The era of the Internet and almost unlimited access to pornography has escalated the porn addiction problem, making it much more visible and more dangerous. Scientists have started to do researches about this all increasing problem. This problem is often a topic of public speeches, documentary films, and art culture. Many opinion leaders are pondering on how to stop porn and what measures should be put in place for overcoming pornography.
How to Overcome Porn Addiction?
A survey conducted ten years ago in the US revealed that one in five Americans in the age of 18 to 24 watches porn almost every day. At present, the number of young people watching porn regularly is unlikely to decrease, and pornography has only strengthened its positions in mass media. The problem of how to quit porn has become a pressing issue. People don’t know how to stop looking at porn and how to beat porn addiction. So, when does the passion for watching pornography turn into problematic behavior that wrecks personal life and really affects the psyche of an individual?
There is no “safe norm” when it comes to watching pornography. Addiction is determined not so much by the frequency of viewing or the time spent navigating porn sites, but by a particular psychological effect, which manifests itself in loss of control over personal behavior. If a person experiences discomfort without porn and is willing to watch it although it affects his life negatively, we can almost certainly talk about porn addiction.
Among various signs and stages of porn addiction, experts single out the loss of sensibility, the need to save recently watched videos, falling self-esteem, growing dissatisfaction with real sex relations, psychological stress, anxiety attacks, and self-isolation. With time, a person needs more and more porn to get aroused. Content needs to be much more realistic and hard, including domination and violence. Addicted persons can promise to stop watching porn, but they usually break their own promises time after time. All this makes a person feel even worse about himself.
For a better understanding of how to quit porn addiction, it’s crucial to understand its mechanism. We get pleasant feelings with each burst of dopamine, which serves as an essential substance of the brain's reward system. Once our brain experiences this kind of pleasure, it drives us to do it again. If we do something long enough, the nerve pathways form a habit. This is the way how porn works. Unfortunately, watching porn requires little effort from a person to get a dopamine injection. As with other addictions, more and more of this “drug” is necessary to achieve enjoyment of the same level. So this leads to a situation where a person can’t stop watching porn. Porn addiction is real, and it starts harming the human psyche. We’re here to help you out. Start your recovery with LadderOut.
How to Stop Watching Porn?
How to stop porn addiction? If you have noticed at least some signs of porn addiction, it is worthwhile to get rid of this dependence as soon as possible and get back to living a healthy life. So, how to stop watching porn and how to overcome porn addiction? To start with, you should recognize the dependency and take responsibility for your life. After all, any problem can be solved. You have to tell yourself that you have the strength, desire, and sufficient determination necessary for quitting porn. The right decisions follow the right thoughts.
People often use protective mechanisms in the form of food, alcohol, or pornography to either experience positive feelings or get rid of negative thoughts. You need to examine yourself, understand why you are behaving this way, and solve the problem radically. As drug or alcohol-addicted persons take responsibility for their problems, so must you do the same to quit porn.
You need to completely stop watching porn. Remove all archives containing these materials, as well as links to porn websites from your devices. Stay in front of your laptop alone as seldom as possible to limit the desire to watch porn. You need to fill your leisure time with more useful activities. For example, you can get started with jogging or other sports. It will help funnel your excess energy in a different direction. Make a list of healthy activities and hobbies that you’d like to do and enjoy them.
Spend more time with your significant other or friends. If you have a regular partner, the desire to watch porn and masturbate usually arises when sex doesn’t bring pleasure. Talk to your soul mate about your preferences in sex and confess what exactly you lack for your happiness. If you have no permanent partner, you should be out of home as often as possible, just walking and talking with different people. When you are at home, and the desire to watch porn rises again, try to take a refreshing shower. These are just a couple of quite simple method how to stop watching porn.
How to Quit Porn for Good?
Overcoming porn addiction can be a long and challenging process with some relapses. Due to the emotional outburst after realizing that you have a porn addiction and the need to change your life, you may experience psychological discomfort and a wish to indulge yourself in your destructive habit again. Since this danger exists, you need to unburden yourself of extra responsibilities, at least for the time being. Relax and enjoy your everyday life.
If you think about how to stop porn addiction, but you can’t overcome it on your own, you can try other methods. Porn addicts can get urgent psychological assistance by phone, and they have an opportunity to participate in group psychotherapy for porn withdrawal. However, separate groups for porn addicts are relatively rare. Most often, they are mixed with people with other types of addictions. It is important to note that there is nothing shameful and humiliating to take part in a collective therapy program. Famous actors, football players, and musicians attended groups for addicted people.
Clearly define the situations in which you usually start thinking about watching porn. Take your eyes off the TV set and laptop screens and stop visiting porn websites on the Internet. If a banner catches your eyes while you are surfing the Internet, this can provoke a breakdown. You can consider installing special content filters on your laptop and smartphone to block unwanted web pages. Forget about your gadgets for several days and even weeks, if nothing else can help.
If you feel that you are addicted to porn, and you are not able to cope with it on your own, it is advisable to consult a psychiatrist or therapist. A therapist can advise how to stop watching porn and help with porn addiction. You may also start your recovery with LadderOut. Get the necessary assistance, and learn how to stop watching porn once and forever.
