do you think about pornography most of the time?
- Have you started a new addiction because of your porn addiction?
If you answered yes to any or all of these, you could have a problem with pornography. You could also easily substitute just about any addiction in the place of “porn” in those questions to determine – Am I an addict?
Have you determined that the answer is yes to the question, “Am I addicted to porn?” If so, please consider getting professional help. Therapists or mental health professionals of any kind are required to keep the details surrounding your addiction private. Talk to someone.
As you embark on a recovery journey, I urge you to look into a 12-step program. Most of the 12-step programs are free. Celebrate Recovery is the free version of AA, and it has more categories for addiction, including any hurt, bad habit, or hang-up.
You know you are an addict when you are trying to escape your distress with the very thing that brought you your distress. And when you are in that spiral, you are stuck forever. – Tim Keller
Frequently Asked Questions
The following frequently asked questions about porn addiction should shed light on a few areas.
What are the symptoms of porn addiction?
The symptoms of porn addiction, according to Addiction Help, include the inability to quit using it, intense cravings, a lack of interest in normal activities, large amounts of time viewing pornography, a lack of interest in your partner, and unrealistic expectations in regard to your sex life.
Is there a porn addiction anonymous group?
Yes, there is Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA). This support group aims to help people curb their addiction to porn. Many of the support group meetings are in-person and free. Some are online. This 12-step recovery program helps addicts with support and accountability.
How are the porn addiction symptoms dangerous?
For some addicts, having an addiction to porn will lead to having an addiction to sexual intercourse. Having multiple sex partners can lead to life-changing (in a bad way) illnesses and diseases. This addiction can also lead to depression and social isolation.
What do you do when you see the signs of porn addiction in a loved one?
The best way to help someone you love is to be supportive during recovery. Offer encouragement and plenty of hugs when they are suffering in any way. You might ask them if they need a ride to one of their support group meetings, if appropriate to the situation.
Where can I find help for my porn addiction?
There are many choices for a porn addict, such as Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA). Additionally, one could try to reach out to a loved one to talk it out. It might be best to speak to a trained mental health professional about the matter, though. There are also recovery centers and other 12-step programs available.
Porn Addiction Recovery Resources
NLT Life Recovery Bible, Second Edition – Discover freedom and hope in God’s Word with this NLT Life Recovery Bible, the best-selling recovery Bible. This Bible emphasizes God as the ultimate source of recovery and offers tools and features to break people free from addiction.
NIV, Celebrate Recovery Study Bible – The NIV Celebrate Recovery Study Bible is a powerful and positive ally. This Bible is typeset in Zondervan’s exclusive Comfort Print® typeface and will lift you up and show you how to walk, step by step, on a path of healing and liberty.
Celebrate Recovery 365 Daily Devotional: Healing from Hurts, Habits, and Hang-Ups – The Celebrate Recovery 365 Daily Devotional includes daily encouragement for those individuals on the road to recovery from various hurts, pain, or an addiction of any kind.
Addiction Recovery Skills to Rewire the Brain: A Mindful Workbook – This book helps you understand your addiction, stop all of your unhealthy behaviors, manage any cravings, and prevent relapse to start living a mentally healthy life on a more meaningful level.
Rewired: A Bold New Approach To Addiction and Recovery – Rewired provides readers with a new, breakthrough approach to fighting addiction and self-damaging behavior by recognizing our personal power to bring ourselves back from this crippling addiction.
Conclusion
We have covered a lot in this article on signs of a porn addiction. Do you still have questions? Am I an addict? Do I need to seek professional help? Do I show many of the signs of a porn addict? Hopefully, those answers are rather clear now.
If you have additional resources or know of someone who would like to share their recovery testimony, reach out. We love to get fan mail. At Sharing Life and Love, our mission is to get you on FIRE for the Lord. So, if your recovery needs have led you that way, congratulations!
The Lord will walk with you if you believe in Him and turn from your old nature. After all, with Christ, a new creation has begun! You’ve got this!!
Sin is ultimately against God. It is any failure to conform to the law of God in either action or attitude. – Edward T. Welch
