Porn Addiction and Erectile Dysfunction: Is pornography hurting your sex life?

What's up, everyone? It’s Rich! Today I would like to talk to you about one of the most interesting public-health concerns in the last few years when it comes to ED: the relationship between porn addiction and impotence. Specifically, we’re going to take a look at some of the theories that attempt to either confirm or dismiss the link between pornography affecting your sexual performance. I’ll also make mention of the things that can help you identify whether you should be concerned about this possibility or not, what specialists suggest, and what to do if you find yourself suffering from this condition.

BDE Style presents Porn addition and Erectile Dysfunction: Is pornography hurting your Sex Life?

Porn addiction can hurt your erections

Despite being present in a large portion of men around the world, both Erectile Dysfunction and porn addiction continue to be a low-profile topic that no one feels comfortable talking about. Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction (PIED), as it's been scientifically named, became a known topic following the publication of a series of studies that pointed to internet pornography as the cause of diverse sexual dysfunctions. What we can conclude is that there is a link between not having strong erections and watching too much porn.

Now the problem is, porn is produced and marketed in quantities then it was decades ago. The flashy design and content of porn websites are what's causing a massive overload of stimulus, which our brains are adapting to. What makes it even worse is that when you visit them frequently, you're basically training yourself to respond and be aroused to highly explicit scenarios and stimulation. Over time, this may cause "porn" induced ED because you'll need a greater variety of more intense content to get you hard.

Porn addiction can hurt your Sex Life, too

In the studies mentioned earlier, some professionals indicate that Porn induced ED has become more common in young men than it used to be. The study further considers how internet pornography's "unique" properties (novelty, extreme material, video format, etc.) can affect how men view sex with real-life partners. There is a disconnect when a man is accustomed to what they see in porn that when they're with a desired partner, they may not register what's happening, which may lead to less arousal and inability to obtain an erection.

This, of course, has made many men who’ve experienced porn induced ED start to wonder whether their poor sexual performance could have been caused by their previous or current use of porn. The impact of watching porn may have many consequences that may lead to wider problems than in the bedroom. For instance;

• It can hurt your self esteem as you feel subjected to watching porn and hiding this fact from your loved ones.

• You'll develop unrealistic expectations about what women, sex, and intimacy are supposed to look like.

• You may develop performance anxiety as a result of these expectations, but also from erectile issues. This is because most men aim to be good in bed and have the ability to get hard erections. If they don't perform well it will hurt their egos and make them question their value.

• It may cause dissatisfaction in your relationship. Chronic porn viewing may make you question your level of happiness with your partner. If you have the ability to watch thousands of videos with different actors and actresses, and different positions, how could you be happy with just "one" partner.

• Your overall attitude in life may change. If you're constantly "draining" the tank when watching porn, then you're going to end up feeling lazy and depressed. As porn and drugs are often considered a "temporary" relief, this may cause you to feel more anxious leading to a diminished sense of joy.

Specialists have something to say about it

When watching too much porn became a factor when it came to ED, the scientific community started to conduct deeper research and studies to determine whether this link could be confirmed. However, given the lack of consensus in this matter, a few specialists have pointed out something to make things clearer for us: there’s not enough evidence that confirms the association between porn addiction and ED.

However, there are indications that pornography viewing can result in side effects that do lead to poor sexual performance. As the term “porn addiction” hasn’t been officially classified as a mental disorder, the debate has instead moved to the mental consequences that porn can cause in men, with one of the most relevant among them being the “Sexual anorexia”.

The term refers to the pathological loss of appetite for romantic-sexual interactions and it can be caused by an ample series of physical or psychological problems, but also by pornography. Experts believe that as that content shown in the adult films is often distant from how a sexual encounter is in real life, it can create unrealistic perceptions of how sex should be and cause men to experience difficulties in becoming aroused with their partners.

So, in short, pornography in itself is not a cause for ED, poor sexual performance, or any other sexual dysfunctions, and it could even help you in certain circumstances; however, not differentiating what happens in adult movies from real-life sex could lead to consequences like the lack of desire, sexual anxiety, and becoming unable to have an erection or an orgasm.

What should I do if I suspect that watching porn is affecting my sexual life?

Members of BDE Style are not doctors or medical experts. We can only suggest that you visit someone qualified enough to help diagnose you for physical ED or mental ED if porn is causing too much distress in your Sex Life.

This is because ED and sexual dysfunctions may change from one person to another given that they can have multiple causes and might require multiple treatments to get better.

If the reason behind your condition is physiological, then you'll most likely be prescribed penis pumps or ED medications like Viagra. If, on the other hand, the origin is psychological, you might need to open up with someone about your problem and look for ways to change your perception of the issue.

What we can suggest for you to do is:

1. Find someone who you can confide in. This can be a person you can trust to hold you accountable. Set up weekly check ins and have them use negative reinforcement on you. For instance, if you watch porn you have to do something that really sucks. It can be personal like giving up your electronics, do 100 push ups, etc. BDE Style tip: Find someone who is NOT your intimate partner. There is already shame and embarrassment and the last person you want to feel judged by is your own partner (even if it's all in your head).

2. Install a website blocker for adult sites. You can easily go through your web browser to apply this setting for sites you know you go on. If you have chrome you can try out Google Chrome's adult site blocker if that's your preferred web browser.

3. Quit porn or reduce the amount you consume. You may consider any of these acronyms:

NOFAP - No "Fap" (a slang term for jerking off). It's now a business and forum site that supposedly helps people who are addicted to porn.

NOP - No Porn

Tip: These users suggest committing to at least 90 days to reap the benefits. And, NO CHEATING. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and other social media outlets have gifs that are explicit and may entice and excite.

But, do I have to quit jerking off?

Not necessarily. What you can try is visualization masturbation. Be mindful instead of using vices like porn or social media models to jerk off. Oftentimes we tend to rush things when watching porn, which is why we need to slow things down and actually take the time to pleasure ourselves without rushing. Try visualizing a woman or thinking of a sexual scenario. Once you get the idea, snap out of it and come to your senses. This way, when you do want to engage in sexual activity with a partner, you can do so in a natural way. Think of it like a hard and challenging reset button.

But, as we said at the beginning of this section, the best way to find out what will work for you is to look for the opinion of a medical professional that will be willing to listen to you in detail so they can properly diagnose you. This way, if you do happen to fix a porn addiction, but still have ED, you'll then have a proper diagnosis in case your ED is caused by another factor like a venous leak, Diabetes, smoking, drugs, etc.

I think I "Can't Get It Up" Because Of Porn, Can The Phoenix still work for me?

The Phoenix device ONLY helps improve physical performance when trying to "get it up" and maintain it in the bedroom, and not treat the mind.

If you have porn addiction or mental roadblocks that prevent you from getting it up or keeping it up for your partner, we suggest seeking professional advice from a licensed psychologist to treat the psychological aspect of it. Yes, you'll have better sexual performance with The Phoenix, but if your mind isn't fully in it because you're too jaded from what you see in porn, then your dick is not going to get up when you're with your partner.