If you type “porn addiction” into Google you’ll most likely find a plethora of articles from anti-pornography groups and self-help psychologists telling you that porn is harmful and addictive and – surprise!- offering help, usually for a price.
The problem is that there’s no official diagnostic definition of “porn addiction”. Scientifically and medically, porn addiction doesn’t exist. The official handbook Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – the gold standard for qualified health professionals who work in the field – does not contain any reference to pornography addiction. There is only one official “behavioural addiction” and that is gambling. Every other addiction listed relates to substance abuse (drugs).
The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) released an official statement in November 2016 refuting the idea of porn addiction. It said:
“AASECT does not find sufficient empirical evidence to support the classification of sex addiction or porn addiction as a mental health disorder, and does not find the sexual addiction training and treatment methods and educational pedagogies to be adequately informed by accurate human sexuality knowledge. Therefore, it is the position of AASECT that linking problems related to sexual urges, thoughts or behaviors to a porn/sexual addiction process cannot be advanced by AASECT as a standard of practice for sexuality education delivery, counseling or therapy.”
A major 2015 neurological study found that people’s brains when viewing porn did not react in an “addictive” way such as you’d see with drugs or gambling. Rather, the results were the opposite, suggesting that the term “porn addiction” is misleading and ultimately harmful.
A 2015 study by Joshua Grubbs of Case Western found that the mere label of “porn addict” is more harmful that viewing porn itself because the belief that the individual was suffering from porn addiction led to depression, stress and anxiety.
The Link Between Religion and “Porn Addiction”
In 2016 the Journal of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity gave over an entire edition to the connection between religiosity and porn addiction. It seems the more religious a person is, the more they are inclined to think themselves a porn addict. Research suggested that religious-induced shame surrounding sexuality contributed to people’s distress over their use of porn. Another study found that the conflict between people’s values of who they should be as opposed to their actual behaviour led to depressed sexual self esteem.
The journal also found that over the last 8 years, evangelical Christians have increasingly focused on “porn addiction” and their rhetoric about how bad porn is and how bad the problem is have snowballed. Statistically, more Christians now think porn is worse than gun violence or racism.
The idea of pornography addiction relies on the idea of overuse. The problem is that there’s no official standard for what constitutes “too much porn”. For some religious people, any porn can be too much. For others people, hours or days spent enjoying porn can be a lifestyle choice that doesn’t bother them.
All of this is not to say that some people don’t have issues with their consumption of pornography. If porn interferes with a person’s social life or relationships, it can be a problem, just as compulsive overuse of anything (food, the XBox etc) can be a problem.
The issue, though, is not with pornography itself, which is not inherently harmful or addictive. Depictions of human beings having sex are not magic or automatically evil. Nonetheless, the stigma surrounding sex and porn mean that it carries a lot of baggage. Watching porn is something of a political act and everyone tends to hold their own ideas about what it means. Thus, for some, porn can be sinful, sexist, a danger to a relationship or a form of cheating. The negativity that surrounds the viewing of porn can mean others see it as a problem that should be fixed – or they may see it as the scapegoat for other problems within a relationship. And for individuals, an urge to enjoy it can become a source of shame or depression because of porn’s stigma.
The solution for anyone who feels that their enjoyment of porn has become a problem is to seek out a qualified sex therapist or psychologist (see AASECT or the APA) and find solutions, usually through an analysis of relationships and through cognitive behavioural therapies. Do NOT go to anyone who thinks “porn addiction” is real.
So no, you’re not addicted to porn. The vast majority of people watch porn like any other media and then they get on with their lives. It is possible you may be compulsively watching it and need to have a look at your life balance and the state of your relationships. As with all things in life, moderation is good.
Read more:
The Emperor Has No Clothes: A Review of the “Pornography Addiction” Model by David Ley et all in Current Sexual Health Reports Journal.
Is Pornography Addictive? – American Psychological Association
Why there’s no such thing as sex addiction – The Telegraph
Exploding the myth of sex addiction – Psych Central
Check out David Ley’s book The Myth Of Sex Addiction
Pic credit: Woman typing on laptop by Matthew Bowden from Wikimedia Images (image has been edited for this site)