Do you feel like watching porn is taking over your life to the point where it’s become an addiction or a compulsion? There are, unfortunately, many people out there that feel like the desire to watch porn isn’t something that they have control over anymore. 

As of 2016, around 1 in 3 men self-reported that they thought they were addicted to porn based on the basic addiction assessment test.

The addiction assessment test (3 C's):

1. Craving and preoccupation
2. Loss of control in moderating the extent of the behavior
3. Negative consequences resulting from the behavior

What Are the Signs of a Porn Addiction?

Let’s dive into some of the signs of porn addiction to help you gauge whether your habit has become excessive.

1. You Neglect Responsibilities to Watch Porn

We all have things we’re responsible for in life, whether they be responsibilities at work, at home, in our relationships, or otherwise. Unfortunately, when a person gets addicted to porn, they might ignore what they need to do to keep their lives functional. Beyond that, they can put their larger life goals on hold, trading immediate gratification for long-term accomplishments and satisfaction.

2. You Continue to Watch Porn Even Though It Leaves You Feeling Ashamed or Frustrated

Sometimes, someone with a porn addiction might consciously know that they have a problem they need to address. Individuals might be aware that they always feel worse after consuming porn, but they are compelled to continue regardless. However, no matter how much they want to stop, they fall back into the habit.

Another sign of porn addiction is if an individual becomes irritable when they’re in a position where they can’t easily access porn, leaving them to experience less stable moods and relationship issues.

3. Your Tastes Escalate Over Time Due to Desensitisation

We’ll discuss escalation later in the article, but another indication of porn addiction is that your tastes escalate in extremity. People addicted might find themselves consuming content that they would have initially found disturbing, unethical, or otherwise just too intense.

4. You Think About Stopping But Feel Like You Can’t

When a person has developed a porn addiction or compulsion, they might want to stop and try to stop, but they find themselves falling back into the habit. They might also find that when they don’t consume porn for some time, they feel intense, distracting cravings that typically interrupt their ability to carry on in their daily lives.

5. You Use Porn to Deal With Anxiety, Sadness, or Other Mental Health Issues

It is, unfortunately, not uncommon for individuals to rely on behaviors or substances to deal with unpleasant emotional states, whether it be sadness, anxiety, boredom, or mental health disorders. 

Some people have what they might call their “drug of choice”, with some people turning to gambling or drinking while others might compulsively shop or eat. For some people, watching porn can become a coping mechanism to try and deal with or escape one’s problems.

6. You Spend Way Too Much Money on Porn

While you don’t necessarily have to spend any money to be addicted to porn, in some cases, people might be spending money on their addiction intended to pay for necessary expenses such as rent, food, gas, or tuition. Thanks to the exhaustive online library of free content, running up your credit card bills for explicit videos, photos, or services is another potential sign of pornography addiction.

7. You Engage in Risky Behavior to Get Your Fix

Sometimes, people addicted to porn will feel so compelled to engage in the behavior that they will take on huge risks. For example, if someone is so addicted to watching porn that they do so when they’re at work, they risk losing their source of income, not to mention a potentially humiliating situation.

8. Your Sex Life Is No Longer Satisfying

Another sign is that an addict’s actual IRL sex life can feel no longer satisfying. They might not find their partner as attractive as they used to, and they might appear uninterested or distant when their partner does try to initiate romantic or sexual interactions. Compulsive porn use can even result in ED, meaning that it can be challenging to maintain a healthy sex life even if they want to. 

9. Your Porn Habit Is Causing Relationship Issues

Individuals who watch porn compulsively can cause relationship issues in many different ways. As mentioned above, it can take a severe toll on one’s sex life with their partner. It can also cause problems in a person’s non-romantic relationships. They might be constantly distracted or sneaking away to get their fix, straining their relationships with friends and family.

10. You Spend a Lot of Time Watching Porn

Of course, a sign of porn addiction that you shouldn’t overlook is the amount of time one spends watching porn. Everything we do in life is an opportunity cost, and if you’re spending hours of your life every week or even every day watching porn, you aren’t putting that time towards other, potentially more rewarding, things. If you feel that you’ve lost vast chunks of days watching porn, rarely accomplish anything, and feel lethargic and uninterested, there’s a good chance you’ve developed an addictive relationship with porn.