Why does watching porn make me depressed? (the simple answer)

There are several complex issues in play when it comes to the link between porn and depression. You can get into the neuroscience here if you'd like.

But I'm thinking you need a simpler answer, to address a short-term feeling, or perhaps a short-term feeling that seems to keep getting longer and longer as you continue watching porn.

The pattern is simple.

1. You watch porn
2. You feel depressed
3. You watch more porn because you feel depressed
4. You feel more depressed over time

This cycle repeats and is extremely difficult to break. But let's address this question: Why does porn make me feel depressed in the first place?

There are primarily two reasons.

Reason 1: Dopamine

Dopamine is a chemical in your body that allows you to anticipate something exciting. It's part of the reward center and is responsible for something like getting excited when you're about to eat a good meal.

When you watch porn, dopamine gets pumped out at ridiculously high levels.

This process essentially raises your brain's reward standard, meaning more traditional forms of enjoyment like food, friends, nature, or even a TV show you like are no longer enjoyable.

Over time, depression sets in.

And the more you watch porn, the more stimulation your reward center will require to give you that dopamine hit, which means more and more aspects of your life will completely lose their appeal.

Even more "tame" forms of pornography will start to wane in their effectiveness, which is why most long-term porn users seek out more extreme forms of it.

Reason 2: Shame and Low Self Esteem

Human beings have moral alarm bells coded into their souls, and those bells are always going off when we watch porn. As a result, many will feel shame after viewing this material, and deal with thoughts of self-hatred and/or low self esteem.

Shame and low self esteem go hand in hand, and pornography is extremely efficient at manufacturing both.

Read more: How Pornography Impacts Self Esteem

And from there you're lead into more depression, especially because it feels like there's nothing you can do.

All you want in that moment, is to alleviate the shameful thoughts and feelings.

But, there are ways to start digging out.

What should I do?

Start by understanding that taking blame and ownership is not the same thing as feeling shame.

Shame is inward focused and not solution focused.

Take responsibility, but don't beat yourself up

Accepting that you're at fault and resolving to move forward is an act of discipline. And it's loving to both yourself and those around you. Shame beats you up more, while accountability sets you on your feet and dusts you off.

So do that first. Take ownership, pray, ask God to forgive you and help you, and then move on.

Get a decent porn blocker

After that, we'd recommend getting some kind of help. This site covers software and tools you can use to help make quitting porn a lot easier. You can check them out on our home page or check out our recommendations below

I won't get into the details here because we have a ton of other content on these blockers and resources.

The point is, porn blockers give you a tremendous edge, so use them.

I have since I was 19 years old and still do to this day (I'm 36 at the time of writing this).

There's no shame in it.

Conclusion

To recap, porn makes you depressed primarily because of the following:

• An increasingly high dopamine threshold
• Feelings of shame, guilt, and low self esteem

There are certainly other factors to consider, but the two we've covered here are the main reasons you'll get depressed after watching porn.

If you need help, have questions, or just want to share your story, jump in via the comments section below.

More Resources to Help Quit Porn