Porn is an expression of sexual interest between individuals. Unfortunately, however, it can also be an immense source of pain.
How can you assess whether porn use is healthy or not? Here are a few factors you should keep in mind.
Spiritual Motivations
If you find yourself addicted to porn, it may be tempting to wonder why you keep turning back. The answers often lie within spiritual realms.
If your heart is feeling discontent or rejected, porn can offer an eroticized world where fantasy women or men make you feel accepted and loved – even though this fantasy world might damage relationships or compromise spiritual lives.
Porn is also used to numb feelings of guilt or self-hatred that arise when individuals don’t think they’ve done enough to please God or themselves.
No matter the motivation, porn makes unfulfillable promises that may seem appealing at first. For example, it might promise „This is an effective solution to help alleviate guilt and self-hatred,” or offer you a fantasy world where nothing changes about who or what you are or does.
Porn can cause you to feel shame or guilt about past incidents, like an embarrassing moment as a child. It may lead to feelings of shame that compromise your faith in serving God or connecting with other people.
As you view porn, your body becomes tolerant, needing increasingly higher doses to achieve the same pleasure from these images. This habituation leads to a 'dopamine hangover’ and may result in depression, anxiety, or irritability.
The Bible makes it clear that engaging in any form of sexual sin, particularly viewing porn or engaging in any sexual sinful behaviors is forbidden to Christians and should never tempt you (James 1:14-15).
Today’s Church is facing its greatest threat yet: porn. This threat affects young Christians, church members, and even leadership within churches alike; it wreaks havoc in men, teens and children’s lives who reside within churches worldwide.
Feelings of Inadequacy or Rejection
Porn sex videos like these can lead to feelings of inadequacy or rejection that may be especially devastating for people who are anxiously attached to their partners, who often perceive an abandonment and rejection by them (Hazan & Shaver 1994).
Anxious attachment makes one more prone to experiencing negative emotions than secure attachment, such as jealousy or threatenedness in relationships. They tend to feel less satisfied in them and are more susceptible to feeling jealousy or threatened when things take their attention away from them.
They may experience difficulty bonding with their partner or may be nervous about becoming intimate with them, which could result in increased sexual activity with other men – further infuriating feelings of inadequacy or rejection.
Women in relationships may find this especially harmful as it can make them feel their sexual life is being reduced or restricted by their partner’s porn usage, and can make it more challenging to comprehend their own reactions towards such conduct.
Communication between couples is of vital importance; speaking openly about any concerns will help both partners to understand why you feel this way and work towards improving the quality of their relationship.
An additional reason people may consume porn sex videos like these is that it can help alleviate boredom. Although this may be an effective response when faced with isolation or loneliness, when combined with an intense visual stimulus need, it can become problematic.
Researchers have recently reported that this desire for increased arousal can be as addictive as gambling or heroin. When someone watches porn sex videos such as these, their brain starts bonding with what they are viewing on screen – often leading to cravings for even more violent material.
People experiencing loneliness, sadness or depression should consult with a therapist or mental health professional regarding their feelings in order to better understand why they’re experiencing what they do and how best to manage those emotions in a healthy manner.
Feelings of Guilt or Self-Hatred
As many porn addicts know, guilt or self-hatred can exacerbate their addiction. If these feelings have become an issue for you, it is vital that you seek professional assistance immediately.
Shame can spiral out of control quickly, making recovery from addiction all but impossible. Therefore, it’s vital that you seek professional assistance immediately in order to start on the road to recovery.
As a first step to alleviating shame, the first step should be identifying its source. Be it watching porn, masturbating, or having sexual thoughts; once identified, work can begin on eliminating it.
Therapists can offer invaluable support and guidance for managing these emotions. They can teach coping techniques to prevent such feelings or behaviors in the future.
Once you’ve identified the source of your shame, the next step should be breaking free of its cycle of unhealthy behavior. This might involve speaking to a therapist or asking others for forgiveness before finding healthy methods of managing emotions.
At the core, what matters is choosing love over shame. Although this may be easier said than done, in order to live a full and satisfying life without guilt associated with porn use you must learn how to replace those negative emotions with positive and healthy ones.
If you find yourself struggling with these feelings of shame, finding a Christian therapist could be extremely helpful in breaking free from its grip. By helping identify its origins and providing effective ways of managing them, a therapist could demonstrate ways of moving past them.
Freedom from porn addiction is within reach for anyone, but only if they submit their sexuality as Lord over their lives.
As with any spiritual battle, prayer will help. Thank God that Jesus’ blood makes this possible!
When feeling ashamed, pray to God for help in changing your heart. By surrendering your sexuality as Lord of your soul to Jesus Christ, the sting will quickly subside.
Feelings of Revenge or Tantrum
Betrayed by a significant other is an emotionally exhausting experience, yet revenge porn may offer an effective means of getting even with them. Although millennials, particularly men, often turn to revenge porn to exact revenge on their ex. Unfortunately, such acts only exacerbate an already heartbreaking situation and increase self-esteem issues further.
Many find the most effective way to express their displeasure is through voyeuristic voyance, including watching porn sex videos. A popular and least threatening form of this expression involves sending another person a link to a public domain porn site; this tactic does not require purchasing an expensive VPN service and in fact most reputable services offer free trials of their premium offerings for new clients if this approach doesn’t suit. If you need further advice on addressing your vengeance issues don’t hesitate to get in touch today – we have solutions!