The ShieldAudit exists as a means of helping people escape pornography use and addiction.
Oftentimes talk of porn addiction is cast in a light that makes it sound like using porn is normal and innocent, but can be taken too far and eventually can become dangerous. Make no mistake: we do not ascribe to that view here. Quite simply, all porn use is wrong and bad for you. It has zero net positives to offer you, and the longer you engage in it, the hole it takes you down will be deeper and darker.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some root causes of an addiction to porn.
If we can identify these reasons for turning to porn, it can help us to overcome our problem or help us to avoid it in the first place.
Need help stopping? Here are the best porn blocking services for 2023.
Covenant Eyes Software and NordLayer DNS Filtering: Covenant Eyes provides accountability software that covers URLs and images, as well as blocking options, and lots of resources for helping you quit porn.
NordLayer allows you to implement network-wide filtering, and is a much more comprehensive blocking option, with added security measures and more extensive configuration options. It's effective for both homes and businesses.
1. Biochemical Reactions
When we engage in healthy, intermarital sex with our spouse, our bodies naturally release waves of neurochemicals that produce a natural high and rush. This rush is mutually beneficial to both the husband and wife, building marital intimacy and relational connection.
Not completely unlike this scenario, the same chemical rushes occur when viewing porn, but there is no mutual beneficiary. This creates an addictive pattern in that it requires increased intensity in order to keep achieving the desired stimulation. Hence, the remark above about a porn addiction taking you deeper and darker than you probably intended.
Biochemical reactions that can be a root cause of addictions are a powerful reminder of our body’s intense reaction to and need for sexual stimulation.
It is rightly achieved and enjoyed within the bounds of marriage, and yet outside of that and in a porn addiction, it can be a consuming fire.
Part of breaking your porn addiction is an acknowledgement of your body’s desire for the stimulation and a commitment to breaking the habit. It won’t be easy, and it can take several months, perhaps even years in some cases.
2. Emotional factors
Testimonials show that a porn addiction is often rooted in multiple emotional factors. These can include emotional abuse or neglect, loneliness, and feelings of low self-worth.
In our day and age, where we are technologically connected at levels never seen before, we are languishing in a society that has disconnected us from deep, meaningful relationships.
Human connection is best when it is formed in families and local communities.
It should not shock us that with the decline of the family and the polarization of our communities, there are more who feel truly disconnected, unknown, and uncared for? We humans naturally turn to other sources to validate us and to help us cope. Porn has become a leading coping mechanism, and that should scare us all.
Mission Frontiers published stats from a survey by Barna Group and Covenant Eyes with absolutely startling findings:
- 11 is the average age that a child is first exposed to porn, and 94% of children will see porn by the age of 14.
- Pornography use increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300%.
- 68% of church-going men and over 50% of pastors view porn on a regular basis.
The search for belonging, connection, and affection is a natural human instinct and need. Unfortunately many of our neighbors are turning to porn use to fulfill these desires, leaving carnage in its wake. We were created to be connected.
Are you struggling to make meaningful connections and to live in real community? We understand that struggle, but watching porn is a terrible replacement for this.
3. Accessibility
This list is not exhaustive, as you can point to lots of potential root causes for a porn addiction, but we’ll end on this one. The issue of accessibility is closely tied to the statistics cited above. Why are 11 year olds in America routinely exposed to porn in our day and age? Because it is so easily accessible. And with it being so easily accessible, generations young and old are susceptible to an unending supply of pornographic material and subsequent addiction.
Information and content is more accessible than ever before.
When I was growing up in the 80s, you had to walk through the door at the back of the movie rental store to find pornography. You may have had a buddy with an old VHS tape that he had almost worn out or you might stumble across a Playboy in the locker room at school. But times have changed. Pornographic material is served up on demand to anyone and everyone who has internet access, anywhere and anytime. The rise in porn use and exposure is directly correlated to the advancements in digital technology over the past three decades.
We have some great resources here at The Shield Audit to help keep you and your family safe from porn in your home. Check out these articles: What is accountability software? Simple Explanation | Shield Audit (theshieldaudit.com) and 3 Best Porn Blockers for iPhone - The Shield Audit.
Conclusion
The root cause of a porn addiction may not be easy to trace. But better understanding your biological hard-wiring, knowing some emotional factors that play a role in our desire to watch porn, and realizing the dangers of our ability to easily access it can help us to avoid porn and to take steps in breaking a porn addiction.
