An unlikely but real addiction
Isn’t it interesting how we just know that every maze or puzzle has an end or at the least an exit? Porn is a maze which unfortunately doesn’t seem to have an easy way out. The addiction to it can cause an individual to walk down dark emotional roads of shame and secrecy.
Agreed that not everyone who consumes porn is an addict but what begins as a seemingly harmless distraction or a way to kill time can, over time and usage, become a serious addiction. One that will harm your personality, cripple your social skills and be a deterrent to normal functioning.
If you have just begun watching porn it’s good that you got your hands on this article because it’s easier to nip the habit in the bud than allow it to become a full-blown addiction!
If you are in the throes of a porn addiction too, we got you! You are not too far gone to turn back now. So keep reading.
Why is it so hard to kick the porn habit?
Tarun* first watched porn along with friends just to get a kick out of it. He doesn’t know if his friends continued after that day but he did. He didn’t plan on getting addicted but pretty soon he had replaced all other forms of entertainment with just porn. As hard as he tried to quit it didn’t just happen. His frustration with himself led to him consuming more porn than before. It felt hopeless.
The interesting thing about an addiction is that it needs to be fed but is never satisfied. This means that while watching porn may not begin as an addiction, it would eventually get there as you become more dependent on it by force of habit.
Added to that is the lack of satisfaction with everyday life, which will begin to leak into other areas of your life and out of sheer frustration you would turn back to porn to keep you going.
Don’t be hard on yourself
It’s important to understand that the habitual watching of porn does something deep inside your brain to almost rewire it because of which your mind begins to dwell on it and make you crave for more. This is far more than just an issue of self control so go easy on the shame game. Since your brain is involved you need to find a smart way to beat the addiction.
What does the mind have to do with addiction?
Well our brain has something called a reward center which produces a molecule called dopamine. This happy hormone is stimulated by any enjoyable experience ranging from eating your favourite meal, gaming, getting in a great workout or having a romantic exchange with a love interest. The emotions you feel in these situations are pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. The human brain additionally has something called the pre-frontal cortex which is like a control switch. This keeps us in check and prevents us from overindulging in things that are not beneficial to us.
In the case of an addiction, the reward centre is in overdrive and demands more stimulation than necessary while the regulator switch is underperforming thereby allowing you to indulge in your addiction in unhealthy amounts.
What does this have to do with porn addiction?
When you consume porn in increasing quantities and for increasing durations of time it indicates that your brain has created a loop of excessive need and want. The result is a constant need to keep the reward center satisfied.
Is there a solution to get over a porn addiction?
Yes. Thankfully our brain is capable of being retrained and restored to its normal state. This happens when consistent and sustained efforts are made to break the harmful cycle of regular viewing of porn.
Most often the problem with trying to stop watching porn is that we think we can’t live without it when in reality we haven’t yet tried to live without it. We have forgotten what ordinary life before porn looked like. The simple solution is to begin to try. Try watching it a little less than the previous day, to begin with. Take baby steps. If you falter, try again.
Wondering how to get out of this twisted maze of pornography?
Contact us to speak to someone who can help you find your way out by walking with you on the journey to freedom from pornography and learning to enjoy life in all its fullness. You don’t have to live without hope of an escape anymor