Some people claim that pornography addiction does not exist, because it is not a physical addiction as with a drug. However, that misses the point. What is pornography addiction — or obsession — and what can you do about it?

Read the article, or skip straight to resources.

What is porn addiction?

Well, this article won't give you the official definition. It's more about the day-to-day effects of it.

Do you…

• Find yourself thinking of pornography when you're out and about or at work?
• Find your porn addiction interferes with your daily social interaction?
• Feel guilty about what you are doing?
• Spend so much time on it, that you have too little time for more constructive things?
• Use pornography regularly as a way to escape from the daily stresses or worries, or to make you feel better?
• Feel dissatisfied with your romantic relationships and use pornography as a substitute?
• Prefer to go home to indulge in your pornography addiction rather than spend time with friends and family?
• Keep searching for the ultimate in pictures or videos, feeling that what you have isn't enough?
• Worry about being "caught"?

If you can honestly answer "yes" to some of those questions, then your addiction to pornography is likely to be causing you problems socially and emotionally.

When you have worries, and you hide those worries behind the pornography, then you are not going to be able to grow and learn. Instead, it becomes like a drug addiction, where you grow steadily worse and disconnected from life.

How can you break this pattern?

The first thing is to realise that you have the problem. If you've answered "yes" to any of the previous questions, the chances are that you have a problem. It needs to be stopped before things get out of hand; or, perhaps, it's already got out of hand!

Time for some porn addiction help.

A drug addiction?

Breaking the habit can be difficult, because it really is like a drug addiction. As with any recreational or illegal drug, its use numbs your feelings and is psychologically addictive.

It also causes your brain to produce certain hormones, which are of course a type of drug. Those hormones are, of course, healthy when having a normal, healthy sexual relationship, but not when using it with obsessive pornography addiction.

Thus, we could say that you are also physically addicted.

The next step

OK, so let's say that you have admitted your problem (to yourself, at least).

Now what?

Well, it's time to get help.

If you can face up to it, contact a suitable professional. A person could try CBT, for example, or an NLP Practitioner, an acupuncturist, or a hypnotherapist. Your doctor could also give advice. The main thing is to find a way to change how you think about life and, in particular, porn.

Imagine if, when you thought about pornography, instead of feeling desire, craving, and possible relief, you instead thought it weird it distasteful. Imagine how such new thoughts would change what you did and how you went about your life. Imagine how much better your social interaction would be, and how much more time there would be to do the things you really wanted to do.

If you find the idea difficult or daunting, perhaps it's because the idea of having free time scares you. Some people do feel that way. If that's you, then it is important to address what is happening, so that it can be solved.

Self-help

What happens if you are too shy to tell anyone else about the problem, even a therapist? Well, of course, therapists have strict guidelines on privacy, but if it still worries you, then you'll need self-help.

You can find books in the library, for example, or in a bookshop. As my speciality is hypnotherapy, of course I would recommend a book on self-hypnosis.

You could also get audio self-help, such as a self-hypnosis MP3 or CD. The thing is, MP3 tracks are great, because you can save them or burn them to CD, and use them as often as you need. Hypnosis is such a great feeling, that you will find it easy to listen to.

Resources

• A hypnotherapy download for pornography addiction that you can burn to CD or play on an MP3 player.
• A book on self-hypnosis (or for the UK) to help yourself with all sorts of issues.