Men Are Experiencing Impotence Because Of Porn Addiction

Men who watch too much pornography are increasingly experiencing impotence and erectile dysfunction.

Pornography has been around for as long as humans have had sex.  It is normal for humans to have a curiosity towards sex, and is a basic human desire.  But now in the land of Internet Pornography and smartphones, hardcore and niche porn is available to the masses – anywhere, anytime – and it’s free.

And we are looking!  According to Sex Addiction Australia, there are an estimated 30,000 online pornography searches every SECOND.

Constant porn watching creates a ‘sexual numbness’ between partners.  Men can no longer achieve nor maintain an erection unless they are watching porn.  And it’s not just older guys who are needing help getting it up – the phenomenon is seeing more and more younger men experiencing problems downstairs than ever before.

Fact:  The average first exposure to porn is 13.3 years of age

More Reading:

The Reason Men Watch Porn

No, it isn’t because men are just ‘obsessed with sex’.  There is a more ‘primal’ reason.  Porn gives men a huge ‘variety’ to choose from. Variety and excitement that doesn’t mean having an affair.  Their primal brain that tells them they need to ‘sow their seeds’ means that they naturally like variety – and porn gives them that instant variety.  Not only that, men are hard-wired to be aroused easily, and visually. 

So porn is like a never-ending sugar rush of ‘feeling good’ – and that is hard to resist.

And nearly all men (94%) look at porn, regardless of their relationship status.

Men watch porn when they are bored when they are turned on when they need a ‘quick release’ or maybe just when they find a moment to themselves.

Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction

Known as PIED – which stands for Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction – it’s thought to be one of the side effects of men becoming addicted to internet pornography and is turning into a common sexual health problem for blokes.

A 2011 survey of 28,000 Italian men found that an “excessive consumption” of pornography begins at around age 14, with a daily consumption in their early to mid-20s, which desensitized men to even the most violent images. The researchers found that this was contributing to male sexual dysfunction by lowering their libido and eventually leading to an inability to become erect.

In fact, one of the worlds most purchased and popular natural ED product retailers have seen a huge increase in sales fueled by men seeking to reverse the effects physically of porn addiction. Read More about it here >

Viasil (Australia) also has been reporting record online sales of their over-the-counter ED product. Men aren’t too keen to discuss ED options with their doctors.

When Does Masturbation Turn Into An Addiction?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with masturbation.  It is a normal sexual function that should be enjoyed.  There is nothing wrong with masturbating to porn.  However, it becomes a porn addiction when it starts affecting daily life. 

The top 10 signs of Porn addiction are:

• You cannot stop watching Porn, even though you are trying to do so.
• When you aren’t watching porn, you yearn to watch it. You crave porn.
• You start masturbating to porn at work or in public places
• You lost time watching porn.
• You have lost interest in actually having sex.
• You stop being attracted to your partner because they don’t compare with what you see on the screen.
• Your penis or hands are sore from constantly masturbating.
• You spend excess amounts of money on Porn sites.
• You aren’t ‘living in the moment’ – because you are constantly thinking about porn.
• You become easily irritable and cranky with people in your life.
  

Pornography Addiction is Becoming Common

The men develop their sexuality largely divorced from any real-life relationships, and the effects of this are gradual but devastating to their sexual function. It can begin as they experience lower reactions to porn sites, then a general drop in libido. Eventually, men who suffer from PIED will find it impossible to get an erection.

The problem when men experience PIED is often in the brain, not the penis.

According to Alinda Small, a relationship counsellor, sex therapist and associate of Impotence Australia, there’s currently a situation where a whole generation of men have grown up looking at internet pornography.

She recently told The Huffington Post: 

“Porn addiction changes the way the basic systems of our brain — the reward system — actually operates.”

“Basically, what happens is your dopamine levels get a kick when you have a ‘novel’ factor, and porn is the most novel factor of all,” Small said.

“Once you get hooked, porn gets more and more extreme, and so people start upping the ante on it.”

“It gets to such a point where the expectation of pleasure is so high, normal sex with a real life partner doesn’t provide that same hit. It’s not as novel, especially in a situation where, for instance, the guy is with a long-term girlfriend.”

“In many cases they would actually prefer to be wanking alone because they get that hit.”

Porn-induced erectile dysfunction can also create real-life performance anxiety concerns and compound the problem so it becomes both biological as well as physical. In fact, in many relationships considered to be sexless, the problem isn’t always the old cliche of the woman not being up for it, but because the bloke has a pornography addiction and is unable to perform with his partner.

When this goes untreated, the relationship is often a casualty of pornography addiction.

What to Do About Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction often leads to personal relationship suffering.  But the good news is that porn addiction is not only treatable, but it can also often be reversed!

