25 Jan Four Indicators That Your Porn Use Could Be Addiction
As with both drug and alcohol abuse, porn can trigger a chemical response in the brain that causes the viewer to feel pleasurable. This is primarily due to the release of dopamine and other biochemicals, such as oxytocin, adrenaline, serotonin and endorphins.
Over time, porn addicts learn to abuse this naturally occurring reaction by intentionally triggering the pleasure response with pornography and sexual fantasies. The addict then creates and uses that high as a way to avoid experiencing depression, anxiety and other undesirable emotions. Here are some signs that your porn use could be heading towards an addiction:
- Disinterest in Social & Family Events
Addicts often find themselves becoming more and more disinterested in attending social and family events, choosing rather to stay home and view pornography instead. If you begin to notice yourself saying ‘no’ to your social obligations more than you’ve been saying yes, your porn habits may be turning into an unhealthy addiction.
2. Depression
Depression almost always coincides with porn addiction because addicts are usually trying to self-medicate their depression with porn. Additionally, the intense comedown that occurs after watching porn (and usually after masturbating), can result in feelings of shame, guilt and inevitably, depression. If you find that your porn habits are resulting in feelings of depression, you may be addicted.
3. Financial Difficulties
Porn addicts commonly experience financial difficulties because of their porn addiction. You may be addicted to porn if you find yourself continuously paying for expensive live streaming videos, downloading and subscribing to porn sites that send you in financial hardship.
4. Work Disruptions
If you notice your performance (and/or attendance) at work has declined as a result of your porn viewing habits, you may need to consider treatment from a qualified sex therapist.