MENSXP ARTICLE
Let’s be absolutely clear about one thing – having a healthy relationship with porn & masturbation can be a blessing in disguise. It is only when we go overboard, do things start to deteriorate fast.
In a society where sex is such a big taboo that a healthy discussion about sex between parents and their children, or teachers and students is non-existent, for most of us, the first avenue about sex education, is internet porn.
No points for guessing what all can go wrong.
Porn addiction is one such thing that often does go wrong.
A few users on Reddit, who believe that they are porn addicts, share what difficulties do they have to live with, and the struggles they face, every day:
1. Inability To Focus At Work
“Focussing on work, or anything for that matter becomes a task,” says one user. “Every now and then, I get this urge to just go the washroom, put on my earphones, watch a clip, and bump one out.”
Several studies have established a link between addiction to porn, and an addiction to masturbate, both of which seriously damages one’s sexual health.
2. Difficulty In Holding On To A Real Relationship
“My addiction to porn is one of the major reasons why I have difficulty in holding on to a real relationship. It always a pattern, I meet someone, they come to know about my condition, I promise to control myself, I fail, and then, they leave,” said another user.
“No matter how great a person you are dating, at some point, they will start judging you for your behaviour,” said the same user.
3. Unrealistic Expectations
“I am aware that what I am watching is not real. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t carry the same expectations into the bedroom. Of course, this is not intentional, it just comes out in the spur of the moment,” said another user.
4. Intimacy Issues
“I hate myself after I watch a clip and get off. However, I find it much easier than opening up to women about my issues. I don’t think I have it in me to invest in a real relationship, I find it much easier, to just take care of my own needs, by myself,” said another.
5. Performance Anxieties
This one is quite similar to the one where the user had unrealistic expectations about sex, but in the completely opposite direction.
“I have started to feel that I will be inadequate. I think that if I ask someone out, the person may end up laughing at me, and this thought cripples me,” said a user.
6. Waned Interest In Real-Life Sex
“I just don’t find regular sex that interesting anymore, and given that I am a bit of a control freak, I find it hard to let myself be bossed around. This is the quagmire that I am in,” said another user.
“Porn excites me. The prospect of having the real thing sure gets me hard, but I am not excited about it, I am not very keen about it,” says the same user.
7. Skewed Social Skills
“I find it much easier to just go online and get off, rather than speak to someone, and try picking them up,” said another user.
“It has come to a point, where I actually don’t remember how to approach someone, and just try to pick them up, it is as if I have lost that skill. As a result, I have difficulty in starting even a normal conversation with women at times.”
The Bottom Line…
Just like any addiction, porn addiction too is treatable, provided you seek help and are willing to put in the work to overcome this.
If you’re finding it difficult to deal with this problem on your own, there is absolutely no shame in asking for professional help.
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