Visiting a doctor and/or seeing a psychological health professional is the first step on the road to recovery. Unfortunately, many men with pornography addictions are usually reluctant to seek help.

There is now an app that helps men ween themselves off porn called Remojo.  The app blocks all porn and also has a ‘Panic Button’ for when they get desperate, and daily video coaching to help them through.

Men suffering from PIED, whether they have a porn addiction or not, are advised to stay away from porn for at least a couple of months which is said to help the brain and body “reboot” and override the sexual dysfunction – using erection-enhancing medications like Viagra isn’t the best solution.

Other solutions to porn addiction include:

• Removing all internet access to porn sites
• Install anti-porn software on all electronic devices
• Being accountable to their partner and opening up the lines of communication
• Have an accountability partner
• Substitute porn for a healthier alternative such as sport
• Join a Sex or Pornography Addiction Support Group

Men Talk About Their Porn Addiction

I’m Coming to Terms that Porn Addiction is An Actual Addiction

“I relapsed yesterday and today, I already overdid it. I’ve resisted calling it an addiction in the past as I’ve experienced porn more as a really nasty habit than an addiction. After today though, I am realising that it might be an addiction after all, cause I must have watched porn at least six times in the last three hours. That’s a lot, right? I’m not even sure anymore…

I’ve justified it before, saying it’s not that bad cause I don’t look at extreme or disgusting stuff and that looking at a few NSFW subreddits won’t interfere with my life and happiness. There is a part of me that still believes this, unfortunately, which is why I find it so difficult to let go. I also admit, however, that my porn appetite is just insatiable. I can literally go all day binging Netflix and watching porn, alternating between the two.

What bothers me most is that the more I get sucked into it, the less I wanna meet girls in real life. Porn makes me passive. Today was also one of those days where I literally left the place I was in to go home and watch porn. There really is no such thing as balance, unfortunately. Experience has shown me time and time again that the second I touch it I’m instantly hooked.”

Via Reddit

I Found Comfort in Porn

“Today was more difficult than yesterday, but at least it ended well. I got into an argument with my wife this morning, one where we were both being stubborn.

It’s a temptation to find comfort in porn when things are difficult with her. It seems much easier to look at what I want, when I want than to deal with another actual person, even one that I love and who loves me. It’s also much easier to hide from my frustration and anger, and when we fight there is an element of “getting back at her” through porn, even if she never knows.

So, I felt the pull of that and the lie of how it would be “easier.” But that’s just what it is, a lie. There’s nothing easy about a failed marriage, and ultimately that’s what porn will deliver.

Whenever I’ve turned to it as an easy way to avoid real things, I’ve been a coward, honestly.

Noticing that I was triggered by our fight helped. Admitting that I wanted to use porn as an unhealthy coping mechanism helped. We were both tired from the night before, caring for our infant son, so I chose to get some sleep until I felt rested. That helped a lot, and my wife and I talked through some things, which helped a lot more.

I took a trip to the store to get some things we needed and have some time to reset the day, and when I got back, I felt like normal again.

Today’s given me a lot to think about:

• Expect to be triggered after an argument with my wife and be on guard
• Feel my feelings, even the negative ones, and don’t avoid them”

Via Reddit

Porn Has Distorted My Perception of How Relationships Work

“My wife is amazing. I’m so lucky to have her in my life. She has been aware of my addiction for a long time and has stuck with me through the ups and downs. I am struggling with the thought that I don’t deserve her. I know my addiction has caused her a lot of pain.

She somehow lets me know that my recovery is imperative, while also letting me know that she is with me to the end. Wanted to express this and honour her. If you have someone in your life that you care about, don’t hide from them, hold on to and cherish those relationships. It is impossible to do this alone.

Porn has distorted my perception of how relationships work and I am working very hard to relearn how to care about other people. I shudder to think about where I would be if she hadn’t married me.”

Via Reddit

I Got Obsessed with One Porn Star

“When I was 18 I slowly got into bondage and found one model who I really liked. I watched a few videos and scrolled through a few galleries. Then subscribe to her website – and 16 years later – I still subscribe to her website for a month at a time about 2-3 times per year. I downloaded anything and everything she was in – and now have hundreds of gigabytes of pics/videos of her.

One of the hardest things about letting go is that this one model (or the idea of her) has been in my life for a very long time.

I wrote her a letter saying goodbye and why I can’t look at her content anymore. Whether she reads it or not doesn’t matter. Doing this gave me closure on that chapter of my life. The biggest part of growing is actually learning to let go.

The next job is to delete the hard drive and never look back.

I’m only 10 days in – but this is the longest I’ve ever gone without acting out since I started.

For the first time in my life, I believe I can make a breakthrough.”

Via Reddit