Luxe Recovery is a world-class rehab center in Los Angeles that offers treatments for a wide range of substance abuse disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and process addictions like gambling, gaming, sex, and porn.
What is Porn Addiction?
The rise of porn addiction is undoubtedly in part due to how accessible porn has become. Before the advent of the internet, the only way to get porn was either through smutty magazines or in the adult section of a video store.
That is no longer the case. Anyone who has access to the internet, given the prevalence of smartphones, most people in the United States have access to porn. There are subscription services in which people can pay adult content creators directly, but there are also numerous websites to find pornography for free.
Many individuals who have a porn addiction also have a co-occurring mental illness such as anxiety or depression, and many also have low self-esteem. Porn addiction can exacerbate the symptoms of these mental health disorders.
While it is not a harmful substance like drugs or alcohol, and it’s generally consumed in private, there are still consequences to porn addiction. It can warp someone’s views on sex and relationships and give them an unrealistic mental image of what they are like.
Because the performers in pornography often have bodies that are outside of the norm for the general populace, it can affect someone’s self-esteem and make them feel self-conscious about their bodies. It can also affect relationships, as the overconsumption of porn can lead to sexual dysfunction.
Porn addiction can also lead to social isolation as some individuals may spend their time-consuming porn as opposed to socializing with other people.
Signs and Symptoms of Porn Addiction
Within the realm of behavioral addictions, the phenomenon of porn addiction is frequently misinterpreted. This misunderstanding not only perpetuates the stigma surrounding this form of addiction but also complicates its identification.
The classification of behavioral addictions, including porn addiction, as “true addictions” remains a contentious issue in the scientific community.
Regardless of this ongoing debate, many professionals agree that porn addiction is characterized by an emotional reliance on pornography that disrupts various aspects of daily life, interpersonal relationships, and overall functionality. More specifically, people manifest the following signs and symptoms:
- People often neglect their other obligations to engage in the consumption of pornography.
- They increasingly consume more extreme forms of pornography to achieve the same level of gratification that was previously provided by less extreme content.
- People often experience feelings of frustration or shame following their consumption of pornography, yet they persist in engaging with it.
- They express a desire to cease their consumption of pornography, yet they perceive themselves as incapable of achieving this goal.
- They are spending a significant amount of money on pornography at the expense of daily essentials and necessities.
- They usually resort to pornography as a means of managing feelings of sadness, anxiety, insomnia, or various other mental health challenges.
- Individual’s sexual experiences may become less fulfilling.
- The consumption of pornography can lead to difficulties in relationships and may result in individuals feeling less content with their partners.
- They typically participate in risky activities to access pornography, including doing so in a workplace setting.
An Overview of Marijuana Use
Weed, also known as marijuana, is a psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant. It contains two cannabinoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive compound and is responsible for the high that weed use produces.
Cannabidiol (CBD) does not have the same intoxicating effects as THC and has garnered attention for its potential therapeutic uses.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, which means that it has no accepted medical use and high potential for abuse and addiction, and it is illegal at the federal level.
Because it is illegal at the federal level, marijuana dispensaries are often excluded from banking services and are unable to take payments in anything other than cash.
Despite this, there are several states wherein weed is legal for both medical and recreational use. California, in particular, passed legislation to legalize the use of weed for medical purposes in 1996 and passed further legislation to legalize it for recreational purposes in 2016, with the law coming into effect in 2018.
Signs and Symptoms of Marijuana Addiction
While the experience of many in marijuana use may differ from person to person, marijuana use disorder shares similar signs and symptoms with other addictions. People may experience the following:
- Using more marijuana than intended
- Trying but failing to quit using marijuana
- Spending a lot of time on substance use
- Craves for marijuana
- Using marijuana even though it causes problems at home, school, or work
- Continuing to use the substance despite social or relationship problems
- Giving up important activities with friends and family in favor of using marijuana
- Using the substance in high-risk situations, such as while driving a car
- Continuing to use marijuana despite physical or psychological problems
- Needing to use more marijuana to get the same high
Effects of Cannabis Addiction and Abuse
There’s a belief among marijuana users that weed is a ‘safe’ drug, that it’s not cause for concern if someone were to develop an addiction to weed.
