It’s no secret that many of us enjoy X-rated entertainment, with some studies estimating up to 99% of men and 86% of women have consumed porn.
And while many might while away the hours watching raunchy scenes, some experts say it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re addicted.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has cited a UK study suggesting that prolific porn viewing may be more of a compulsion than an addiction.
Other scholars say that feelings of shame surrounding porn consumption may cause many viewers to believe that they’re addicts when they’re not.
But while the academic community remains divided over whether excessive porn consumption can be considered a diagnosable addiction, they generally agree on several signs to watch out for.
Spending excessive amounts of money on kinky content and perusing porn in risky situations are two major red flags.
Consistently putting off important tasks in favor of watching X-rated movies is also considered another classic sign that the person might be developing a dependency that goes beyond a simple habit.
Many psychologists also say those who find themselves withdrawing from their partners and real-life sexual situations in favor of porn should think about speaking with a professional.
However, given that there’s no consensus on whether porn is an actual addiction, treatment methods may vary.
The Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy released a 2013 study claiming that therapy can be useful to overcome high consumption of porn.
“Our results lend themselves to the practical and clinical consideration of treatment and therapy for sexually compulsive persons, or those excessively preoccupied with Internet pornography,” experts Reena Parmar and Vincent Egan said.
However, University of California Los Angeles researcher Dr. Nicole Prause doesn’t necessarily agree.
“There’s a tremendous treatment industry that needs this to be a disease — a thing they can charge people to treat,” Prause is quoted as telling the APA.
“You can [actually] harm patients by using treatment models that aren’t research-supported,” she added.
Psychologists are similarly divided on whether porn has overall positive or detrimental effects on a viewer
The APA has quoted a study from the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University which found that 72 percent believe porn “provides a harmless outlet for fantasies.”
Meanwhile, 86 percent of respondents said porn had the ability to “educate people.”
However, some experts have warned about the negative effects of porn exposure on teenagers, many of whom are frequently viewing the content.
Research indicates that the largest consumers of porn are 12 to 17-year-old boys, while 70 percent of young men ages 18 to 34 years old visit porn sites at least once per month.
