Is Porn Addiction Similar To Drug Addiction?

Do you know anyone who is extremely infatuated with porn? Would you characterize them as being a sex addict? What even is sex addiction?

Not many people would make the connection, but porn addiction is surprisingly similar to drug addiction. And although you may not realize it yet, porn has the potential to affect people’s lives significantly.

This is not to say that people addicted to porn will eventually end up prowling back alleys to get their fix. Nor does it mean that they would sell every last thing they own to get a glimpse of a pornographic video or picture.

But make no mistake: porn addiction can be just as debilitating and harmful as addiction to opiates or alcohol. Furthermore, it may have far-reaching consequences that could take the addict many years to recover from.

Porn and It’s Effect on the Brain

Scientific studies have shown that porn affects the brain in much the same way as tobacco and other addictive substances. Like drugs, porn stimulates certain areas of the brain and causes it to release chemicals that make people feel good.

The problem is that over time, the ability of porn to create the same feeling decreases considerably. While quick ‘fix’ porn would be enough to arouse us initially, it soon loses its potency and ability to excite. This compels us to watch porn more and more often in a bid to capture the same feelings.

Furthermore, the desire to experience the same sensations that porn initially inspired often causes people to seek more extreme examples. Many porn addicts start out with fairly sedate and run-of-the-mill images and videos, only to gravitate toward increasingly aberrant and extreme material as time goes on. Given enough time and exposure, even truly shocking porn loses its ability to draw a reaction.

How the Brain Processes Porn

Why does porn affect us the way it does? Why are its effects similar to those caused drugs and other addictive substances? The secret lies in how the brain works.

Within the brains of mammals–humans included–is an area known as the “reward center”. The reward center’s sole function is to release chemicals into the rest of the brain that makes us feel pleasure.

Many things can cause the reward center to kick into action. Eating something we like is a common trigger, as is vigorous physical activity, such as exercise. We may also feel that familiar chemical rush when we receive a kiss or a hug.

These pleasure sensations are healthy for the most part. They cause no harm, and we can usually get the same pleasure from these activities no matter how many times we engage in them.

The problem is when we derive pleasure from activities that could cause harm or are detrimental to our physical and mental well-being in some way. This is the case when we indulge in drugs or porn.

Addictive substances and activities are essentially ‘false’ signals that trick our brain into releasing pleasure chemicals. As the brain becomes conditioned to expecting these pleasurable sensations, it becomes more and more dependent on the substance or action that triggers them. It is then that we become addicted to that activity, which in this case is porn addiction.

Signs of Porn Addiction

How do you know if and when you are addicted to porn? Like all types of addiction, the signs vary according to the individual. However, some characteristics are common to most porn addicts. Some examples are:

Regular intense sexual cravings
Using porn to relieve anxiety
Difficulty at work and home due to porn viewing
Porn begins to take over more and more aspects of your life
You do fewer and fewer things that you used to enjoy to make more time for porn
You view porn in highly inappropriate locations or situations
You continue to view porn even if it no longer provides pleasure

These are only some of the more common signs of addiction to porn. Depending on how long you have been dealing with the problem and how it has affected your life, you may need professional treatment.

Porn addiction can be just as damaging to a person as any addiction. But proper therapy and treatment can reduce your dependence on it and diminish the adverse effects it has on your life. Consulting with a knowledgeable professional will go a long way in helping you get on the road to sexual addiction recovery.

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