Admittedly, there are no known cases of marijuana overdose, and the withdrawal symptoms for marijuana are generally less severe than those of other drugs. However, becoming addicted to any drug can have an impact on a person’s mental and physical health as well as their social life.
One of the most common ways in which weed is consumed is by smoking it, either by rolling it in paper or through a water pipe colloquially known as a bong.
However, long-term weed smoking can lead to respiratory issues, lung damage, and cardiovascular issues. It can also lead to the development of psychotic disorders or worsen a preexisting condition.
Pregnant women are advised to refrain from consuming marijuana as it can impact fetal development and might lead to a baby being born underweight or being born early, as well as developmental problems in childhood.
Pregnant women are advised to refrain from consuming marijuana as it can impact fetal development and might lead to a baby being born Remember that even if weed is a relatively safe drug, marijuana addiction is still drug addiction and is still a condition that needs to be addressed and treated.
Remember that even if weed is a relatively safe drug, marijuana addiction is still drug addiction and is still a condition that needs to be addressed and treated.
How Do Addictions to Weed and Porn Interact?
One of the effects of cannabis use is altered perception. People who smoke weed often feel as if their senses have been sharpened, so they see, feel, and hear enhanced colours, sounds, tastes, and textures. As such, some people may use cannabis before consuming porn under the belief that the high will enhance the experience.
Some people may also feel guilt or shame regarding their pornography use and may turn to marijuana use as a means of coping. Weed and porn can also both be used as coping mechanisms for stress, anxiety, or depression.
What Causes Addictions to Weed and Porn?
It’s not fully understood what causes addictive behavior. Presently, it’s believed that a combination of biological and environmental factors can contribute to someone developing an addiction disorder.
There’s a genetic component, as people with direct relatives who have a history of cannabis abuse are more likely to become abusers themselves. Some people also have an addictive personality and can become addicted to anything and just happen to get hooked on weed or porn, or both.
Addiction Treatment For Weed and Porn
Stopping weed and porn addictions on their own can be difficult enough. However, addressing both at the same time is possible. A comprehensive intervention program involving rehabilitation or inpatient treatment remains a good standard and is recommended by many professionals.
Treatment for weed and porn addiction will generally require an individual to develop coping mechanisms. Cultivating hobbies, for example, can serve as a healthy way to redirect time, energy, and resources away from porn and weed.
A person who is addicted to weed and porn should also be thoroughly assessed by a professional to determine the severity of their addiction(s) and also to check if any co-occurring mental health conditions need to be addressed as well.
Therapy, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), can be particularly useful in treating substance and behavioral addiction. CBT is concerned with relationships between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
As such, it can be implemented to identify, address, and ultimately change the patterns of thought that lead to behavior such as consuming weed and porn.
For dealing with porn specifically, an individual may have to block the websites and cancel the subscriptions that they use to break their porn habit and prevent relapse.
Individuals should also seek support groups. Support groups can show weed and porn addicts that they are not alone in their struggles and allow them the opportunity to build a support system. Some support group members may also be further along in their recovery and can serve as an example to follow.
Above all else, the treatment should be free of judgment. Many people who have a porn addiction can feel immense shame over their addiction, particularly if they come from a sexually conservative background, and each treatment plan should be personalized to each recovering addict’s unique needs.
Break Free of Bad Habits At Our Addiction Treatment Center
Marijuana addiction is often not treated seriously. After all, weed is legal and is used for both recreation and medicine. In some circles, the consumption of weed is as normal as consuming alcohol.
A porn addiction, on the other hand, can find a similar lack of seriousness. While it’s normalized, some people can react with disgust at learning that someone is a porn addict.
That should not be the case. And it’s not the case with us. At Luxe Recovery, we’ll treat your weed and porn addictions with the seriousness that you deserve.
You deserve compassionate, empathetic care, not indifference and shame. Contact us now, and we’ll get you the care you deserve. We accept most forms of PPO insurance.
