Symptoms of Porn Addiction
Pornography addiction has been associated with both physical and psychological symptoms. The bad news is that engaging in pornography use will worsen these symptoms. The good news is that quitting porn will alleviate and eliminate them.
Both men and women can become addicted to pornography. Men tend to look at purely sexualized imagery, while women typically prefer erotica combined with an emotional connection (ie., Fifty Shades of Grey). Either way, the core signs of pornography addiction are similar for both men and women, typically including some combination of the following:
- A continuation of pornography use despite negative consequences and/or promises made to self or others to stop
- A need to view a variety of sexual content to experience arousal
- Secretive and dishonest behavior in relation to the nature and extent of porn use
- Sexual dysfunctions, such as erectile dysfunction
- Decreased sensitivity from overstimulation
- Low self-esteem, irritability, lack of motivation
- Decreased libido
- Preferring pornography and masturbation over sex