Porn Addiction

• Understanding Porn Addiction:

Porn Addiction constitutes compulsive consumption of pornographic content online for satisfaction of sexual urges, this is often indulged in because of underlying mental health issues such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, toxic domestic environment, and non-mental health related issues such as boredom, curiousity due to lack of proper sex education platforms etc. This overtime becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism to cope with those underlying causes.

Neurologically it has a reward mechanism similar to opiate addiction, both involves the spike in dopamine and numbs or desensitizes the neural paths over time, pushing the person addicted to indulge more compulsively to get the dopamine and oxytocin hit, to feel good, and loved. This shows how difficult it can be for the person addicted as unlike opiate, its just a few clicks away on the internet. It can become more complex if the addicted person is also addicted to their phone and internet.

Although, it may seem difficult to overcome this addiction, its something you can get out of with proper support mechanism. This path is to help you stay on a track and slowly and steadily get out of this addiction.

• Myths Surrounding Porn Addiction:

Porn Addiction is seen under the light of taboo, its seen as an abnormality, which is why it gets acknowledged less and less awareness is brought about this topic. First and foremost, we have to acknowledge that it exists and people struggle with fighting it off. Its not something anyone should feel guilty of, nor should anyone be embarssed to acknowledge their own addiction, remember if we hide in the shadows, we give it power over us, so accept it and embrace the fact that you have fallen in this unhealthy coping mechanism and try to trace the roots which motivates these urges and actively participate in fighting them off, you got this!

Second myth is by far the most scariest myth going around on the internet, that Porn Addiction can cause impotence, it has no scientific backing, only reasoning the internet gives is that it sensitizes brain too much that it causes Premature Ejaculation or Erectile Dysfunction in men, which isn't true, its psuedo science, so don't worry about such cases, you're healthy human being, Porn Addiction has no direct linkage to any such issues, your addiction can only become a problem for you in social scenarios, such as fueling your loneliness, limiting your social interractions and development, thoughts clouding your brain which isn't allowing you to concentrate on work etc.

Porn is unethical and wrong - This myth not only creates a negative image in the person's mind, but also fuels the guilt which follows this addcition. Porn or the Adult Film Industry isn't wrong, infact it has helped alot of people explore their sexuality or discover their orientations in a healthy manner. Porn Addiction on other hand is compulsive indulgence of such content, which isn't reality, the indulgence intensifies as one starts to develve into a more hard core usage and categories which are not only derrogrative but unreal. When you notice such behaviour, you should acknowledge your addiction, but again, not feel any guilt associated to it, as you fell into this addiction because of underlying mental health issues and not because you're a bad person, you're beautiful soul and you shouldn't feel guilty of porn.

• Way Forward:

Going ahead, you have successfully understood and acknowledged what constitutes as Porn Addiction, you are set to start a journey of fighting this addiction to live a more healthy social life. To beat this addiction you have to follow a 21, 90 & 180 days milestones. This routine does involve abstinence from Masturbation, but its not a mandatory condition towards recovery, you're bound to have a healthy sexual life and Masturbation without the indulgence of Porn won't affect your progress if you choose to do so, with that out of the way, your first milestone is to quit porn for 21 days, this is your first step to recovery as it will help you quit the habit of going to the sites. Second milestone is 90 days, as it will take about 90 days to rewire the brain to not think subconsciously about porn & 180 days milestone is where you'll realise you beat the addiction, keep in mind that these milestones are self made, the main goal here is to Quit Porn for as long as possible and heal yourself in the process and work on the underlying mental health issues. Once you have worked at both the addiction and mental health issues, you will successfully beat this Addiction.

What are your thoughts on this Addiction? How do you feel after understanding Porn Addiction?