It all started with curiosity. You never intended your innocent discovery of pornography to lead to infidelity. What's worse, the heartache your spouse feels due to your actions is almost unbearable. So how did you get here, and how can you get out?
People who begin to view porn early in life often have one thing in common; they never imagined it would lead to a destructive addiction. Are you wondering how you're on the brink of losing everything when this started as seemingly harmless entertainment? Is it possible to recover and repair relationships after infidelity?
In this article, we'll talk about why porn and sex addictions can develop so quickly. We'll also talk about the progression of viewing porn to infidelity.
Enough.org posted alarming statistics from research done by BBFC in 2019. According to their "Youth and Porn Stats," 93.2% of boys and 62.1% of girls have seen online pornography before age 18. Likewise, 72% of 18-year-olds say, "Pornography leads to unrealistic attitudes to sex." Furthermore, "Porn can have a damaging impact on young people's views of sex or relationships." (enough.org) As you can imagine, early exposure can lead to various issues over time, including legal troubles and infidelity.
We know repeated exposure to anything causes desensitization. For example, young children and teens may first feel disgusted. Others may feel curious and want to view more. However, as they continue to view pornography, it can lead to a sense of acceptance or justification, "Everyone is doing it."
The problem is, like other addictions, porn use stimulates the reward system in the brain. After repeated exposure, the same response system requires an increase or a different form of pornography. As you continue to engage, your addiction can turn from viewing soft porn to hard porn. It continues to escalate as the drive for the next 'high' or 'fix' gets harder to obtain. As a result, the perception of sex and intimacy continues to change as the fantasy world and reality collide.
Over time, your addiction enslaves you to sex and pornography as it replaces your relationship. After all, the simple pleasures that come with physical intimacy are no longer enjoyable. Your sex life with your partner becomes boring. You may even feel frustration as your fantasies on the screen differ from the real world. Hence, it's no surprise that, over time, pornography use can lead to infidelity. The bitter truth about addiction is as it takes over, the only thing you can think about is feeding your addiction.
SmartLoving.org breaks down the connection between pornography, sexual assault, and infidelity. For example, did you know, nearly all sexual assault perpetrators also use porn?
There are also many issues that pornography can lead to. Examples include erectile dysfunction, sleep deprivation, and financial issues. Often times sexual infidelity accompanies or follows pornography use. This could appear as masturbation, phone sex, sex with a prostitute, or infidelity. (smartloving.org)
If viewing pornography has turned into an addiction, you may notice a pattern of use. For example, you may view porn if you're feeling depressed, angry, bored, lonely, tired, or just uncomfortable. Likewise, you may be to a point where you're desperate to feel the 'high' your brain has learned to demand. As a result, you may not realize how deep into your addiction you are until you're entertaining or engaging in sexual infidelity.
At Paradise Creek Recovery Center, we understand the beast of sexual addiction. Likewise, we know the path of porn addiction can lead to infidelity. We're here to help you recover. As you begin this journey, you'll have people who understand how you're in the position you are. Call us today to take the first step on your road to recovery.
