The content of this article has been adapted from the Porn Addiction YouTube Series by Raja Zia ul Haq.

Today, porn addiction has not just become widespread, but assumed the form of a menace in society. Millions of individuals are hooked to porn, unable to escape this trap, while various aspects of their life greatly suffer. Let us analyze some of the harmful effects of porn addiction. 

1) Diseases and Disorders

Watching porn releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine. This neurotransmitter is commonly known as the “feel-good chemical” as it generates feelings of bliss, euphoria, and reward. However, an excessive dose of dopamine generated by watching porn creates an imbalance in the brain, leading to more harm than good.

For instance, an excessive dose of dopamine has been linked with disorders and illnesses such as attention deficiency, addiction, obesity, mania, Parkinson’s disease, and even schizophrenia. It may also cause attention deficiency, affecting the person’s ability to efficiently function on a daily basis.  Excessive dopamine has even been linked to bipolar disorder.

2) Deteriorating Marital Relations

Another consequence of porn addiction is that it deprives a person of the healthy sexual relations that exist between spouses. For instance, there have been many cases where a man addicted to porn is no longer interested in a physical relationship with his wife; rather, he would spend his time watching pornographic material, becoming disconnected from reality and living in a world of his own. As a result, the family life is severely disrupted or dismantled altogether.

3) Compulsive Behavior

Due to the excessive dopamine release caused by porn, you always keep wanting more. If you get a certain supply of dopamine today, you would want a larger amount tomorrow. You just cannot remain satisfied with a small portion in the longer term, leading to addiction and various types of mental disorders, as previously discussed.

Typically, what happens is that a person begins with “softcore” porn, which is less sexually explicit or graphic than “hardcore” porn. But as he gets more involved in porn, he starts engaging in very obscene, vulgar, and disgusting types of behavior which adversely affect his thinking and entire outlook on life. What’s more, he is unable to escape this habit, resulting in guilt and despair.

4) Disconnect from Reality

Porn addiction disconnects you from reality. You start living in a fantasy where men objectify women; your own emotions are de-sensitized; and your expectations become distanced from the real world out there. You may become socially isolated and distant in your relationships. You inadvertently start replacing the concept of love with lust. Many marriages have been destroyed due to porn addiction, as the addict becomes obsessively reliant on lust alone, leading to the eradication of family values.  

5) Sexual Crimes

Worst of all, porn addiction causes intense and uncontrolled feelings of sexual desire. It increases aggressive tendencies in a person which, when combined with unrestrained desire, can lead to abusive and even psychotic behavior, sometimes tempting the person to commit the unimaginable. 

In fact, the porn industry is partially responsible for increased cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence. We have encountered countless incidents in which people, including children, have been subjected to the worst form of harassment. While there may be numerous reasons for such behavior, one major cause is porn addiction. That is because watching porn repetitively stimulates a person to such an extent that he searches for any means to satisfy his lust.

This article is an extract from the e-book titled “Breaking the Chains: An Islamic Guide to Overcoming Porn Addiction”. Click on the image below to download this e-book for free!