Porn addiction myths: Science says it’s a habit

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I use artificial intelligence to suggest titles and SEO data for my posts. Every time I type something about porn, it comes back with the term “porn addiction.”

Here’s the thing; porn addiction isn’t real. Addiction is a word with specific meanings, and porn doesn’t tick all the boxes. Those who argue that porn is addictive point out that watching porn activates certain areas of the brain similar to those activated by drug use. But no one has been able to prove that porn use changes your brain chemicals in the same way a real additive does, because that doesn’t happen.

Anyone who claims porn is addictive is ignoring the science.

This is not to say that porn isn’t a problem, or that getting rid of it isn’t difficult. Porn use may be compulsive or compulsive, and habitual use may be a major problem.

So why does it matter that this isn’t a real addiction? This is important because it is nearly impossible to break an addiction without help. Doing it “cold turkey” on your own will almost always fail, as will weaning without help. Habits, on the other hand, can be addressed by making changes in your life and exercising self-control.

I think people who struggle with porn want it to be an addiction so they don’t feel guilty for continuing to do it. Guys, this is a lie. You are not addicted and if you want to quit, you can quit. I’m not going to tell you that stopping is easy, but many people have done it and you can too.

Thinking about the problem: If you knew that one more voluntary viewing of porn would lead to the end of your marriage, would you be able to stop? If you knew that everyone you knew was going to see the porn you watched, would you stop watching it?

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