[More evidence that compulsive porn use is an addiction]
An expert has revealed that the new porn age ban has created some perhaps unexpected side affects – including health issues in young men. Online pharmacy MedExpress, have noticed the alarming rise of PIED (porn-induced erectile dysfunction) in UK men.
The study also found that porn is fully integrated into British society, revealing that more than four in five men in the UK (82%) watch it and 34% first accessed pornography before the age of 15, some even before the age of ten.
Recently, the UK government enforced a porn age restriction, meaning UK adults have to provide a valid form of ID to be allowed onto adult content sites. This was thought to help prevent children from accessing the media – but it appears another issue has sprung up in result.
The new restrictions have somewhat helped, with popular adult content site Pornhub reporting that visitors have fallen by 77% since the introduction of age checks. While some hopefuls have started using VPNs as a way around the issue – other have been left high and dry.
Doctor Sophie Dix, Head of Medical Affairs at MedExpress, told the Daily Star: “Having a dependence on porn is not formally recognised as a specific ‘addictive disorder’. However, Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a diagnosis.
“This means that for those who struggle to control their porn consumption, evidence-based approaches, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), commonly used for other addictions, can be a highly effective way to manage urges and promote healthier behaviours”.
Some men have been struggling with the cut off – and it is thought they were worst affected.
Dr Dix added: “For the quarter of men who believe they would struggle to quit porn, like any addiction or dependency, going cold turkey may not be the best approach for some people. Although there is no physiological addiction to porn, there can be a psychological addiction.
“Watching porn activates the reward systems in the brain. If you suddenly stop watching porn, your brain may miss the dopamine spikes that come with rewards. This may lead to mood swings, leading to increased irritability and anxiety. Many people may have habitually made consuming porn part of their bedtime routine, which can lead to insomnia”.
Insomnia can cause several issues day to day for those affected – but Dr Dix has some recommendations.
“My recommendation would be to look at slowly reducing consumption rather than completely cutting it out overnight. Identify your triggers and create intentional barriers. One of the biggest issues with porn consumption is how easy it is to access it.
“If you know that you usually consume porn before bed, leave your phone outside of the bedroom. Make it difficult to access. The study revealed 40% of men were deterred from watching porn due to the new age-verification process. This is an excellent example of how simple boundaries can interrupt automatic habits and cause people to pause and rethink their behaviour”.