Porn is readily available everywhere, thanks to the internet. It means that in just a few clicks you can watch the hottest sex videos and jerk off to the sexiest things online. The issue with having such content available is that people are struggling with porn addiction.
If you are addicted to porn is can be difficult to deal with it… especially if you feel uncomfortable seeking professional help. You might not want to go to your doctor for fear they judge you. So what can you do?
We take a look at some of the things you can do to help deal with your porn addiction. Use this guide to help ease you into it and build your confidence for seeking professional help.
Understand why you watch porn
Most of the time we watch porn because we are horny and want something visual to enjoy while we masturbate. Maybe we want to research a fantasy? Or we simply want to watch a hot dream of ours coming true.
In the case of addiction to porn, the reasons for watching tend to change. Yes, it is fun and sexy. But for the most part it has become a coping mechanism. If you are stressed, anxious, or even bored, porn becomes a method to help you deal with that.
By figuring out why you watch as much porn as you do, and why you feel like you can’t cope without it, you can start to work on changing things.
Other methods of coping
Once you have identified the reason you are using porn as a coping mechanism, you can start to work on dealing with it. The best way to do this is to come up with other strategies to help you cope.
For example, if you are feeling stressed you can do a few different things to deal with it. Exercise is a huge help, and joining a class at the gym or a boot camp style fitness session will give you something to do regularly. It can also really help to take your mind off of the porn.
Those of you struggling to cope with boredom will need to find some other way of filling your time. Regular events, like sports clubs, can distract you, and if you go regularly enough you’ll find you spend less time thinking about porn.
You should also arrange to spend more time with friends and family. Having a support network around you can be a huge help, even if you don’t tell them that you have a porn addiction. Spending time with other people works wonders for a number of different things, as you won’t be able to simply look at your favourite videos when the mood strikes.
Limit your access to porn
While finding other coping mechanisms can be a huge help, you’ll discover that this often isn’t enough. It isn’t as simple or easy as that, as sometimes you need to do more to stop yourself from watching the content you are addicted to.
Thankfully a lot of web browsers give you the chance to adjust the settings and block certain websites. If you are struggling to find the settings, there are plenty of extensions you can download to prevent you accessing certain websites. Sure, it might not stop you from looking at porn completely, since there are so many websites out there. But those minutes where you cannot get to your favourite sites might be enough time to stop you.
Another excellent way to help yourself is to start monitoring your internet usage. Are you more tempted to go looking for porn at a certain time of day? If so, avoid the internet at those points. You can adjust your internet settings to limit your access during those times, making it easier for you to stay away from porn.
Seek professional help
When you have come to terms with the fact that you have a porn addiction, helping yourself is one of the first steps. However, while you might believe that you can cope on your own, it is still important to seek professional help.
Not sure where to start? The Centre for Addictive & Problematic Behaviours has some great resources available to you. You can then also go in to visit them and arrange an appointment if you would rather not speak to your doctor.
However, speaking to your doctor is a good idea. They can help you in a number of ways, and often talking to somebody about the problem will help you see just how big it really is.
Dealing with porn addiction
There are many different ways for you to cope with porn addiction. The first step is to realising that there is a problem, and that you are an addict. The second is then taking steps to change that.
Got some stories about your porn addiction you’d like to share to encourage others to see help? You can use the comment box below to join in the discussion.
Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.
In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.
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