Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns in Someone ElseSigns in YourselfAddressing AddictionWhat It MeansCausesSupport
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs in Someone Else
Signs in Yourself
Addressing Addiction
What It Means
Causes
Support
Porn has always been a controversial topic—but is consuming porn addictive? There are some signs, such as negative effects on relationships and employment. It is typically treated with therapy.
This article is for anyone wondering if their porn use is crossing the line into addiction and for anyone wondering if someone they care about is experiencing porn addiction. Read on to learn the signs, risk factors and causes, and where to find support for yourself or someone else.
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Signs of Porn Addiction in Someone Else
Many people can consume porn without experiencing addiction.Others will experience unwanted or adverse effects from porn consumption. Here are some signs to watch for in someone else.
A Word From VerywellA strong indicator of pornography addiction is feeling an unrelenting urge to repeatedly view pornographic images even when doing so interferes with completing daily activities, experiencing emotional distress when unable to satisfy this urge, and struggling to reduce or stop this behavior despite repeated attempts.—ALEESHA GRIER, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
A strong indicator of pornography addiction is feeling an unrelenting urge to repeatedly view pornographic images even when doing so interferes with completing daily activities, experiencing emotional distress when unable to satisfy this urge, and struggling to reduce or stop this behavior despite repeated attempts.—ALEESHA GRIER, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A strong indicator of pornography addiction is feeling an unrelenting urge to repeatedly view pornographic images even when doing so interferes with completing daily activities, experiencing emotional distress when unable to satisfy this urge, and struggling to reduce or stop this behavior despite repeated attempts.
—ALEESHA GRIER, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Behavioral Effects
It can be hard to tell for certain that behavioral effects are linked to porn addiction in someone else. For example, someone may find ways to consume porn that aren’t always obvious to others.
Behavioral effects of porn addiction may include:
Emotional Effects
The emotional effects of porn may be even more difficult to see in others. Some examples of emotional effects of porn addiction may include:
Sexual Effects
Sexual effects of porn addiction vary. Research findings are conflicting. Some common examples are:
Interpreting Sexual Dreams: Can They Tell Us Anything?
Do I Show Signs of Porn Addiction?
More research is needed to fully understand the effects of porn addiction. Some studies suggest consumption of pornography is associated with the following:
Some questions to consider when evaluating your porn use include:
Is Masturbation Addiction Possible?
How to Address a Porn Addiction
Research on how to address an existing porn addiction is lacking. What studies do exist have limitations, meaning it’s hard to draw conclusions about most effective treatments or how to cope.
Psychotherapy
Several types of psychotherapy may be useful for someone experiencing porn addiction. These include:
Anonymous Groups
There are many support groups and programs to choose from if you are looking for peer support and understanding for porn addiction. They are all based on the12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, the original “anonymous group.”
Examples of anonymous groups of value for porn addiction are:
Medication
There are no approved medications for treating porn addiction per se. However, some research suggests selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI antidepressants) may have some benefits for managing behavioral addictions, including sexual addictions.
Other medications may be used to help relieve symptoms associated with porn addiction or comorbid (co-existing) conditions, including:Anxiety disordersAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Mood disordersSubstance use disorders
Other medications may be used to help relieve symptoms associated with porn addiction or comorbid (co-existing) conditions, including:
How Long Do Antidepressants Take to Work?
Understanding What Porn Addiction Means
Porn addiction is not an official diagnosis inThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM-5). The DSM-5 is the standard classification of mental disorders that mental health professionals use in the United States.
Causes of porn addiction are not clear. This is because there isn’t enough evidence-based and empirical research about porn addiction to draw conclusions. Still, some theories exist.
‘Supranormal Stimulus’
Nobel Prize winner and biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen coined the term “supranormal stimulus.” The theory is that porn stimulates the brain’s reward system beyond what human ancestors typically encountered and experienced, making it possible and plausible for someone to develop an addiction.
Pornography use causes activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, which is a similar response as when a person is financially rewarded for something.
Compulsivity Model
Compulsive Behavior
Negative Effects
The compulsivity model further links the obsession-compulsion to anxiety and distress. Someone may engage in stress-inducing behavior to relieve stress momentarily, only to experience more negative emotions afterward.
Risk Factors for Porn Addiction
Researchers link the rise in online porn addiction to three factors, considered the “triple A influences," which are:
Risk factors across cultures include:
Addictive Personality: Traits, Red Flags, and Risk Factors
Support and Help for Porn Addiction
Support and help for porn addiction is available. Working with a healthcare provider, mental health professional specializing in porn addiction, sex therapist, recovery coach, or relationship coach (if applicable) are all options.The following online resources are also available:
For Another Person
Supporting someone with a porn addiction can be challenging, especially if they do not want help or do not agree that they have a problem. While you can provide resources and support, you can’t do the work of recovery and managing the behavioral addiction for them.
