Is Porn Addiction a Real Thing?

October 11, 2015

My colleague Joshua Grubbs and I published some research earlier this year on the intersection of religion and addiction to pornography that sparked a big reaction.

Here’s what we found:

First, more religious individuals were more likely to report zero pornography use over the past 6 months than less religious individuals.

Second, among individuals who reported at least some pornography use in the past 6 months, there were no differences in amount of pornography use between individuals who were more religious vs. individuals who were less religious.

Third, controlling for actual time spent viewing pornography, religion was positively associated with viewing oneself as addicted to pornography, and this relationship was mediated by moral disapproval of pornography. In other words, people who were more religious were more likely to morally disapprove of pornography, and in turn they were more likely to view themselves as being addicted to pornography.

So what does this all mean?

For starters, highly religious individuals who view pornography might have a tendency to think they are addicted when they really aren’t. Consider this scenario: a religious married man is taught in church that pornography is wrong and harmful to his marriage. However, despite his efforts to stop, he still views pornography a couple times per month, much to his own (and his wife’s) dismay. He thinks he’s addicted because he can’t completely stop.

What do you think? Is the guy addicted?

Most psychologists would say no. The man might be doing something he doesn’t want to do, but he isn’t addicted in the same way that someone might be addicted to drugs or alcohol.

So is the whole concept of addiction to pornography a bunch of baloney? Probably not. In my research, I have engaged with folks who have recurrent and intense sexual behavior associated with using pornography that looks a lot like an addiction. These individuals spend an excessive amount of time pursuing pornography; use pornography in response to feeling depressed, anxious, and stressed; have tried to cut down or stop but can’t; and engage in pornography while disregarding harm for self or others. For these individuals, the pornography is causing significant distress, and is interfering with their functioning.

But I think it’s important to differentiate individuals who are truly addicted from individuals who are incorrectly labeling their behavior as an addiction. Our research has shown this might be especially prevalent for religious individuals, who face strong moralized messages about the negative effects of pornography on their emotional, spiritual, and relational well-being. For these folks, viewing any amount of pornography may seem like too much, and the label of an addiction can be compelling.

Discussion: What do you think of the concept of pornography addiction? Do you think it is a legitimate disorder? Or is it a term that people have hijacked to further shame sexual expression?

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  1. Dixon October 12, 2015 at 8:48 am - Reply

    In my experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Supervisor of professional therapists I found that it is a “real” addiction just like alcohol or drugs. To me having to view porn twice a month is no different that the person who gets drunk once or twice a month. To me, the real issue is what is causing that decision twice a month or every day. In my counseling, largely with ministers, the root cause is a mom issue.

  2. Joshua Hook October 12, 2015 at 6:39 pm - Reply

    Good point re: the need to explore what is underneath one’s decision.

    Also, interesting point comparing pornography use to getting drunk. I wonder if it might be illustrative to take the analogy one step further. For example, if a person was getting drunk occasionally, experiencing tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, drinking more than he/she intends to, and a great deal of time is spent on activities related to obtaining alcohol, drinking alcohol, and recovering from the effects of alcohol, I probably would say, yes, the symptoms of a psychological addiction are there.

    However, if a person occasionally drank a couple of beers, but had a very strong moral belief that drinking any alcohol was wrong, and felt a lot of personal and communal distress from his/her alcohol use, I might say that the person has a problem (i.e., the person is experiencing dissonance because his/her behavior isn’t lining up with his/her morals/values), but I wouldn’t put it in the same category (or treat it the same way) as the first example.

    In the same way, I think some people do experience problems with pornography that are consistent with colloquial definitions of addiction, whereas others might perceive themselves to be addicted (but are actually experiencing a different sort of issue).

  3. Michelle November 2, 2015 at 8:24 am - Reply

    My first question is “I wonder if religious people are more likely to label it an addiction because then it’s not entirely their fault for the choice to go against their teachings to pursue pirnography.” There is this other force called addiction that is motivating their actions rather than being stuck with the notion of ‘no, you’re just making the conscious choice to view it’. It seems that hiding questionable actions behind a lucrative label serves as an excuse if the behavior isn’t having the same negative impairment on their daily functioning as otherwise is defined by addiction. Just a few thoughts that came to mind…

  4. Joshua Hook November 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm - Reply

    Interesting point about the possible connection between labeling something as an addiction and having an excuse for one’s behavior, or not taking responsibility for one’s actions. I’d love to see some research done that explores what happens when someone labels their actions as an addiction. Does it lead to more taking responsibility? Less? I can’t think of any research on this specifically, but I think it would be really interesting.

  5. […] own needs or (2) swing the other way and over-indulge (whether it is with food, alcohol, drugs, sex, […]

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