Ending porn addiction isn’t as simple as just not viewing pornography anymore. When watching porn escalates to the point of compulsive, uncontrollable behavior, it can cause damage that takes time and effort to repair.
When you become dependent on a habit, it’s difficult to break. Like other addictions, those recovering from pornography addiction often experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. It’s important to recognize the common porn withdrawal symptoms and how to overcome them to help you on your road to sobriety.
Understanding Pornography Addiction
Pornography addiction is when a person compulsively views porn to the point that they become emotionally dependent on it. They can’t stop, even if they try, and their pornography habit affects their everyday life.
Signs of porn addiction include:
- Increased porn use
- Feeling guilty about viewing pornography
- Inability to control your urges
- Watching porn in inappropriate settings
- Spending excessive time or money on pornography
- Increased tolerance for more extreme or violent porn
- Consuming thoughts of porn
- Neglecting responsibilities to view more porn
- Hiding your porn watching from loved ones
Unsure if you may have a problem with pornography? Take our pornography quiz.
How Porn Affects the Brain
People view pornography for many reasons, some of which have nothing to do with arousal. Some people watch pornography to help them cope with distressing emotions. The positive chemicals the brain releases when watching porn helps temporarily relieve stress.
Unfortunately, what happens is that the brain makes a connection between feeling emotionally better and pornography, and an addiction is formed. While the causes of porn addiction vary, the way it can impact a person’s brain is backed in science.
Watching pornography affects your brain’s neurochemistry. It tampers with the brain’s reward system and hard wires your brain into thinking continuous dopamine stimulation is normal.
Each time you watch porn, you get a little burst of dopamine, a pleasurable feeling. The next time you watch, the brain remembers that stimulation and reacts accordingly. The more you watch, the more reinforced the behavior becomes. Your reward system is hijacked to expect porn and expect it often.
You begin to develop cravings, and they’re impossible to control. Your brain develops dependence and tolerance for these cravings, which increase compulsively. As your tolerance increases, so does your need for an increased amount and more explicit porn. The brain needs a little more each time to get its fix. It’s all about recreating that initial dopamine high and satisfying your cravings.
When your brain is repeatedly exposed to porn, it causes the frontal lobe to shrink. This portion of the brain is responsible for decision-making and willpower. Oxytocin and vasopressin, hormones related to memory, are also at work. They continue reinforcing the behavior, tying the memory of viewing porn to sexual pleasure. Your brain remembers what you see, and it wants more.
Common Porn Withdrawal Symptoms
When you stop watching porn, it’s like going on a dopamine detox. You will naturally face pushback as you begin to unwire your brain’s behaviors. The experience is powerful and can be paralyzing for some people.
Withdrawal symptoms can manifest in various ways and may be slightly different for everyone, said Nate Geyer, a Counselor at Begin Again Institute.
“Most easily identifiable, and at times most unpleasant, are the somatic withdrawals from compulsive pornography use. These include sleep/wake disturbances, fatigue, racing heart rate, sweating, body aches, and even issues with appetite and digestion,” he said.
Pornography withdrawal can impact a person’s physical and mental well-being, Nate said.
“Those experiencing withdrawal will notice increased irritability, higher anxiety, depressed mood, lack of presence in the moment, reduced empathy, and ultimately cravings for more pornography,” he said.
Other porn withdrawal symptoms include:
- Strong urges to view pornography
- Loss of sex drive
- Lack of focus or concentration (brain fog)
- Nausea, fever, and other forms of physical sickness
- Feeling agitated or unable to relax
- Emotional sensitivity
- Heightened social anxiety
- Intrusive thoughts about porn
- Flashbacks or dreams about porn
How Long Does Porn Withdrawal Last?
The intensity of porn withdrawal symptoms can be exhausting, but that withdrawal will eventually end.
How long symptoms last and how bad they are depends on the person and other factors like how long the person has been viewing pornography and how frequently, Nate said.
“One person may encounter brief or mild withdrawal symptoms lasting only a couple of days, and another may experience more intense symptoms over a longer period, potentially lasting several weeks,” he said.
The timeline for porn withdrawal might look something like this:
- Acute Phase (1-2 weeks). During the first week or two, symptoms can be most intense. You might experience strong cravings, mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. Physical symptoms like headaches and sleep disturbances are also common.
- Subacute Phase (2 weeks – 1 month). Symptoms typically begin to subside during this period. Mood swings and physical symptoms may lessen, but cravings and emotional sensitivity can persist. Concentration might still be impaired, and social withdrawal can continue.
- Adjustment Phase (1-3 months). By this phase, most of the acute symptoms have diminished. Cravings can still occur but are usually less intense and less frequent. Emotional stability starts to improve, and you may start to be interested in typical activities and relationships.
- Long-Term Recovery (3 months and beyond). For many, significant improvement continues beyond the three-month mark. Cravings and withdrawal symptoms become rare. Emotional and psychological well-being improves, and people often report feeling more balanced and stable. The key is to remember that you’re always in recovery and recognize any relapse warning signs that might arise.
Regardless of how long porn withdrawal symptoms last, there are some ways to cope with them and heal from porn addiction.
Ways to Cope with Porn Withdrawal
Each person’s experience is individual, but there are many common experiences, too, including the stages of recovery for porn addiction. The stages include admitting you have a problem, seeking pornography addiction treatment, and withdrawing. In other words, withdrawal is part of the process of getting well.
Coping with pornography withdrawal symptoms can be challenging, but it’s possible, Nate said.
“Counseling and sharing one’s emotional experiences is crucial for challenging negative thinking patterns and embracing authentic connections during withdrawal,” Nate added.
Coping mechanisms include:
- Spending time outdoors and exercising
- Practicing meditation and mindfulness
- Taking care of your physical health through a healthy diet, sleep, hydration, and exercise
- Engaging your support network
- Educating yourself about withdrawal symptoms
- Removing temptations, such as putting porn blockers on electronic devices
- Identifying and avoiding triggers
- Working with an accountability partner
- Journaling about your experiences
- Joining a support group
- Finding replacement hobbies
- Seeking professional help
Many people experience shame or guilt surrounding porn addiction, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Nate said sharing your challenges with loved ones or a mental health counselor is important.
Entering a treatment program can help by providing an immersive experience with professionals on-hand to provide the support you need. Working with a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) can help put you on the path to recovery.
Start Recovery Today
While porn addiction alters your brain, it can adapt and recover. You can heal and overcome addiction no matter where you are in your recovery journey. It’s never too late to start the recovery process. Mental health professionals can guide you on your journey to uncover the root cause of the addiction, treat it while helping you deal with porn withdrawal symptoms, and achieve lasting recovery.
At Begin Again Institute, we offer programs to treat men with pornography addiction and build a solid foundation for lasting recovery. These programs include our 14-Day Men’s Intensive to jumpstart your recovery. Contact us today to get started.
Edward Tilton is a proven behavioral healthcare leader with an established track record in the recovery industry space. As an accomplished healthcare leader, Ed has diverse management experience including clinical and business operations, expansion of program development, and clinical service offerings.
