Pornography addiction - can it cause these symptoms?

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I’ve been addicted to pornography for over 15 years, and for more than 10 years, I watch porn every day for 1-6 hours. I’ve been using a technique called “edging” for about 10 years, doing so dozens of times during such multi-hour sessions. During these several-hour sessions, I can probably watch about 100 movies because I skip from one to another every few minutes. This has been going on with such intensity for 10 years. I’ve never come across a description of anyone who was as addicted as I am. Most addicts write that they can spend an hour several times a week on pornography. An hour is nothing to me; sometimes, I could spend 10 hours on webcams and various pornography sites, only taking breaks for eating, drinking, and using the restroom. Believe me, I had many months in my life where I spent 10 hours every day watching porn.

Since my teenage years, I’ve suffered from various anxiety and depressive disorders and gastric problems. I have symptoms of social phobia, anxiety, depression, and I also have irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO, reflux.

I’m constantly tired, even exhausted. I wake up several or even a dozen times at night. I have no strength or motivation for anything; I feel like a wreck of a human being. I function like a zombie. Here’s a list of tests I’ve had done so far:

I’ve checked the functioning of my thyroid, liver, kidneys, and heart. I’ve had two sleep apnea tests, had my vitamin B12, D3, folic acid, testosterone, prolactin, estrogen levels checked, had several abdominal ultrasounds, had insulin resistance tests, and had a large number of blood tests and various other tests.

All the tests indicate that I am a healthy person - but I feel like a wreck. Recently, I had to quit my job because I wasn’t able to go there due to chronic fatigue.

I tried working out at the gym - after the gym, the next day I have severe dizziness and extreme fatigue, and my depression worsens even more; I feel much worse. Someone once mentioned online that I might have adrenal fatigue or nervous system exhaustion. I tried taking antidepressants such as citalopram, paroxetine, escitalopram and pramolan but they didn’t help me even if I tried to stick to them for 2 months, to be honest I felt even worse on them.

Can someone tell me if the way I feel and the fact that I struggle with anxiety disorders, depression, and digestive issues could be caused by compulsively watching pornography for many years, for many hours a day?

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I am not a medical professional and I can’t diagnose you over the internet. I can tell you that wasting that much time watching porn isn’t healthy. The exact effects vary from person to person but it is not healthy.

For me, my recovery from pornography and masturbation has been most effective with work and learning in sex addiction recovery groups. I have been to a sex addiction recovery clinic and I am currently a member of Sexaholics Anonymous (www.SA.org).

Porn and masturbation - like all addictions - is about avoidance and escape. There isn’t really any difference between spending all day drunk and spending all day watching pornography: both keep you spinning your wheels and leave you numb, inhuman.

I personally have not found much from analyzing the superficial aspects of my behaviour, for example, from keeping notes about relapses I had. To me it’s all symptoms of a deeper problem, a problem in my heart and my emotions, which I work on daily.

If you don’t mind me asking, are you thinking you’d like to change this behaviour?

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Umm, yeah. Absolutely. That and the reasons why you’re spending you life like that to begin with.

When I was at the end stage of my drinking, I did not feel human. I felt like the chance for me and the world to interact had been snuffed out a long time ago and I was just late in offing myself.

Like you, psychological/emotional and addiction issues co-presented with me. Which mostly is the case.

So. Is it time to tackle your addiction and the reasons you’re addicted? Seems like you’ve ruled out pretty much anything else.

Are you at that point where the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing?

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In MY opinion, spending upwards of 70 hours per week watching porn for months/years is NEARLY as far from healthy as One can get (at least, mentally healthy).

Holy smokes! I, personally, feel gross and ashamed if I watch 10 minutes of porn a few consecutive nights! I could. not. fathom. watching as much as you have/do. Wow.

By the way, I’m not judging you … I just can’t wrap my head around it. So, I look for the thing that makes us alike: addiction. I can safely say that your porn consumption is at an addictive level. No question. The other thing that makes us alike, I think: it seems like you might want to get help, correct? If that’s the case, I congratulate you and send blessings and strength your way.

Y’know, just because you do something that I would never do, I certainly wouldn’t try to judge you, tear you down, attack your character nor dissuade you from getting help. I know for a FACT that a majority of people couldn’t ever fathom putting poisons in their bodies, destroying every relationship that means something to them and devolving to a predatory and sociopathic level of survival. Like I did.

I’m pretty sure there’s an Anonymous group for people with porn addiction, isn’t there? There HAS to be. Have you researched that and reached out to them? I recommend it, if you really wanna change your life. Who knows, if you pursue that path, maybe some of your other health issues will get better? It certainly can’t hurt to try, IMO. And, like I’ve heard said MANY times in NA & AA: your pain and suffering can always be refunded.

Best of luck to you! And, Welcome!

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I’m not pretending to be a medical professional either. I can tell you i’ve been hooked since i was 8/9 years old and now i’m 42 years old. I watched porn for hours as a child, still to this day the worst things i’ve seen, and it’s been a war everyday of my adult life. I can tell you though: Pornography destroys your dopamine/reward centers and neurologically causes many other issues. If you are looking to break free, we have a chat on talking sober dedicated to this topic. It’s been extremely helpful in my journey of breaking free. Matt Dobbsheutz - Porn Free radio, Eazy way to quitting porn, Atomic habits by james clear, there are so many resources. I can’t tell you what to do, but with your habits, i would get a good filter. Covenant Eyes is a great resource you can set up with a sponsor that will screen shot anything that looks like porn. Lock Me out is a great filter for android. Screen time for Apple. You have to be all in with this problem if you want to break free. You need sponsors in real life, not just digital, people who can check in on you and your progress.

One suggestion from porn free radio:

Write out a 7 day porn free plan to start off.

#1 - If i could live this week again i would do… (list 3 to 5 things) - seeing things through your future self.
#2. Things i look forward to.
#3. This week i’m letting go of…
#4. I’m moving towards…
#5. I’m aware of these threats
#6. before these threats surface, i will do…
#7. I will practice self care by…
#8. If i slip (a consequence that has to be followed)
#9. Reward for going porn free this week
#10. My sponsors for the week and when i will check in.

This 7 day plan is designed for you to be 100% transparent on your issues, triggers, and how you will get help. It’s not about ‘willpower’. It’s about having plans/systems in place to keep you safe. Safety/sobriety are the only way forward.

I’m following this same plan myself. I’m not perfect, but for the past 53 days, i’m porn free. Trying to move forward every single day.

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Just my opinion and advice from someone who was addicted to alcohol for years but sober now going on 3 years.
Wether it’s porn, alcohol, drugs, food, you name it the issue isn’t the “thing” you’ve developed a unhealthy relationships with it’s the addiction that develops over a long period of time because of the dopamine “pleasure “ connection.
All of the other issues that you mentioned, like anxiety, GI issues and so forth can basically be all attributed to your addiction.
Once I quit drinking alcohol my GI issues went away, along with anxiety, depression, and so forth.

I don’t think anyone can tell you how much porn is unhealthy but when it causes you the inability to work and consumes the majority of your day I’d say it may be time to educate yourself and decide if you’re ok with living the way you are or if you want to live a healthier more enjoyable lifestyle.
Only you can change your reality.

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