If someone else’s porn addiction is interfering with your quality of life or relationship, you may consider seeking support from trusted friends, family, and trained professionals or support groups.
For Yourself
If you’re experiencing distress about your porn use, consider using the resources above to find support for yourself. You may need to try several paths to recovery before finding what works.
Defining the Role of a Sex Therapist
Summary
Porn addiction is not an official diagnosis, but it does have real impacts. As a behavioral addiction, porn addiction is associated with personal, relationship, and even career problems. Help and support are available from trained professionals and peer groups.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?Addiction Center.Behavioral addictions.American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?de Alarcón R, de la Iglesia JI, Casado NM, Montejo AL.Online porn addiction: What we know and what we don’t—a systematic review.Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019;8(1):91.Sniewski L, Farvid P, Carter P.The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review.Addictive Behaviors. 2018;77:217-224. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.010George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao TSS.Psychosocial aspects of pornography.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(1):44-47. doi:10.1177/2631831818821535What’s Ok?How will I know when my porn use has become a problem?Malandain L, Blanc JV, Ferreri F, Thibaut F.Pharmacotherapy of sexual addiction.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2020 May 7;22(6):30. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01153-4.Sahithya BR, Kashyap RS.Sexual addiction disorder— a review with recent updates.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2022;4(2):95-101.Camilleri C, Perry JT, Sammut S.Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: a cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States.Front Psychol.2021;11:613244. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244Sharpe M, Mead D.Problematic pornography use: legal and health policy considerations.Curr Addict Rep.2021;8(4):556-567.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?Addiction Center.Behavioral addictions.American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?de Alarcón R, de la Iglesia JI, Casado NM, Montejo AL.Online porn addiction: What we know and what we don’t—a systematic review.Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019;8(1):91.Sniewski L, Farvid P, Carter P.The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review.Addictive Behaviors. 2018;77:217-224. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.010George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao TSS.Psychosocial aspects of pornography.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(1):44-47. doi:10.1177/2631831818821535What’s Ok?How will I know when my porn use has become a problem?Malandain L, Blanc JV, Ferreri F, Thibaut F.Pharmacotherapy of sexual addiction.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2020 May 7;22(6):30. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01153-4.Sahithya BR, Kashyap RS.Sexual addiction disorder— a review with recent updates.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2022;4(2):95-101.Camilleri C, Perry JT, Sammut S.Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: a cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States.Front Psychol.2021;11:613244. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244Sharpe M, Mead D.Problematic pornography use: legal and health policy considerations.Curr Addict Rep.2021;8(4):556-567.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?Addiction Center.Behavioral addictions.American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?de Alarcón R, de la Iglesia JI, Casado NM, Montejo AL.Online porn addiction: What we know and what we don’t—a systematic review.Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019;8(1):91.Sniewski L, Farvid P, Carter P.The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review.Addictive Behaviors. 2018;77:217-224. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.010George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao TSS.Psychosocial aspects of pornography.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(1):44-47. doi:10.1177/2631831818821535What’s Ok?How will I know when my porn use has become a problem?Malandain L, Blanc JV, Ferreri F, Thibaut F.Pharmacotherapy of sexual addiction.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2020 May 7;22(6):30. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01153-4.Sahithya BR, Kashyap RS.Sexual addiction disorder— a review with recent updates.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2022;4(2):95-101.Camilleri C, Perry JT, Sammut S.Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: a cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States.Front Psychol.2021;11:613244. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244Sharpe M, Mead D.Problematic pornography use: legal and health policy considerations.Curr Addict Rep.2021;8(4):556-567.
American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?
Addiction Center.Behavioral addictions.
de Alarcón R, de la Iglesia JI, Casado NM, Montejo AL.Online porn addiction: What we know and what we don’t—a systematic review.Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019;8(1):91.
Sniewski L, Farvid P, Carter P.The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review.Addictive Behaviors. 2018;77:217-224. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.010
George M, Maheshwari S, Chandran S, Rao TSS.Psychosocial aspects of pornography.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(1):44-47. doi:10.1177/2631831818821535
What’s Ok?How will I know when my porn use has become a problem?
Malandain L, Blanc JV, Ferreri F, Thibaut F.Pharmacotherapy of sexual addiction.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2020 May 7;22(6):30. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01153-4.
Sahithya BR, Kashyap RS.Sexual addiction disorder— a review with recent updates.Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2022;4(2):95-101.
Camilleri C, Perry JT, Sammut S.Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: a cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States.Front Psychol.2021;11:613244. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244
Sharpe M, Mead D.Problematic pornography use: legal and health policy considerations.Curr Addict Rep.2021;8(4):556-567.
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