12% of the websites on the internet are pornographic in nature. That means there are over twenty-four million websites focused on porn. Finding these sites is as easy as typing a few words into Google. With so many sites to choose from and the ease of accessing them, porn addictions have become much more common than in the past. Below are five signs that best describe a porn addiction.
1) You’ve become antisocial
Like any addiction, a porn addiction will come between you and the other people in your life. When you get invited out for nights with friends, you turn them down or give excuses why you can’t make it. As soon as you get home you go directly to your porn collection, instead of talking to your partner or housemates.
2) It’s affecting your sex life
Porn puts people into ridiculous situations where sex is the most obvious outcome, but that is far from real life. When you are trying to get intimate with your significant other, you might have difficulty getting into the mood because of the significant difference of situation compared to the porn videos you have been watching. The frequent masturbation will also desensitize you to exterior arousal and cause an inability to perform as well as before you started watching porn.
3) Your attraction to your partner has changed
When you and your partner used to spend romantic evenings together, you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. The two of you spent countless nights together, indulging in each other’s attractiveness, but along the way, something changed. You may find that you spend more time nitpicking your partner’s appearance or deciding if they are sexy enough for you. After spending so much time staring at pornstars, people’s idea of sexual attraction has changed completely. People that have a “normal” appearance don’t seem to cut it anymore. You may find that your attraction towards your partner is dependent on how much like a porn star they look.
4) You keep your porn watching secret
It isn’t uncommon for people to keep to themselves when watching porn. There are laws in place to make sure it isn’t seen as public, exposing children or other people to things they may want to see. Both the porn addiction and sex addiction are considered as behavioural addictions since it adversely affects the attitude and behaviour of a person. For a porn addict, however, they go the extra mile when it comes to secrecy. A porn addict will shut people out, or become nervous if they are asked questions about porn. They might start locking up their computer, or going through the house to make sure no one is around that might catch them in the act. Not only will they hide the act of watching porn, but they will also likely lie about the number of times they have watched it.
5) Your internet time has increased dramatically
This doesn’t mean that you are spending more time looking at funny cat pictures, but you are actively seeking out different types of porn sites. You are up late at night searching for new websites or videos to watch. You start showing up to things late because you were too busy on the computer. As an addict, you might even lose track of time, and find that five minutes can quickly become five hours.
David L.Schiavone is a psychiatrist working at Edgewood Health network. He is focusing primarily on Cognitive Therapy and mindfulness approaches. Follow him on Twitter @schiavone_l
Photo Credits: iStockphoto.com