4 Practical ways to kick a porn addition
Statistically speaking, porn is a problem. More readily accessible than any time in human history to more people than ever before. The reality is that porn is not going away, any time soon. So, to pretend it doesn't exist isn't logical.
If you are a man OR woman OR are related to a man OR woman then you may want to consider this article!
"According to Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D, psychologist and former Deputy Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary, “two recent reports, one by the American Psychological Association on hyper-sexualized girls, and the other by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy on the pornographic content of phone texting among teenagers, make clear that the digital revolution is being used by younger and younger children to dismantle the barriers that channel sexuality into family life..."
"Pornography hurts adults, children, couples, families, and society. Among adolescents, pornography hinders the development of a healthy sexuality, and among adults, it distorts sexual attitudes and social realities. In families, pornography use leads to marital dissatisfaction, infidelity, separation, and divorce.”
https://www.webroot.com/au/en/home/resources/tips/digital-family-life/internet-pornography-by-the-numbers
Every second 28,258 users are watching pornography on the internet
40 million American people regularly visit porn sites (THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE)
35% of all internet downloads are related to pornography (YIKES!)
25% of all search engine queries are related to pornography
One third of porn viewers are women
https://www.webroot.com/au/en/home/resources/tips/digital-family-life/internet-pornography-by-the-numbers
So, the stats are there and the studies exist on the affects porn can have on your brain and psychological development. It absolutely is real and a problem. But, this article is specifically about how to kick the addiction. To do that, I would like to propose the following premise;
Believing in your own personal self-control is a delusion.
It's not that I don't believe in your capacity or will-power but rather I believe our will-power is limited. As with any addiction, the chemical responses in our brain diminish our ability to be logical and make rational choices. Whilst, indulging in activities that draw strong neuro-chemical responses, we can easily be described as being out of our minds! Whether it be alcoholism, sugar addictions or any other habitual default that provides a neurological high - relying solely on our own ability to end an addiction, is not a feasible argument for the majority of us.
I'll keep on discussing this topic in future articles but to get the ball rolling, let's start here:
4 Practical ways to kick a porn addition.
1. Unlock your phone.
Stop hiding behind passwords that no one knows. I'm not saying unlock it to everyone but I am saying allow the people in your world easy access to that metal and glass piece of tech in your pocket. For example, the facial recognition on my phone is set to one of my best friends. She can unlock and go through my phone at any time. Family and friends also have easy access to my search history and photographs. You're less likely to hide if you have nothing to hide.
2. Stop deleting your search history.
Means exactly what it says. Stop clearing history like you're Hillary Clinton after Benghazi (she was proved to have not done anything wrong btw). So if you want to start fresh, do so right....now. And from here on in stop clearing your history. Let every search and every link you click, be there for any one to read. It's always weird when someones search history looks like a cleared table at a Burger King - it's clean but it's still dirty.
3. Leave your laptop or mobile device somewhere public.
I leave my laptop at my office. Maybe you could leave yours in the family room or kitchen. Its really difficult to access porn when you have no ability to access it - literally. Bypass your will-power all together. If your family all have mobile devices (cell-phones & tablets) maybe after a certain time at night, everybody just leaves their devices in the living room charging from 9pm onwards.
4. Limit your wifi or data use.
Just switch off the internet capabilities altogether at a set time. Again, you're unlikely to do anything stupid when you don't have the ability to do so. Might seem like extreme measures but this is really for people who want to unplug from an unhealthy and dysfunctional habit. So maybe from 10pm till 6am there just isn't any data. Don't worry you aren't missing out on important emails whilst you're supposed to be sleeping - the world will be just fine.
Extreme measures? Maybe. But, if you're addicted to porn I strongly suggest that you consider doing something extreme.
By logical deduction it is obvious to assume - "well, whoever does these practical adjustments clearly has a problem with porn." Quite frankly, you could assume that about me. However, with the current age of first exposure to porn being 8 years old for a male, it would be completely ridiculous to assume that porn isn't a vice that needs to be dealt with. Whether you're prepared to admit it or not - be a stronger you and make the adjustments towards a healthier you. Being aware of a problem and taking precautions for the sake of your own mental health and relational health is prudent.
Coming up - how to identify if you do have a porn addiction. You will be surprised!
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#porn #sexuality #addictions #behaviouralchange #healthyrelationships #strongermen #realmendontwatchporn
