Am I Addicted to Porn? 12 Signs of Porn Addiction

Despite decades of research, porn addiction remains a questionable diagnosis in the medical community. But there’s no question that thousands of people struggle unsuccessfully to quit pornography.

If you’re concerned that you may be addicted to pornography, please take our porn addiction self-assessment quiz. This test was created by licensed sex addiction therapists and recovery experts.

12 Porn Addiction Signs

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of porn addiction.

Watching lots of porn.

It’s fairly obvious, but if someone spends a lot of time watching pornography, this is the first sign of a potential pornography addiction. Not everyone who watches pornography is addicted—even if it’s a lot. But the more time someone spends, the greater the likelihood that you are addicted.

See How Much Porn Is Too Much?

Thinking about porn.

When pornography becomes an obsession—and an addiction—it consumes a person’s thoughts even when they’re not actively watching it. Thinking about porn is not the same as being addicted to porn. However, it should raise some red flags if thoughts of porn persist regularly or intrude when you’re trying to concentrate on other things. This may signify porn addiction is taking hold.

Letting porn interfere with other priorities.

Addicts persist with their drug of choice, even at the expense of other priorities. If you find that porn gets in the way of your day-to-day responsibilities, that’s another important sign. One member wrote to tell us how porn almost ruined their academic career:

“I dropped out of college after one very idle and porn-filled year and turned my back on formal education for the subsequent decade. Increasingly, my life spiraled into a cycle of depression and self-loathing that I sought to medicate, and ultimately made worse, through my compulsive porn use.”

Even those who reject the addict label admit that there are times when pornography use becomes problematic. When pornography starts getting in the way of more important things, this points to a possible addiction.

Using porn for emotional regulation.

Addiction, whether substance abuse or behavioral, often serves as an emotional regulator. This is true with porn as well. Do you find yourself turning to porn for comfort when you experience sadness, anxiety, or depression? That is often a sign of addiction.

The more you train yourself to use pornography in these vulnerable times, the more your body will experience a physiological “need” for porn.

Experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

If you feel anxious, depressed, or angry after going without porn for some time, you could be experiencing porn addiction withdrawal. One of our readers asked:

“Does anyone else find that if you’ve been at it for quite some time, and you try going off it for even for a few days, you start getting any number of ailments like headaches, nausea, extremely cloudy thoughts, anxiety, or an extremely short temper? Does anyone else get symptoms like these?”

The answer is “yes,” these can be symptoms of porn addiction withdrawal.

Failing to quit porn.

When you try to stop and can’t, that’s popularly called an addiction. We hear from people every day who experience this:  

“I don’t want to watch it but I can’t. I keep praying but I just can’t stop.”

“I need help to quit porn, I tried many times and all failed.”

“It’s been so hard for me so far trying to quit porn. Please, I need help I don’t know what to do anymore. I have tried a lot, but nothing seems to be working.”

Of course, the clinical definition of addiction means more than this. But unsuccessful attempts to stop porn are a key sign of addiction.

Taking steps to hide porn use.

Do you hide your porn habit? Addicts often go to great lengths to hide their struggles. If you are sneaking around to view porn, lying about what you’re doing, or otherwise being dishonest about it, this may indicate an addiction. One of our members shared their experience:

“From the beginning, it was so easy to keep it a secret. It just started out as a little curiosity; I just wanted to know what it was my friends were always talking about. But as soon as I got a taste of what that moment of pleasure felt like, and the overwhelming sense of shame that followed, I began to chase the high in secret.”

Most recovery experts agree that admitting you have a problem and seeking help is the first step to overcoming your addiction. You can’t do this if you’re still hiding.

Taking risks to view porn.

Porn addicts may engage in risky behaviors, such as watching porn at work, school, or in other situations where they might face consequences for getting caught. One commenter on our blog described their experience:

“I found myself fantasizing and looking at things which became increasingly risky. I finally got caught again.”

If you find yourself taking risks to view porn, you need to consider whether you are addicted.

Escalating porn content.

When someone consumes porn frequently over a long period of time, they may find they’re no longer satisfied by the same types of content. Porn addicts often escalate their porn use to increasingly deviant content, which may include violence, unusual fetishes, or even illegal pornography.

Changing sexual preferences.

Many studies have shown that porn consumption influences sexual preferences and behaviors. This often goes along with the escalating content symptom we noted before.

If you are addicted to pornography, these changing preferences will likely affect your sexual desires and behaviors.

Relationships affected by porn.

Porn factors into most divorces, but its impact on relationships is especially significant when the porn user is addicted. At Covenant Eyes, we speak with people every day whose marriages and other relationships have been devastated by pornography.

Experiencing porn-induced erectile dysfunction (PIED)

A few years after high-speed internet became prevalent and the first smartphones were released, researchers began noticing a strange phenomenon: A shocking number of otherwise healthy young men were suffering from erectile dysfunction. The reason? Porn.

Since then, numerous studies have indicated that over-consumption of pornography can lead to sexual performance problems among both men and women. When the brain becomes conditioned to respond sexually to pornography, in some cases, it inhibits your ability to engage in real sexual intercourse.  

Is porn addiction real?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the gold standard for diagnosing mental health issues, and it doesn’t include pornography addiction. This has led to a debate about porn addiction and the usefulness of the porn addiction label.

However, even for those who reject “porn addiction” as an accurate diagnosis, there’s no denying that many people struggle with unwanted pornography use.  

Why is porn so addictive?

There are many reason porn is addictive, but ultimately it comes down to the way porn affects your brain. Neuroscientists have found that the brains of porn users can resemble the brains of other substance abusers.

We have another article that explains in more detail why porn is addictive.

Find out if you’re addicted to porn

If you’re concerned that you might be addicted to porn and want to find out more, you can take our free porn addiction test, created by certified sex addiction therapists.

Please note that this test is not intended for medical diagnosis and cannot take the place of qualified assessment from a certified sex addiction therapist (CSAT).