The powerful compulsion of their urges can make the individuals with porn addiction feel like they’re experiencing an OCD. It is also natural to assume a link between porn and OCD – they both have similar risk factors, and compulsive behaviors also have some similarities.
But what does science say about porn and OCD? Can porn cause ocd? What is the link between OCD and porn addiction?
We have got the answers to all these questions along with insights about treatment options for OCD and porn addiction.
What is OCD?
NIMH defines Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD as a condition marked by uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive and excessive behaviors (compulsions), or both.
The obsessive thoughts create anxiety about a general fear (e.g., contamination by germs or losing things) or an impending event. The individual with OCD feels the urge to do excessive and repetitive behaviors to reduce this anxiety.
What are the 4 types of OCD?
Although technically OCD is not classified into subtypes, the clinical and research context recognizes 4 main types of OCD –
1. Checking OCD
This type of OCD is driven by excessive doubt and a constant need for reassurance.
Individuals with checking OCD keep verifying their door locks or checking their appliances. They fear causing harm or expect a catastrophic event that will result from their negligence. Checking OCD is characterized by distrust of memory and perception.
2. Contamination OCD
Individuals with contamination OCD experience an intense and irrational fear of germs and illness.
The typical behaviors of such individuals include washing hands to the point of skin irritation and compulsive cleaning. In some cases, individuals with this OCD avoid physical contact with others and experience distress in public places.
3. Symmetry and Ordering OCD
Symmetry and ordering OCD induces anxiety in individuals if the objects are not arranged in a particular symmetric order.
These individuals have an overwhelming belief that if things are not arranged ‘just right,’ something bad will happen. People with this OCD often engage in counting rituals and spend an excessive amount of time organizing the objects around them.
4. Intrusive Thoughts OCD
This OCD is also known as Ruminations or ‘Pure O’ OCD. Individuals with this condition experience distressing thoughts or mental images that are persistent and uncontrollable.
These obsessive thoughts are usually about a taboo subject such as sex, violence, or harm. Such thoughts are often in conflict with the individual’s values. Compulsive sexual obsessions and urges fall under the intrusive thoughts OCD category.
What causes OCD?
Clinical research is yet to identify the precise cause of OCD, but a combination of multiple factors are believed to result in its development.
Genetic factor has a strong correlation to OCD and the condition is observed to run in families. Multiple genes involved in development of brain development, neural connectivity, and neurotransmitter systems influence the risk of OCD.
Brain imaging has shown that individuals with OCD have differences in structures of the brain that control behavior and emotional responses. Experiences of childhood trauma, preterm birth, and maternal smoking during pregnancy are also a contributing risk factor for OCD.
OCD and Addiction Links
Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and addiction have several shared risk factors and are frequently observed together. Both Addiction and OCD are characterized by difficulty in resisting the urges and managing behavior.
Genetic factors commonly increase the risk of inheritance of OCD and addiction. Childhood trauma or stressful life events are also common triggers for both conditions. Research has also shown that OCD and addiction involve a similar brain circuitry that controls reward and behavior.
Individuals with OCD often self-medicate with compulsive use of substances or pornography to escape from intrusive thoughts. The temporary relief from anxiety can induce a temporary sense of relief. However, over time, this habit can escalate into a vicious cycle of full-blown addiction.
Can Porn Cause OCD
Current research does not provide a specific causal link between porn and OCD. So, in order to know if can porn cause OCD, we have to examine the link between porn use and the vulnerability of individuals who have pre-existing risk factors for developing OCD.
Porn can become a coping mechanism for alleviating the anxiety-inducing thoughts triggered by the OCD. In such cases, porn consumption is not driven by pleasure or reward but by the pursuit of relief from obsessive thoughts.
For individuals with intrusive thoughts of OCD or sexual obsessions, porn can become a self-medication mechanism. Pornography might be used to temporarily numb out the intrusive sexual thoughts and fantasies. In cases of Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD), individuals might also use pornography to gain assurance about their sexual identity.
Excessive porn consumption can trigger and escalate existing OCD.
Watching pornography can increase feelings of guilt and anxiety. The resulting stress can trigger compulsive behaviors. The more an individual consumes porn, the cycle of distress and compulsive behavior is repeated. So, porn can make someone’s mild OCD blow up into an extreme situation.
Treatment options for addiction and OCD
If an individual has co-occurring OCD and porn addiction, then comprehensive treatment with a combination of psychotherapy and medication becomes necessary.
- CBT, or Cognitive Behavior Therapy, is widely prescribed for the treatment of porn addiction and OCD. CBT helps individuals to identify their negative thought patterns and replace compulsive habits with healthy coping strategies.
- ERP, or Exposure and Response Prevention, is also an effective remedy for OCD and porn addiction. ERP works by gradually exposing individuals to their obsessive triggers and then guiding them to resist their compulsive responses.
- DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, is helpful for emotional regulation. It helps individuals to manage their impulses and the distress of compulsive behaviors.
- SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, might help to increase or regulate serotonin levels, and Clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, might also be useful for porn addiction and OCD.
- Joining 12-step programs such as Porn Addicts Anonymous (PAA), Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA), or online support communities also helps in cases of OCD and porn addiction.
How BlockP helps in Quit Porn Addiction
The instant availability of porn right on our phones and laptops makes quitting porn harder than ever.
During porn addiction recovery, you are going to have moments of temptation. When porn is only a click away, the gap between temptation and gratification is eliminated. So, you are always at risk of acting on your impulse to watch porn and relapse into porn addiction.
BlockP is the best adult content blocker for protecting you from relapses during recovery from porn addiction –
- BlockP uses AI filters to analyze the web pages and Apps on your digital devices as you browse. So, pornographic and explicit content gets filtered in real time, and you are safe from accidental exposure.
- The porn blocker lets you block access to adult entertainment websites. BlockP also lets you set up custom filters for specific keywords that trigger your impulse to watch porn and masturbate.
- BlockP protects you from explicit content in the form of text, images, adn videos. It works on your browsers and also on social media Apps on your phone.
- It prevents unblocking and uninstalling with password protection. BlockP’s filters work even if you are using incognito mode.
- The Whitelist feature of BlockP ensures unrestricted access to websites that you need and the focus mode helps to restrict distracting Apps to boost productivity.
FAQ on OCD and Porn Addiction
1. Is OCD an anxiety disorder?
Historically, the DSM-IV (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) has categorized OCD under anxiety disorders. However, DSM-5-TR, the most recent version, has classified OCD under a new category – “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders”.
This reclassification indicates that OCD is a unique condition with distinct neurobiological and cognitive processes different from anxiety disorders.
2. Can hypersexuality be a symptom of OCD?
Hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) refers to intense sexual urges that result in repetitive sexual behaviors that cause significant distress. Hypersexuality is classified as an impulse control disorder in ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases). However, DSM-5-TR classifies sexual obsessions as a subtype of OCD.
The intrusive and obsessive sexual thoughts can make individuals with OCD get into compulsive sexual habits.
3. Is OCD genetic?
Research has shown strong links between genetics and the development of OCD.
The identification of specific genes involved in OCD is still underway. However, the twin studies and family studies have shown evidence of the genetic predisposition of certain individuals to OCD.