Porn addiction is one of the most controversial addictions out there. About 83 percent of porn addicts are men and one-third are women. The biggest users of online pornography are 12 to 17 years old teenagers. Pornography or sex addiction is an actual mental illness. Those who struggle with it know that it is very real. Those who suffer from it deal with the reality of their addiction every single day.
An addiction to pornography doesn’t happen overnight. it’s a gradual process that worsens over time. Till it becomes a full-blown addiction, it’s nearly impossible to stop, it becomes a compulsion and the addict can’t think of or do anything else.
The 4 Levels of Porn Addiction:
1- Early Exposure:
As was stated, the largest users of online porn are children ages 12 to 17, and this is due to the curiosity in teenagers about the opposite sex.
Over time, the brain starts to desire more pornography and the brain rewires to understand that viewing pornography is a source of joy and relief.
2- Addiction:
Addiction occurs when the initial exposure due to curiosity becomes a physical dependence. Using porn will increase to more than leisure exploit. The addict loses manipulate of his or her mind in pursuit of the drug. Porn is needed for arousal and is used on a regular basis.
“Constant novelty, at the click of a mouse, can motive addiction,” stated Gary Wilson of TEDx, in “The Great Porn Experiment.” Dopamine rewards you for searching for the visible pleasures porn presents. It makes you feel good.
You keep coming again. You can’t stop. You’re hooked. Because of this chemical release — and the results of behavior — pornography addiction is taken into consideration to be a form of chemical brain damage. People grow to be dependent on pornography for physical and emotional satisfaction.
3- Extreme Obsession:
When you start watching porn, it’s like “any porn will satisfy me”.
But later on, videos start to look familiar, or even boring, but the craving and desire still remain.
At this point; the addict seeks new, more extreme content to fulfill his desire and on the other hand, you’re trying to deceive your own brain to make it feel like you’re watching brand new stuff to regain satisfaction.
4- Acting out Sexually: (you can take My story as a case study)
Acting out is the most messed up condition that the addict can reach, where the brain chooses porn over reality.
The addict starts to switch from pornographic videos to either real prostitutes or live cam sites.
The problem here is that the addict starts to give pornography a priority over life; this is usually followed by uncontrolled spending over whatever turns you on, so you start paying for real prostitutes or during a live cam show without thinking of your vital living expenses.
At this point, you start to realize that pornography addiction isn’t much different from drug addiction!
“The first step to dealing with a problem is admitting that you have a problem.“
-Jase Robertson
It’s possible for addicts, even compulsive ones, to prevent the cycle if it’s in the early stages or even into extreme ritualistic behaviors.
If you’ve got recognized yourself in any of these conditions, or suspect a loved one is suffering from pornography
addiction, please contact us today. We can come up with the methods needed to overcome your addiction. Please take the initiative to get your life back on track.
It’s never too late to BeFapless!
