Struggling with porn? Learn How to detox from porn with our complete porn detox guide. Discover how long it takes to detox from porn and how to detox from porn fast.
What is Porn Detox?
Porn detox is the process of reducing or stopping pornography consumption to allow your brain to reset from overstimulation caused by the frequent exposure. It is just like recovering from an alcohol or nicotine addiction! Overcoming porn addiction will help your mind recover it’s natural balance.
Regular porn exposure will flood your brain with dopamine, leading to compulsive behaviours and emotional numbness. Over time, this can affect your relationships and mental health.
Whether you are looking to improve your well-being, rebuild intimacy with your partner or overcome addiction, learning how to detox from porn is a powerful step that will help you in becoming a better version of yourself.
Why Detox from Porn?
Detoxing from porn is more than just moral or personal choice. It is a scientifically supported step towards better physical, mental and sexual well-being. Below are some of the negative effects caused by porn on your health,
1. Desensitisation and Numbness
When you watch too much of ‘porn’, your brain gets flooded with dopamine – the feel-good chemical. Every time you watch porn, you get that ‘excitement and sexual arousal’ – this is nothing but dopamine getting secreted in your brain. Dopamine makes you feel ecstatic and stimulated. So, you start chasing that high by watching porn. Over time, your brain gets used to it (you get desensitised) and stops responding the same way. So, you chase more extreme porn– get stimulated – get desensitized again and cycle goes on. A 2014 found out that men who had porn addiction had less grey matter in the reward part of their brain.
2. Difficulty with Real-Life Intimacy
You find it hard to get the dopamine hits from the mundane life and real relationships. So, you don’t get any pleasure from any of your hobbies or even from good intimacy with your partner.
Also, porn often shows extreme and unrealistic intimacy between partners. Over time, this messes up your understanding of real sex and relationships.
3. Causes Sexual Performance Problems
Believe it or not – today many men are suffering from erectile dysfunction caused by watching too much porn. When your brain gets used to artificial and unrealistic relationships, it finds the real relationships boring and not so exciting. This is sometimes called as Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction (PIED). A 2016 noted that some men couldn’t perform sexually without porn.
4. Anxiety, Depression and Emotional Numbness
A lot of people who struggle with porn, report feeling anxious, depressed and emotionally numb. That’s because your brain feels overwhelmed and experiences withdrawal symptoms whenever you are not watching porn. You may even feel ashamed and stuck in a cycle you can’t break.
5. Poor Focus, Brain Fog and Lower Productivity
Porn gives your brain – a fast and intense reward. But real-life things – like studying, reading or working are less exciting. So, you lose focus and your attention span.
How to Detox from Porn? 6 Ways to Detox
If you want a detox from porn – don’t worry! There are ways to overcome your urges and take control of your life again. Here are the 6 effects ways to detox,
1. Block Access
Use adult content blockers like BlockP on your phone and laptop that block all the explicit websites on all browsers. If you block them, it is harder to access them in moments of weakness.
2. Identify Your Triggers
Identify what triggers you to watch porn, boredom? loneliness? Stress? Once you have understood your triggers, you can work on them by replacing them with healthier habits like reading, jogging, listening to music or journaling.
3. Build a New Routine
Build a new routine in your life that you can follow – make a journal about the list of things you are going to do in a day, in the form of a checklist. Every time you complete the checklist, reward yourself with something you love, like a new dress or even a simple chocolate.
4. Track Your Progress and Celebrate Your Small Wins
Every time you achieve your goals – may a 1-week challenge or, 10-day challenge – celebrate your wins. It rewires your brain and creates a new reward system (something which you are craving from porn).
5. Find a Support/Accountability Group
Find a community – online or offline – who are committed to this goal. This makes you feel less alone in your journey and increases the probability of you successfully doing it.
6. Reconnect with Your Friends/ Partner More
People often watch when they don’t have a real connection. So, go out, make new friends, have ambitions, set higher goals, be a loving partner – in other words, make the most out of your life.
How Long Does It Take to Detox from Porn?
One common question asked always is – how long does it takes to detox from porn. The answer is – no one size fits all!
Because everyone has different reasons behind watching porn – for some it is a way to feel an emotional connection, for some it a coping mechanism in loneliness, for some it is for feeling that excitement and so on. Also, the level of porn exposure is different for everyone.
For many people, going on porn detox – first 7 – 14 days is the hardest. This is when you have all the withdrawal symptoms – mood swings, cravings and brain fog. By around 30 days, it gets a lot easier. You might notice improved focus, increased energy and even better sleep.
If you a porn watcher for years, your brain and body might need more days – 90 days or more. That is why many people take 90-days porn detox challenge. It gives the brain enough time to rewire and start responding to natural intimacy and rewards.
How can BlockP Help?
Detoxing from porn can be incredibly challenging, especially when your temptations are just a click away. BlockP is a powerful tool that can make your porn detox journey easy and effective. By blocking access to millions of adult websites across all browsers, it removes your triggers. When urges hit, BlockP provides your real-time prompts that help you stay committed and focused on your decision. With this built-in feature on your devices, you can have other creative hobbies and a friend circle who can help you in this detox journey. BlockP is more than just a blocker. It helps you to reset your mind and creates a space where you can truly detox from porn and regain control over your life.
FAQs on How to Detox from Porn?
1. How to detox from porn if I have been addicted for years?
Even if you are addicted for a long time, it is still possible to overcome that addiction. You should fight your urges by removing your triggers and access to adult content on your electronic devices. Replace your habit of watching porn with other healthy mindful activities like exercise, yoga, meditation, or any creative hobbies. Support groups and accountability tools, such as BlockP, can make a significant difference.
2. What is the best way to start a porn detox?
The best and effective way to start a porn detox is by setting a clear goal – such as a 30-day challenge – then removing the triggers using blockers or filters on your device. Find an accountability partner and stay active in fulfilling offline activities.
3. How long does it takes to detox from porn completely?
There is no universal answer! It is different for everyone, though people notice changes within 21 – 90 days. How long does it takes to detox from porn depends on how frequently you used it, the emotional reasons behind the habit and most importantly, consistency of your efforts. You may experience withdrawal symptoms at first, but your focus and motivation will improve with time. So, just keep going!
4. Can I relapse during my detox from porn?
Yes! You can expect relapses, especially early on. But a relapse doesn’t mean a failure. It is a part of the recovery process. Learn from it, adjust your strategy and continue moving forward. Understand that progress is not always linear and learn to celebrate your small wins.
5. Why is it so hard to detox from porn in the digital age?
Porn is more accessible than ever, which makes it harder for anyone struggling with porn addiction. Notifications, ads, and social media can act as triggers. Blocking your triggers is in your hands, which you can easily do with BlockP. If you can do that, it is very easy to overcome porn addiction.