Out of many behavioral addictions, the most controversial addiction amongst doctors & mental health professionals is ‘Porn Addiction. Controversy arises on the point of whether it’s an addiction or compulsion. Regardless, it is harming people’s lives and therefore it needs attention. Porn addiction is considered the most common addiction worldwide. According to a survey, it was estimated that 12% of all websites were pornography. That means, there were more than 24 million porn websites in 2010.
Psychologists say, “When you feel good or excited about something, a neurotransmitter ‘Dopamine’ is released into one’s body. Dopamine is released during sex and even while watching porn. But, there’s a difference between sex and porn which our brain can’t tell. As you watch more and more pornography, it is really hard to stop. The pathways of your brain don’t know any other ways to feel good. When you become addicted to porn, your brain is building the same destructive pathways that occur in a drug or alcohol addiction.
Even after trying ‘n’ number of times to avoid watching porn, you are unable to stop. If you see someone continuously logged in porn sites & not communicating with you, he/she might be addicted to porn.
Similar to the people consuming weed, people addicted to porn tend to experience more & more cravings to watch more. If you see someone craving porn, he/she will try to go away from you, find a place to sit alone, and watch porn. They will also get defensive if you ask them about it.
People addicted to porn start liking the visuals seen in the video to such an extent that they expect the same appearance as their partner. If the person doesn’t find his/her partner attractive as on the screen, they tend to avoid sex or lose interest in it.
People watching porn don’t care about the time even if they have certain commitments to fulfill. The ‘feel-good factor doesn’t let them focus on the seriousness of any other work except porn. It eventually leads to low performance at work, less creativity, and therefore less life satisfaction..
People addicted to porn make unrealistic desires to have sex. They want the same situation which they have seen on screen. As the visuals are created with a lot of editions, they are not clear. If the person is unsuccessful in creating the same situation, it leads to frustration.
As porn addiction gets intense day by day, people begin to experience physical pain as well. Eye problems due to excessive mobile or computer use, neck pain, wrist pain, headaches & back pain, etc can be seen in the individual.
If you see the above 6 factors in an individual you must do something about it immediately.
If you still couldn’t control the urge, don’t worry. Every problem has its solution. Even if you’re struggling with porn addiction, your brain has the ability to be resilient enough to bounce back to a good lifestyle. For that, you need to approach a de-addiction center in India. Some best rehabilitation centers in India like Veda Rehabilitation & Wellness have their client-centered programs for the best treatment of addiction.
If you have decided to take a treatment, we appreciate you for this decision. Trust me, change is never easy. But, always possible. Trust the process!
Kalpesh Kulkarni (Psychologist) – Veda Rehabilitation & Wellness
