PORN is easily accessible nowadays but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get help if you think you’re addicted.
This is because many people still consider the popular pass time shameful and so hide it away – even if they are struggling.
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In fact, half of men and a sixth of women in Britain watch porn regularly, according to a YouGov 2022 survey.
And for nearly 13 per cent of men, it’s a daily occurrence.
So the chances are that many people you know watch it on the reg.
And yet despite this, no one ever talks about.
This can be a real problem for those who think they might be suffering from a porn addiction.
Am I addicted to porn if I watch it every day?
Using porn every day doesn’t necessarily mean you are suffering from a porn addiction.
According to private addition clinic The Priory, watching porn and wanting intimacy is entirely normal.
But when porn starts to take over other aspects of your life, that could be the sign of an addiction.
6 signs you are addicted to porn: Symptoms explained
The Priory says these are some of the key signs of a porn addition:
1. Excessive pornography use
This is when your use of porn has an obvious negative impact on your life and those around you.
2. Increasing amounts of time spent watching and downloading porn
3. Lying about how much you watch
Making out to friends and family you watch less than you do, if you watch a lot.
4. Becoming angry or defensive if someone asks you about your porn use
Obviously, you don’t have to be totally honest about how much porn you watch if you don’t want to.
But getting angry or upset when someone asks you could be a sign you know you have an issue.
5. Experiencing intense cravings or feeling irritable if you stop watching porn
6. Having to find more extreme types of porn
Like with most things, you might have a tolerance when it comes to porn.
As you watch more, you might feel the need access progressively more bizarre or extreme types of pornography in order to be satisfied.
This might escalate to you using technology to seek out anonymous or paid-for sexual encounters, whether online or in person.
6. A change in sexual behaviour towards your partner
You might feel the need to incorporate what you’ve seen on the screen into your own sex life.
For example, you might start acting more aggressively towards your partner or become less emotional.
This could have a negative impact on your relationship.
7. Using porn to relieve stress or reduce anxiety
What help is available for people with a porn addiction?
Porn addiction, whether a real addiction or not, is treated in a similar way to alcoholism or drug abuse.
A GP would usually direct someone to a clinic or support group such as SAA.
SAA has grown hugely in the past 20 years, going from around five meetings across the UK per week to 175.
It offers a space without judgement for groups of people with the same struggles.
There is also lots of help available online for people who are struggling with porn addiction.
One website, called Sex Addiction Help, offers an online recovery course.
Why are people addicted to porn? Causes explained
Like drugs, alcohol or social media, pornography triggers a dopamine – the happy hormone – release in the brain.
When someone has an orgasm while watching porn this releases another set of hormones, called endorphins – and these can relieve pain and stress.
It’s the combination of these two chemicals in the brain that makes porn so addictive, The Addiction Centre said.