Porn Addiction Causes

What Makes Porn So Addictive?

Porn addiction can be brought on by the elevated dopamine levels a person experiences while watching pornography.

Eventually, the brain becomes dependent on these elevated levels, so the person feels they must watch porn to feel normal. A variety of factors can cause porn addiction. While many leading causes of porn addiction are mental, some physical factors can also trigger this condition.

The Most Common Causes of Porn Addiction

Underlying Mental Health Conditions

Porn addiction can often co-occur with other underlying mental health disorders.

The underlying mental health condition may not directly cause porn addiction. Instead, the person might turn to pornography to escape their underlying mental health issues, ultimately leading to porn addiction.

Examples of mental health conditions that co-occur with porn addiction include:

• Mood disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder)
• Personality disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• A history of suicidal thoughts and actions

Hormone Imbalances

Like with substances of abuse, regularly watching porn can slowly change a person’s brain chemistry over time.

Viewing porn can raise your serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels.

These chemicals are vital to overall brain activity, affecting the part of the brain that regulates mood, coordination, digestion, and pleasure.

Elevated levels of these chemicals can cause a hormonal imbalance in the brain. This imbalance, in turn, can lead to the development of porn addiction as the brain becomes more dependent on these elevated levels.

Relationship Difficulties

Viewing pornography can be a form of sexual exploration for romantic couples. It can also be an outlet for those dealing with relationship problems.

However, if a person feels unsatisfied in their relationship physically or emotionally, they may turn to porn. Viewing porn may feel like a harmless and non-confrontational way to deal with the frustrations (sexual or otherwise) in their relationship.

What may start as a seemingly harmless activity can eventually lead to problematic pornography use.

Unfortunately, an online porn addiction can lead to other relationship issues, especially if the person hides their porn use from their spouse.

Sexual Dissatisfaction

Those who feel sexually dissatisfied in their relationship, such as a lack of sexual activity, may turn to porn to make up for what they feel they are missing.

While this behavior may seem innocent enough to the person viewing porn, it can ultimately lead to addictive behavior and, with time, porn addiction. Forming compulsive porn behaviors can emotionally hurt their partner.

As the person becomes dependent on pornography for pleasure and happiness, they may be unable to be intimate with their partner without using pornography.

Escape and Avoidance

Research shows that people often turn to drugs or alcohol to escape reality and forget their problems. Pornography can also be used in that same manner.

People may turn to pornography because they feel it is a less dangerous outlet compared to illicit substances. Yet regular porn use can ultimately lead to porn addiction in the same way drug and alcohol use can lead to substance use disorder.

Someone may turn to pornography as an escape from the following:

• An underlying mental health condition
• Stress and anxiety brought on by their daily life
• Struggles at school or work
• Relationship issues
• Dissatisfaction with sexual health
• Other types of addiction (both substance use and behavioral)

Stress Relief

Some people may view internet pornography and engage in masturbating to pornographic material as a form of stress relief.

Watching porn and masturbating while watching porn releases dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain that can relieve stress and leave the person feeling more relaxed.

As the person continues to turn to porn as a form of stress relief, the brain becomes more dependent on those elevated dopamine levels.

Eventually, it may get to the point where anytime the person is stressed, they may feel as though they have to watch porn or masturbate immediately before continuing their day. These compulsive behaviors can easily lead to pornography addiction.

Sexual Abuse Issues

Survivors of sexual abuse, especially child sexual abuse, often suffer from a range of mental health conditions and behavioral health conditions when they get older.

These conditions include hypersexual disorder, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and low self-esteem. Many sexual abuse survivors turn to drugs or alcohol to escape their troubles, and some people may also use pornography in this manner.

The more time they spend watching porn as a means of escape, the greater their chances of developing a porn addiction.

Co-occurring Drug or Alcohol Addiction

People who battle substance abuse and addiction often also suffer mental health and behavioral health issues such as pornography addiction.

