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What is porn addiction, how to stop it and is counselling available?

The condition ruins lives, destroys relationships and can possibly cause physical injury

PORN addiction is a serious condition that ruins lives, destroys relationships and cause physical injury.

Here, we take a closer look at how addiction to pornography develops in the first place and how it can be treated.

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Porn addiction is very real and affects millions of peopleCredit: Getty - Contributor

What are the symptoms of porn addiction?

It is a condition in which an individual has an unhealthy relationship with sexually graphic and explicit materials.

These can include magazines, books, videos, movies, graphic novels, and other formats that show sexual acts and/or sexualised images.

Like any addiction, the addict's behaviour will be kept secret, with them going to great lengths to keep their habit a secret.

Symptoms of porn addiction

Top rehab clinic Castle Craig lists the symptoms of porn addiction as:

  • Increased isolation from family, friends, spouse, and/or sexual/romantic partner;
  • Failed promises to stop consuming pornography, or deflection to a different kind of porn as “evidence” of decreased consumption and/or being in control (for example, switching from one theme or medium of pornography to another);
  • Negative consequences in professional, family, relational, functioning;
  • Preoccupation with accessing/consuming porn, including secretive behavior, scheduling, and strategizing;
  • Feelings of shame, fear, self-disgust, and/or being out of control;
  • Substantially decreased or increased desire for sexual activity related to amount of porn consumed;
  • Increasing desire for increasingly explicit pornographic materials;
  • Feeling unable to control/manage consumption habits;
  • Dishonesty or secrecy with others regarding quantity and nature of porn consumption;
  • Decreased intimacy and increased objectification of others;
  • Planning life/activities/finances/relationship activities around porn consumption;
  • Forgoing previously enjoyed activities/relationships to consume porn.

How do people get addicted to porn?

Like any addiction, porn addiction is down to naturally occurring chemicals in the brain which are released as porn is consumed.

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says: "When an individual artificially overstimulates the release of these chemicals through the use of drugs, alcohol, sex, porn, or any other stimulus, the body develops a tolerance of and expectation for those chemicals that cannot be met through normal, healthy activities, and addicted individuals will continue to engage in unhealthy and even destructive behaviours in order to maintain the 'high' that has been artificially achieved."

Do only men get addicted to porn?

Women can also get addicted to porn, and suffer similar symptoms to men.

While women are traditionally more interested in erotica than porn, it is possible for them to become hooked on hardcore material.

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Earlier this year, we met a 41-year-old porn addict who watches 60 hours of smutty movies a week... as her kids get on with their lives downstairs.

What are the long term risks of porn addiction?

Men partial to perusing a lot of X-rated material are more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction - and it's because they are so used to looking at kinky images, experts suggest.

And those men who prefer watching their fantasies played out on screen are also less likely to enjoy actually having sex, the study showed.

Researchers surveyed more than 300 men aged between 20 and 40 who visited a San Diego urology clinic for treatment.

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