Telltale signs of porn addiction revealed after cases surge

THINK addiction and it tends to be alcoholism, smoking, drugs or gambling that most likely come to mind.
But pornography is fast stealing a march on these habits.
Online searches for “porn addiction” are rising, surpassing searches for alcohol addiction by nearly two and a half times.
That is the warning from Martin Preston, founder of Delamere, the UK’s only purpose-built addiction rehab clinic.
He tells Sun Health: “We think this is a true reflection [of addiction].
"One would imagine the information that they’re seeking is because they recognise the consequences of their behaviour are beginning to catch up with them and they want to make changes.”
Mr Preston attributes a rise in porn addiction to the “spike” in consumption during the Covid pandemic, which is well documented in research.
In one survey of 500 adults by the universities of Bournemouth and Roehampton, a fifth of people admitted to watching more porn in the spring of 2020.
A shift towards remote working means porn is more easily accessed at all hours of the day.
Scientists at the University of Montreal estimate 100million adults globally are affected.
Paracelsus Recovery, which runs clinics in London and Zurich, estimates half of men and a quarter of women suffer from “problematic” levels of porn use.
The clinic claims to have seen a 150 per cent increase in patients treated for porn addiction between 2019 and 2023.
It comes as MPs last month warned that young people are too often turning to it to learn about intimacy because regular sex ­education is failing them.
Half of children have been exposed to porn by the age of 13, and ten per cent by as young as nine, according to a recent by Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Online pornography is not the equivalent of ‘top-shelf’ magazines from parents’ youths, Dame de Souza said, warning: “I am deeply concerned about the normalisation of sexual violence in online pornography.”
Sally Land, The Sun’s Agony Aunt, has said that the last three years has been a “real eye opener” as more and more readers seek help, worried about their porn use.
She told Sun Health: “I do not doubt that the ready availability of free online porn is having a huge impact on our sex lives, our relationships, our families, and our children.
"Every week at least two readers write in because they are concerned about pornography.
“Many others haven’t put two and two together that pornography addiction was the gateway to their sex addiction issues or that their erectile dysfunction, dissatisfaction or disinterest in real-life sex is caused by this dependence.
“And it’s not just men, I’ve had several women ask for advice on how they can kick the highly addictive habit.”
Psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall, who set up The Laurel Centre for sex and porn addiction, says porn addiction is driven not by sexual gratification but by the release of dopamine - the “feel good” chemical - into the brain.
She says: “Lots of us might fancy a drink tonight, but we don’t crave it in the same way as someone that has developed an addiction, [who] is completely preoccupied with wanting to access that chemical or behaviour.”
Dr Hall adds: “If your primary reason for wanting to watch is because, frankly, you’re feeling horny, you’re probably going to watch for ten to 30 minutes and are seeking sexual satisfaction.
“Somebody with porn addiction is not particularly horny.
"They’re escaping something else - they’re bored, feeling lonely or stressed out at work.
“They’re probably going to watch porn for hours on end and postpone orgasm because it is the seeking, searching and distraction around porn that is giving them the reward, not the orgasm.”
As viewers’ tolerance of porn rises it can drive them to take more risks in chasing the dopamine high.
They may view more extreme or graphic content, use chat sites or webcam services, sometimes at a financial cost.
Read more: www.thesun.co.uk/health/27193...
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[@Pearljam5217]

Porn is disgusting

[@AstroInfinitum]

Well so is your mom but.. well I guess it’s the same really isn’t it? She IS one of my favorite actresses after all. 😚