It’s a label we created to explain why someone seemingly can’t stop watching porn.
We needed a way to explain the behavior so we started using the addiction label from drugs and alcohol and applied it to porn.
But it’s not something you’re born with and you don’t catch it like a disease.
It’s a habit that’s been repeated over and over again.
I Know a Lot of People Are Going to Disagree
Now I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me and that’s fine.
We don’t all have to agree with each other.
If calling it addiction works for you, then who am I to question your truth?Think About It From This Perspective
But think about it from this perspective.
If you believe porn addiction is real and you are addicted, how is that going to help you get free of porn?
You’re going to look at the world and yourself through this lens of addiction.
And what that does is limit your ability to get free of it.
You’re going to start saying, “I can’t stop because I’m addicted.” And from that place, you will not stop.
You will always say and believe you can’t stop.
It almost makes no sense to try and quit when you believe you’re addicted.Think of It Like Running a Race
That’s like showing up for a 5K race saying you’re not going to win.
Now, as a former runner, I’ve run 5K races knowing I wasn’t going to win. That wasn’t my goal. My goal was simply to finish.
But quitting porn is different because it’s making your life worse.
And I don’t think you want to quit porn just for a participation trophy.Drop the Label
So if you want to get free of porn and rewire your brain, ask yourself if calling yourself an addict is really going to help you get there.
I think you’ll find it won’t.
So I recommend dropping the label and treating it as a habit instead.
It’s much easier to change a habit than to believe you’re trapped by an identity.