Two mental or behavioral health disorders occurring together are known as co-occurring disorders.

People with co-occurring disorders often turn to some outlet to take their minds off their struggles. This outlet could be a substance of abuse such as drugs and alcohol or an activity such as viewing porn sites.

The most common substance use disorder that co-occurs with porn addiction is alcohol abuse or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

How Watching Porn Leads to Porn Addiction

Not everyone viewing pornography will develop a porn addiction, and many people can consume porn and not have any issues.

Others may find themselves experiencing cravings or other withdrawal symptoms when not viewing porn.

Pornography addiction can slowly build over time, sometimes without the person realizing it.

Here’s how porn addiction can form and the warning signs and symptoms to monitor.

1. Brain Chemicals Are Released By Porn Use

Like other addictive substances, watching porn can release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals into the brain.

These elevated levels can lead to a chemical imbalance in the brain, which, over time, can change the entire chemical makeup of the brain.

As the chemical makeup of the brain changes, it begins to need more of these feel-good chemicals to feel normal. This increase in chemicals can lead to a rise in pornography consumption to give the brain what it wants.

2. You Develop a Coping Dependence on Porn

The more porn a person watches to release those feel-good chemicals, the more reliant they become on consuming pornographic material.

As they continue to watch more porn, they may begin to notice real-life negative consequences, including effects on their overall wellness.

Some of the effects of developing compulsive porn behaviors include:

• Favoring watching porn over being intimate with a partner
• Watching porn at inappropriate times (e.g., at work)
• A less satisfying sex life, including sexual dysfunction
• Relationship problems as a result of porn-viewing habits

3. Dependence Leads to Risky Behavior Indicating The Formation of a Porn Addiction

After a person begins to rely on porn to feel normal and function, porn addiction soon follows.

Once a person has developed a porn addiction, they may find it difficult to stop watching porn even if they no longer want to. They will feel an obligation to watch porn even if it is no longer enjoyable for them to do so.

Some other side effects and symptoms of porn addiction include:

• Ignoring daily responsibilities to watch porn
• Spending an excessive amount of money on pornography sometimes leads to financial strain
• Needing to watch more porn or more extreme porn to reach their desired effects
• Decreased sexual satisfaction
• Experiencing feelings of shame or frustration either while watching or immediately after watching pornography

Who’s at Risk for a Porn Addiction?

Some people are more predisposed to develop an addiction, including porn addiction, than others.

Factors that can increase the risk of porn addiction include:

• A history of physical or sexual abuse
• A history of addiction, whether substance or behavioral
• Certain mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety and depression)
• Certain brain diseases (e.g., epilepsy and dementia)
• Relationship struggles
• A chemical imbalance in the brain

Treatment Options for Porn Addiction

Porn addiction is treatable and, based on the severity, may not even require hospitalization or a stay in a rehab center.

A treatment plan for porn addiction may use a combination of psychotherapy, commitment therapy, support groups, home remedies, and an overall lifestyle change.

The most effective form of porn addiction treatment is psychotherapy (talk therapy), including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Psychotherapy can help properly address reasons a person began viewing porn, such as for stress relief. Therapy aims to teach people healthier ways to deal with their struggles that don’t involve pornography. Support groups go hand in hand with therapy, helping people to share their journey with others who understand and work together to stay accountable. Both in-person groups like Porn Addicts Anonymous and online groups like Relay can be impactful elements of treatment.

If porn addiction is due to a chemical imbalance, mental health professionals may prescribe medications such as mood stabilizers or antidepressants to address that imbalance.

Get Help for You or a Loved One Facing Porn Addiction

If you or a loved one is battling compulsive pornography use, you can find the help you need or even seek confidential medical advice for a treatment referral.

Visit the Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA) page for meeting times and locations in your area, or visit the SAMHSA online program locator to find local addiction treatment options, or join a digital support group in Relay to begin treatment right now.