How to quit porn addiction?

What makes Porn so powerful? Let’s first understand dopamine. Dopamine is a “go get it” hormone. It motivates us to do things essential for our survival.

When we see tasty food or sexual pleasure, our dopamine will increase to motivate us to pursue it. Dopamine surges with novelty and Porn is an ocean of novelty.

You can find several categories and hotties with a click. Dopamine fires up for other emotions and stimuli, too. Such as:

• Surprise and Shock. (What is not shocking in internet porn?)

• Anxiety (Using Porn that is not consistent with your values or sexuality)

• Seeking (Wanting and Anticipating)

Porn is an exaggerated version of normal stimuli that we falsely perceive as valuable. What you see in Porn is impractical in real life. (Artificial breasts, Viagra sustained Penises, etc....)

It also makes natural stimuli (Real partners) less rewarding, which is unsuitable for you. Be aware of what makes porn irresistible before overcoming its addiction.

Our brains have evolved to record what turns us on. Porn users learn to wire unexpected stimuli to their arousal. When you use internet porn, you train yourself for the role of voyeur, or to need the options of clicking on something or searching for just the right scene for maximum climax.

The more you use porn, the stronger the nerve connections can become, with the result that you ultimately need to be a voyeur, need to click on new material, need to climax to porn to sleep, or need to search for the perfect ending to get the job done.

Our brain adapts due to its neuroplasticity. Internet porn is worse for the highly malleable adolescent brains. Due to this sexual conditioning and unwanted adaptation, porn users don’t get arousal or erection with real partners.

Porn addiction can destroy your sexual life by inducing erectile dysfunction, anorgasmia, delayed ejaculation, skewed sexual interests, etc.

How porn can change your sexual interests and sexual identity? Every time you watch porn, dopamine level increases in your brain. When you watch too much of it, your brain will produce less dopamine to prevent excess dopamine levels.

You become desensitized and then you will crave something new, surprising, shocking to increase your dopamine. This is why people gradually move to extreme categories of porn which do not align with their values.

Porn addicts start watching trans or gay porn in search of novelty. Brain now registers new sexual interests and identity as arousing and pleasing.

That’s how porn can alter your sexual interests and identity. You now know where you are heading if you are watching extreme categories of porn. Quit porn and you will see a beautiful world beyond.

How to overcome porn addiction? Cutting off all sexual stimulations at once is not the right choice. You have been building the addiction for years. You have a low chance of overcoming it suddenly.

Get a girlfriend.

You can easily quit porn if you have a girlfriend. You can have sex with her whenever you feel the urge to watch porn.

If you are a porn addict, chances are that you don't have a girlfriend already and you should get one. I recommend you to read, Social Skills Mastery book to polish your social skills and make a girlfriend.

Get dopamine and endorphins (Feel good hormones) from other sources.

Porn makes your mind addictive of dopamine and when you try to quit porn, your brain searches for the dopamine hit.

You can make your rehab process a bit easier if you manage to get dopamine and endorphins from other sources.

• Exercise, Walk, Run, Physical activity is a good source of endorphins. So, whenever you feel the urge to watch porn, do pushups, squats, go for a walk, etc. You will distract yourself and feel good at the same time.

• Set goals for yourself in different aspects of life and work hard for them. When you achieve your goals, you will get back your reputation with yourself which will help you take back your life from porn.

• Do things that you like and enjoy when you feel a strong urge to watch porn. Urges are temporary, and if you can distract yourself when they are at peak, you will not fall prey to them.

Spend time with others

You can't masturbate when you are around others. If you spend most of your time around others, you will reduce your porn consumption and quit it.

Go on dates. Hangout with your friends. Go on outings with co-workers. Be around others.

Masturbate without porn.

You won't get a girlfriend just after reading this article. So what to do if the above tips aren't working for you and you get a strong urge?

Masturbate without porn. It works because you are less likely to watch porn after masturbating.

You will quench urges and cut porn intake at the same time. Masturbation is not as big a problem as porn. But don't make masturbation a compulsive behavior. Repeat the process till you overcome your porn addiction.

After this, work on reducing your masturbation frequency. Do this by incorporating activities like exercise, walking, spending time outside, taking cold showers, being around people etc.

Realize that porn will destroy your life if you don't control it. Follow what you just read and you will become porn free. That's it for this time. See you later.

- Vishal

Recommended Reading - Your Brain On Porn: Internet Pornography And The Emerging Science Of Addiction.