Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction symptoms I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
- Loss of concentration
- Depression
- Lack of romance
- Lack of achievement
- Low energy
- Erectile dysfunction
- Premature ejaculation
- Unusual porn fetishes
- No attraction to real-life partners
- Loss of ability to orgasm during sex
Depression is another common porn addiction symptom. It is a pressing problem for men when they first arrive at the Porn Reboot program. Months, years, or decades of porn addiction have a detrimental effect on your mindset and self-image. However, you’re likely so used to these unexplained and lasting drops in mood that you don’t realize they aren’t normal.
Well-adjusted people don’t experience frequent bouts of depression. They don’t feel tired or lethargic all the time. They don’t hate themselves or think they’re worthless. These feelings are not normal; they are signs of depression, which may be a sign of a problem with porn addiction.
It’s easy to attribute your depression to other aspects of your life, such as lack of success with women, below-average performance at work or school, or something that happened during childhood. But if you struggle with your pornography use, porn might be the true culprit.
It isn’t until you end your behavior with porn, sex, or masturbation that you can determine whether your depression is porn-induced or a true mental illness. If you’re like me, my depression was fueled by my out-of-control behavior. Still, even if your depression is naturally-occurring, eliminating pornography will make it easier to treat.
