How Does Pornography Addiction Affect Body Image?

Sex education was, is, and probably always will be awkward. Local governments and county school systems control the way sex is talked about, what about sex is talked about, and how much information kids receive. Everything else is left up to the imagination, or the internet. When it comes to the internet and it’s sex information, little is left to the imagination.

The online porn industry is a multi billion dollar one, investing endless amounts of money into bringing every single fantasy they can to virtual life. Speaking of virtual, the pornography industry is one of the leading developers of virtual, augmented, and immersive reality technology.

All it takes to enter a porn site is a fake birthdate and email account. Younger generations are not familiar with what it means to live without the internet. Tech savvy and information hungry, younger and younger generations are finding their way into porn sites. Before sex ed hits the classroom, it’s hitting their smart phones and home computers.

Pornography is an extreme portrayal of sexual intimacy and is often criticized for its emphasis on body image and the way it objectifies women. As a result, culture responds to demand, selling more and more images of women as being highly seductive and sexually appealing. On the other hand, pornorgraphy portrays men as hyper masculine, demanding bigness, masculinity, and dominance over women. In order to satisfy a man, a woman has to be hypersexual. In order to satisfy a woman, a man has to be hyper masculine.

These harmful images and outrageous expectations contributed to negative body image. Consuming media like pornorgraphy can skew realistic expectations for the self as well as for one’s romantic partners.

Pornography Addiction

Pornography addiction is not an addiction to sex or sexual activity. It is an addiction to the constant consumption of pornographic media. A pornography addict can lose endless hours of their day to watching porn, and greats amount of money to buying it. Relationships suffer, as does mental state and physical health.

One of the biggest side effects and core focuses of treatment for pornorgraphy addiction is repairing the addict’s view of themselves, their partners, and the way sex realistically is. Pornography addiction causes regular sex with “regular” partners to be disappointing to an addict. Needing a more and more intense “high”, a porn addict will search for the perfect partner and sexual relation but never be satisfied.

Recovery takes time for pornorgraphy addiction and body image disorder. With clinical treatment and abstinence from pornography, full recovery is possible.

Harmony Place is a luxury residential treatment center offering a full spectrum of care in order to cater to the unique and individual needs of each client. Substance abuse with drugs like cocaine, alcohol, and methamphetamine can often accompany body image disorder or pornography addiction. Treating substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, Harmony Place provides quality care for a range of needs. For more information, call 1-855-627-1417.