Understanding Porn Addiction
The subject of addiction to pornography may be an intriguing source of material for a late night television comedian, but it’s actually a serious issue for many people. It’s considered a compulsive sexual behavior, and doesn’t have a specific diagnosis in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). While science takes time to establish criteria for diagnosing porn addiction and treatment plans for it, countless lives of men, women and children are being affected.
Pornography Addiction Is Escalatory
The desire for sex is biological. The brain works on a reward principle where things that feel good become things desirable to pursue. With addictions, however, the brain needs a little more stimulation each time to maintain that original feeling of gratification. Porn addiction follows a trend where gratification is difficult to maintain unless more stimulation is obtained.
Those addicted to porn may begin with so-called “dirty magazines” or visiting websites that have general depictions of nudity along with images and video of sexual acts. The initial rush of gratification is short-lived. The user of porn then escalates into specific genres of pornography, some of which may be illegal.
By far, the Internet is the easiest access to pornography. Using search engines without a search filter reveals pornographic imagery even for search terms users don’t intend as sexual. Though a larger majority of porn addiction cases affect adult men, it also affects women.
A generation has grown into adulthood using an Internet that not only feeds steady streams of visual information directly into their homes, but also allows anyone to personally contribute to the content. Video cameras are installed on computers and cell phones, making it easy to contribute to Internet pornography.
“Sexting” (sending and receiving sexualized text based messages that are likely to include photos and video) often begins before the age of 18, according to a Drexel University survey of college students. Easy and seemingly private access to material that feeds a physiological desire for more fits into common addiction patterns.
The Devastation of Pornography Addiction
As addiction escalates, it can lead to broken relationships, distrust and disgust from spouses. It can even lead to arrests and a lifetime inclusion on a list of sexual criminals if the escalatory behavior leads to criminal acts in order to feed the addiction to pornography.
Though there is evidence to support that porn addiction is a sexual addiction and therefore a diagnosable disorder, medical science is still holding out on making that declaration. There are no medications specifically designed to treat the condition, and many so-called therapies lack in their help because it’s not yet even considered a disease. Anecdotal evidence often precedes clinical proof, and there are countless individuals who are desperately seeking to rid themselves of addictions to pornographic material.
While porn addiction is not thoroughly understood by the medical profession, Roy Nelson Healing has been successful and helping many clients overcome this problem. Based on his own experience of overcoming addictions, Roy Nelson developed The Nelson Method which helps clients address the underlying causes of any and all addictions.
Since this type of addiction is progressive, seeking help now from those who understand addiction can be the first step to real recovery. If you or someone you know is dealing with a pornography addiction, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Call us today to start your recovery.
