Published on Feb 23, 2022
Prasanta R
10 Symptoms of Porn Addiction Withdrawal | Healthy Mind
Porn addiction is a hypersexual disorder that makes you obsessed with watching porn. When you have a porn addiction, you mostly ignore your daily chores and urgent work. Are you addicted to porn? Have you tried to quit porn? Or have you ever felt physical, mental, or emotional changes because of porn withdrawal?
According to research on porn statistics, almost 40 million adults in the United States visit porn sites regularly.
The urge of viewing pornography for hours makes it challenging for the one who struggle with porn to make a withdrawal. There are numerous symptoms of withdrawal as it’s equally difficult withdrawal one makes with addiction to alcohol, gambling, drugs, caffeine, and so on.
Additionally, make sure you block porn on your kid’s device to stop addiction. It’s a good start for your kid to lead a healthy life
Importance of Porn Addiction Withdrawal
Porn addicts must make an addiction withdrawal on time despite having various symptoms of porn addiction withdrawal. Watching extreme porn during work will reduce productivity and dedication.
Porn addiction hampers relationships with loved ones. With the relationship issues, your partner gets insecure with changing behavioral addictions, leading to less satisfaction. Similarly, you need to deal with mood swings most of the time. Anxiety, insomnia, sexual dysfunctions and other manual of mental disorders are common when you’re a porn addict.
10 Symptoms of Porn Addiction Withdrawal
Quitting to watch porn or altering behavioral addictions is the most challenging thing as you face the brain’s hormonal imbalance. You need to cope with physical, emotional, and mental changes. Here are some of the symptoms of porn addiction Withdrawal you are likely to counter during the withdrawal phase.
1. Anxiety
Fear of apprehension, i.e., anxiety, is from porn addiction withdrawal. Since viewing pornography had been your daily chores before, now you’re confused about what to do next. You always get fearful like everyone is behind you.
Further, the worst case is about your doubt regarding relationship stability as you will be unable to relax to think about managing healthy bonds and relationship issues with your partner.
2. Insomnia
Insomnia is another primary symptom of porn addiction withdrawal after increased stress. Since now you quit porn at night, you find nothing interesting to watch over your screen to divert your mind.
Those suffering from insomnia struggle with sleeping and are usually sweating with an increased heartbeat rate.
3. Lack of Focus
The person who experience withdrawal faces difficulty focusing on their work, relationship, or other activities, and they won’t concentrate on their tasks in the workplace with descending productivity. They are often triggered by a routine of watching porn that reduces proper focus or concentration anytime which is withdrawal symptoms.
4. Irritation
With no doubt, the one having sex porn addiction is likely to have irritation during the withdrawal phase. It becomes challenging for them to get satisfied with their life. They are always angry and annoyed when they do anything or ask relevant things. Similarly, they feel discomfort and find everything boring around them.
5. Fatigue
Porn addicts get pleasure and relaxation soon after watching porn. But, after they abandon porn, it is evident that they feel a lack of energy as a symptom of withdrawal. The body is no more active and balanced; as a result, the feeling of happiness fades away.
6. Guilt Feeling
Likewise, a person decides to make porn addiction withdrawal when they know their activities and consequences. Due to the same reason, they always feel guilty about what they did but, at the same time, can’t avoid watching porn further.
7. Headache
Headache is another crucial addiction withdrawal symptom as it imbalances the brain's normal functioning. Pornography withdrawal is the same as quitting other behavioral addictions for drug addicts, using excessive alcohol, and the use of caffeine.
Since headaches result from stress you get from ignoring the thing you love the most, it goes away with time.
8. Depression
Can you withstand the pornography withdrawal? This is the query you often ask yourself during the withdrawal phase. Quitting porn is undoubtedly a good start for your healthy life, but make sure to overcome depression before.
It becomes difficult to cope with the fact that you can’t do the stuff that urges you, or you crave for. Hence, one of the critical symptoms of porn addiction withdrawal is depression.
9. Sexual Cravings
In addition, you always have sexual fantasy about your real sex to be like something you watch over the screen due to sex addictions. Stop using porn and its mental images in real life.
The level of excitement and cravings you get after watching porn, in reality, is unattainable. Because of the same compulsive behavior, urge for sex addictions and satisfaction decreases, which questions the romantic relationship's stability.
10. Loneliness
Porn addiction withdrawal symptoms give emotional and mental pain and include intense feelings of isolation or loneliness. Since porn has always been a reason for efficiency, you no longer feel active. The imagination of the sexual fantasy world leaves with your fear and uneasiness as you’re not getting what you want in real-life.
4 Ways to Cope with Porn Addiction Withdrawal
Porn withdrawal might make you complex on hormonal changes and mentally and emotionally fit. But, despite these troubles, you can cope with porn media addiction, and here are some of the ways.
i.Avoid Thinking About Consequences
Pornography addiction indeed gives you mental trauma as it’s nearly impossible for some to get away from addiction such as for drug addicts. You might not withstand the pressure chemicals the brain releases with the trigger of sexual fantasy.
The person who experience withdrawal should keep yourself strong and engage in other activities that keep you occupied.
ii. Don’t Stay Alone
Loneliness leads to anxiety, stress, and depression. So the one making pornography withdrawal shouldn’t choose to live alone and deal with the situation alone. It's better to share things with your loved ones who make you feel better.
Moreover, schedule more time for fun and refreshment as it keeps you away from isolation and cravings for porn reduces gradually.
iii. Understand Importance of Withdrawal
Unless you realize the ethical reason for making pornography withdrawal, it's challenging to get away from addiction to porn. You must understand that the changes no longer destroy your romantic relationship, and the burst of emotional feelings and mood swings relatively decreases.
Therefore instead of thinking more about addiction withdrawal symptoms, realize the importance of pornography withdrawal so that you can discard one of your disturbing unhealthy habits.
iv. Visit counselor
If none of these ways to cope with sex porn addiction withdrawal works, you are left with only one option, i.e., visiting a counselor for therapy. Contact a good counselor who helps you to get away from addiction. Learn the psychology of porn and its addiction to make yourself feel better.
Furthermore, if you’re having difficulty managing relationship issues with your loved ones, it's better to visit a therapist on time.
Similarly, if you find your kids watching porn, don’t worry. Firstly, check if they have porn addiction symptoms or not and take precautions on time. Besides, you need to know about top porn blocker software.
Conclusion
Watching porn or having hypersexual disorder or sexual dysfunctions is not bad, but making it your daily habit is the worst. Stop addiction to porn for your mental and emotional fitness, improve concentration, work on love relationships, and reduce anxiety and depression.
There are numerous symptoms of porn addiction withdrawal you’ll face if you’re the one addicted. I hope the article helped you to to learn about these symptoms and learn different ways to manage pornography addiction.
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