Approximately 50% to 99% of men and 30% to 86% of women consume porn.
What constitutes a normal amount of porn consumption varies from person to person, making it difficult to definedysfunction.
This is largely because there is a lack of evidence and empirical research in this area.
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Is Porn Addiction Similar to Alcohol or Drug Addiction?
Current research doesn’t support classifying porn addiction in the same category as drug or alcohol addiction.
“Internet gaming disorder” is included in the DSM-5 under conditions for further study.
Sex addiction is also not recognized by theDSM-5.
While inconclusive, several theories have been proposed to describe or explain porn addiction.
These are outlined below.
Supernormal stimuli is a phenomenon in which artificial stimuli override an evolutionarily developed response.
For example, sexual behavior involves a reward whileobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)behaviors do not.
Research on porn addiction is primarily performed using questionnaires.
Participant answers may be skewed because of the taboo nature of porn addiction.
Symptoms of Porn Addiction
There is no set of agreed-upon criteria for what constitutes porn addiction.
Some proposed symptoms of porn addiction are:
Porn Addiction vs.
Sex Addiction
Like porn addiction,sex addictionis not recognized in the DSM-5 but is often referenced unofficially.
Are There Benefits to Watching Porn?
When not problematic, many people feel porn is a good thing.
Some argue that porn caneducate peopleand be a harmless outlet for fantasies.
Some research has found that porn use can improve sexual quality.
Research on these effects is conflicting, particularly on how porn is associated withsexual dysfunction.
There is a lack of quality research on how best to manage porn addiction.
Some strategies may include CBT, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and ACT.
American Psychological Association.Is pornography addictive?
2019;8(1):91. doi:10.3390/jcm8010091
Hall P.The moral maze of sex & porn addiction.Addictive Behaviors.
2018;77:217-224. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.010
Kamaruddin N, Wahab A, Rozaidi Y.Neuro-physiological porn addiction detection using machine learning approach.
Curr Addict Rep. 2021;8(4):556-567. doi:10.1007/s40429-021-00390-8
