Internet Porn Addiction

Internet porn addiction is a condition involving tolerance; withdrawal symptoms; emotional disturbances; and interruption of social relationships. Whilst an individual’s choice to access porn may not fully meet the diagnostic criterion for addiction, if the behaviour is causing distress it is a good idea to seek professional help.

Three or more of these criteria must be present at any time during a twelve month period:
1. Tolerance: This refers to the need for increasing amounts of time viewing porn to
achieve satisfaction and/or significantly diminished effect with continued use of the same stimulus.
2. Two or more withdrawal symptoms developing within days to one month after
reductionof Internet use for porn or cessation of Internet use (i.e., quitting cold turkey) , and these must cause distress or impair social, personal or occupational functioning. These include: psychomotor agitation, i.e. trembling, tremors; anxiety; obsessive thinking about viewing porn; fantasies or dreams about the viewing porn; voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers.
3. Viewing porn is engaged in to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
4. The Internet is accessed for porn more often, or for longer periods of time than was
intended.
5. A significant amount of time is spent in activities related to viewing porn.
6. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of Internet use.
7. The individual risks the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career
opportunity because of excessive viewing of internet porn.

Internet porn addiction, like other addictions, serves to mask emotional distress and as such can be seen as a maladaptive attempt at self-soothing. Therapy helps relieve the condition by correctly identifying the behaviour as self-destructive and exploring coping strategies for emotional distress that are healthier and result in genuine self-soothing.