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Porn sites account for no less than 12% of the internet, and statistics indicate that a surprisingly large number of people regularly view pornography online. Furthermore, current trends reveal that in the US and other Western countries, adolescents aged 12 to 17 are becoming the largest consumers of online porn, and 70% of males aged 18 to 34 say they watch porn at least once a month. In spite of this, there is little advice available in the public domain on how to stop a porn addiction.
As a result, alarming numbers of people, especially males, find that their porn-viewing habits get out of control and start to govern their lives. Just like substance use disorders, behaviour around porn can negatively impact a person’s life, and be harmful to their mental and emotional well-being – disrupting relationships, putting strain on their finances, interfering with focus at work, becoming an obsession, and so on. It can lead people to engage in anti-social behaviour, such as watching porn on their device in public places, or isolating to watch porn.
At Samarpan Recovery, we have a deep understanding of how all addictions work to enslave you, and deprive you of the life you want. If your use of porn is severely affecting your quality of life, it is time to take action. Just how to stop a porn addiction depends partly on each individual, however, psychological treatment is often essential, since unresolved personal issues often contribute to addictive behaviours.
The question of how to stop a porn addiction has no simple answer, because watching porn meets different perceived needs for different people. It can be an escape from boredom, a way of satisfying a need for stimulation and pleasure, a compensation for the absence of a meaningful, healthy, real-life relationship, a distraction from negative or pent-up emotions, and much more.
Breaking a habit you have lost the ability to control, in spite of your best efforts and intentions, is a tough task. It is very difficult to accomplish this unaided, however, there are a number of practical, self-empowering steps you can take alone.
It’s important to see clearly how addiction to porn is limiting your freedom and causing you misery. Making a list of the negative ways porn is affecting your life can help reinforce your motivation to quit. Try reading the list back to yourself whenever you feel tempted, and ask yourself if the brief thrill is really worth the sacrifice. Remind yourself, too, of how your porn habit is stopping you achieving the life you desire.
In the current internet age, accessing pornographic content has never been easier. Having porn literally at your fingertips makes it very hard to know how to stop a porn addiction. You can take steps to prevent yourself viewing porn on your devices by blocking adult websites. This makes it harder to give in to the slightest urge for porn. Also, delete any porn you have saved digitally, so that your work space and home are porn-free.
You probably already have some ideas on how to stop your porn addiction. For example, you may know from experience that certain activities, such as exercise, dinner with friends, spending time in nature, going to the movies, walking your dog, and so on, take your mind off porn and make you feel good. Try to incorporate more of these activities into your life, and more frequently.
Try to become aware of outside stimuli, such as places or situations, that trigger you. There may, also, be certain times of day when you feel more vulnerable. Write down a list of ways you can respond to feeling triggered that do not involve watching porn. These should include the positive habits you know are beneficial to you and helpful in weakening your urges.
Changing deeply-entrenched behaviour patterns is extremely challenging – be sure to congratulate yourself every time you defuse a trigger by resorting to positive action. Use other successes – longer periods of abstinence from porn, taking up a completely new activity, reaching out when you need help – to boost your motivation and self-confidence.
On the flip side, if you do find you have let the pull of porn drag you back into your addiction, don’t beat yourself up. Let go of the past and get straight back to the positive behaviours you’ve been working on.
Support groups for people suffering from addiction provide the support of peers by connecting you to others who understand you and have experienced similar struggles. Members are likely to have ideas on how to stop a porn addiction, often sharing from their own experience. Also, finding someone to check in with on a regular basis can provide extra support and motivation, while keeping you accountable and holding you to your recovery goals.
Most people are unlikely to figure out how to stop a porn addiction unaided. Reaching out for help requires courage and honesty, but a professional addictions counsellor can help get to the root of the conditioning or past emotional baggage you are carrying around, and which is contributing to your porn addiction.
Therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) often work well for addictions, since they help individuals identify self-sabotaging thoughts, and learn how to change these to more positive responses.
Understanding how to stop a porn addiction takes time and effort, and a willingness to ask for the right help. At Samarpan Recovery, we offer that help – anyone can find freedom from addiction, and we provide the support and guidance to make it possible.
Samarpan is a specialized international Substance Use Disorder (De-Addiction) and Process Addiction rehab in Pune, India that accepts a maximum of 26 clients. We only accept clients on a voluntary basis and have a highly structured program that encompasses the most effective approaches to Substance Use Disorder and addiction. The facility is set in the rolling hills Mulshi, with clients having either individual or shared rooms, in a modern resort-like facility, staffed by Internationally Accredited Professionals. Samarpan is fully licensed under The MSMHA and is also an accredited GORSKI-CENAPS Centre of Excellence offering a program from 5 to 13 weeks.
If you or someone you care about is considering treatment for substance use disorder or process addictions, we can help. Contact us now on admissions@samarpan.in or phone/WhatsApp us on +91 81809 19090.
+91 81809 19090admissions@samarpan.in