Because of pornography’s widespread use in the United States, we often don’t think of the potential impact that it has on our brains and our bodies. It can be hard to view something common as potentially negative in our lives. But if you or someone you know has struggled to stop watching porn, you’re probably aware that there are very real consequences to consuming too much.
What might start out as casual use can turn into a serious problem over time. If you find that you feel compulsions to watch pornography, you might have a problem. This problem can develop into something much larger over time, which has the ability to impact your family and work life significantly. If you do feel you’ve had these issues, or that they may eventually become a problem, it’s important to understand the potential issues you might face.
The physical impact of porn consumption can fly under the radar for a long time. You might feel as though you don’t suffer any physical consequences for your consumption of porn, but this might also be because they gradually occur over long periods of time. In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at the physical impacts that porn may have on your body, and why it might be worth seeking help if you think you have a pornography addiction. Make sure to read everything in this article if you’re interested in the potential side effects of porn addiction.
Primary Impacts
There are a variety of different physical impacts that pornography addiction may cause in your life. In this section of the article, we’re going to take a deeper look at three of the most common physical impacts that you may notice in yourself if you’re addicted to porn. It’s important to keep in mind that other issues can arise as well.
Reduction in Testosterone
There is an indication that high amounts of pornography can result in reduced levels of testosterone in the male body. This can cause several problems for males who are trying to lead normal lives. Low testosterone might not sound like a big deal, but it can lead to several different problems throughout your life.
Firstly, testosterone reduction can lead to a reduced sex drive – but this will be discussed in more detail later on in this article. Secondly, you may also find that your sperm production is reduced. Your ability to develop and maintain muscle mass may also be harmed, which can be problematic if you’re trying to maintain a decent level of strength. If you’ve noticed you’re unable to gain muscle, you might have low testosterone.
Fat distribution and bone density can also be damaged by not having the amount of testosterone your body is supposed to have. This can cause obvious problems for males throughout their lives. Lastly, your red blood cell count can also be reduced, which can cause a number of other health problems.
As you can see, there are several reasons that you want to maintain the right level of testosterone in your body. While many people know that too much testosterone is bad for them, others don’t realize that you can have too little as well.
Disinterest in Sex
As mentioned previously, lower testosterone levels can result in a disinterest in sex. Which can cause personal problems for yourself, as well as leave sexual partners upset or confused. There have been multiple studies that show people with high levels of pornography exposure earlier in their life, sometimes end up being disinterested in sex later in their formative years. If you want to lead a normal, healthy sex life, this can obviously be a problem.
Erectile Dysfunction
Lastly, pornography addiction can also lead to erectile dysfunction in some certain circumstances. This is also true if you find that you masturbate a lot which can also be a sign of masturbation addiction. This is another issue that can end up having an impact on your mental and sexual health as you progress in life. This can have serious impacts on your relationships as well, so you should take this seriously if you think you have a problem with pornography.
Mental Impact Also Significant
While this article is focused on the physical impact that porn addiction can have on your life, there’s also a mental impact that can end up occurring as well. And while many people view mental and physical health as completely separate, this is simply not the case.
As with any addiction, the side effects of porn addiction can include depression and anxiety. This is a serious problem for people who suffer prolonged or chronic addictions to pornography. Anxiety and depression can also have a series of physical side effects that can have drastic consequences for people suffering with either.
Side effects of anxiety and depression include sleep loss, fatigue, trouble concentrating, weight gain, and potential to exposure to other drug related substance abuse problems. As you can see, you should take the physical consequences of poor mental health extremely seriously too.
Verdict
If you do think that you’ve been struggling with an addiction to porn, it’s important to understand the very real risks you may face. If you want to ensure you don’t suffer the physical consequences of this addiction, it’s important to make sure that you start to look at your addiction seriously. It’s important to make sure that you accept you have a problem, and begin the process of seeking help.
While the internet has made pornography even more accessible to individuals, it has also made it much easier to seek help if you do have a problem. There are countless resources online that can help you get a better understanding of what you’re facing. There are also professionals that are dedicated to helping you better understand the problem and assisting you in finding the proper porn addiction treatment.
If you have any more questions about pornography addiction and what you can do to get the recovery process started, we have a wealth of great blog posts on different related topics on our site! Also check out current pornography addiction statistics to see how big this problem is.
Additional Signs and Symptoms of Porn Addiction
In addition to the side effects and consequences of porn addition, there are several signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for. These include:
- Lack of ability to stop viewing porn or doing things associated with viewing porn despite attempts to stop
- Experiencing Cravings. Many people who suffer from porn addiction get cravings to view porn just like substance users get to use their drug of choice
- Keeping your porn consumption secret from a loved one can be a sign that you are addicted to pornography. This frequently comes with the feeling that one is leading a double life.
- Viewing porn despite negative consequences, such as the failure of a relationship, loss of employment, or even criminal charges
- Losing large chunks of time is another symptom of porn addiction. Addicts will lose hours to watching pornography, taking time away from other activities. Some people will even avoid activities that cut into the time they have to view porn
- Requiring more or increasingly explicit porn to get the same amount of satisfaction is a key indicator of pornography addiction.
It’s important to note that many of these actions and behaviors have a lot in common with the behaviors of people with substance addiction. That’s because the way that addiction works on the brain is very similar in both cases. In both situations, the brain looks for an outside source or stimuli to provide a rush of the chemicals that make us feel happy and satisfied. In both cases, a person’s brain will develop problems producing these chemicals without the appropriate stimuli.
As a result, many of the signs and symptoms of porn addiction mirror those of drug and alcohol addiction. That means looking for the same behaviors can be a useful way of checking yourself for a porn addiction. You can take this porn addiction quiz to get a better idea of where you stand. If you think you might have a porn addiction, then you should talk to a medical health professional or other expert to get the help you need right away.
