Porn Addiction Withdrawal: Symptoms & Recovery

According to recent statistics, over 40 million Americans watch porn regularly. While 10% admit that they may be addicted, experts estimate that the number might be higher. Since it’s been shown that dealing with a porn addiction can significantly affect personal relationships, it’s no wonder that a lot of people also think about quitting. If you’re thinking about that, then it helps to know what happens when you quit porn.

What Is Porn Addiction Withdrawal?

Porn addiction withdrawal is what happens when someone who is addicted to the material stops watching it. While porn addiction isn’t officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, experts agree that the symptoms that people experience say otherwise.

It’s likely that watching porn leads to the release of the brain’s feel-good chemical, dopamine. To keep having this feeling, you watch more. This leads to your brain trying to restore balance by releasing dynorphin to counteract the effects of dopamine. When you stop watching porn, there’s likely to be an imbalance of these hormones and so you end up going through withdrawal.

Porn Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms aren’t the same for everyone but they’re generally the opposite of how you feel when you watch porn. Some of the symptoms of porn withdrawal can include mood swings, anxiety, depression, brain fog, decreased energy, headaches, and irritability.

How Long Does Porn Withdrawal Last

Unlike other forms of addiction, porn addiction withdrawal hasn’t been extensively studied. The lack of information can make it difficult to determine how long the symptoms of withdrawal will last.

However, there are certain factors that may influence how long you experience the symptoms. Some of these factors are how long you’ve been watching porn, how you usually watch it, and what sexual behaviors you usually did while you were watching it.

Porn Withdrawal Timeline

As stated before, it’s not possible to give a definitive timeline for how long porn withdrawal lasts. However, if you compare a porn addiction to others, you may be looking at a timeline that spans a few days to a few weeks.

You should also know that the symptoms tend to be worse in the beginning but typically reduce in their intensity over time. Of course, learning how to manage the symptoms and undergoing treatment can be helpful.