Drug Addiction vs. Porn addiction. What is worse

From an so’s point of view- porn/sex addiction is so much worse. It changes how you view people, you see them as objects to be bought and used. This seeps into all aspects of your life but you don’t even realize it because your “ high” leaves u in a delusional fog that hides reality. You damage yourself physically but don’t realize it because it’s so normalized to jerk off to porn. You can access it for free at any time, so unlimited use. I would rather be married to a drug addict or alcoholic than a porn/sex addict. At least with drugs and alcohol the recovery rate is far higher than this addiction.

 

I think it's impossible to compare. Drug effects are very subjective and personal to each person. Porn effects also are, so you are comparing two variables from two different universes that share few things in common.

 

Sexy/porn much easier to acquire than drugs. Harder to get therapy for since its not even listed by the APA as a “certified” addiction. Is often viewed as “not a real addiction” (“WOW that’s an addiction I wish I had! You can’t be addicted to porn!). Not nearly as many sex addiction therapists as drug addiction. With drug addiction, you can make a lot of headway by removing the substance/detoxing. How do you do that with a natural function hardwired to your brain???

Recovery time for sex addiction much longer and intense.

 

I think the big issues with porn addiction is one it can totally mess up your sexual functioning, causing PIED, and this is very difficult to reverse. Then two porn is linked to probably the most natural response within us, reproducing.

Porn and artificial sexual stimulation is now at a level it is unlimited, it's unlimited sexual novelty. So guys get stuck in a situation where they are seeking this stuff on a very frequent basis.

With drug addiction, particularly with powerful very addictive drugs, the withdrawal from these can be very bad, causing severe mental and psychical health issues, even potentially causing death, depending on what the substance is you are withdrawing from.

So I feel like trying to stop these things are much worse initially than what it is when trying to stop porn. The withdrawal can be severe ext. But what I find is people generally come through the worst of this within a few weeks, maybe a month, and then they go on to live a more normal life again.

Where as when it comes to trying to cure PIED, this just seems to be something that is seriously difficult to cure, the length of time this can take to cure just seems to be obscene.

Like I said the drug addicts life is starting to look more normal again after a few weeks or months after stopping the drug. Where as the porn addict who manages to stop porn still continues to go on for months, even years still having issues with PIED, and most guys probably always eventually return to porn and artificial sexual stimulation at some point, because it's linked to the most powerful natural response, sex, reproducing, and there is unlimited sexual novelty on the internet, so it is very difficult to reach a stage where we can stop seeking this stuff altogether.

 

With a sexual addiction (to the "O"), you carry the "drug" around on your person all the time--there's no such option as throwing it away, hiding it, or getting away from it. If one is married, it is a necessary part of maintaining a healthy relationship. It's a bit like a food addiction--one must have some, or starve, so "moderation" takes the place of quitting "cold turkey." And that's hard. It seems easier to my mind to quit something entirely.

But what do I know? I've never been addicted to anything else except chocolate. And I quit that one cold turkey.

I'd like to hear from those who have tried drugs for their take on this. Ignoring other factors, which addiction has withdrawal symptoms that are more difficult to manage?

 

I think on the debate of drug/porn addiction is something that can't really be compared, because it is highly anecdotal.

For me I consider porn addiction to be the worse, yet I have never been addicted to drugs (besides nicotine in past), however, for others a drug addiction is completely debilitating and something that they can die from. Porn isn't DIRECTLY lethal, but drug addiction can be.

That's why I am casting my vote as they're equally as bad because both eat and destroy our souls.

One person's hell is just as worse as someone else's.

 

Drug Addiction. It is the monster of them all, destroying lives and families more powerfully than other addictions, and then thanking you for your patronage by killing you.

But that’s not the point. Porn addiction is real and highly destructive, and I’m not going to get far consoling myself with: “Hey, things could be worse. At least I’m not a Drug Addict!”

I think we can apply stuff from drug addiction programs to our own struggles, though, so comparisons are valuable.

 

i quit smoking but found porn cessation the worst.

 

Ive been addicted to Weed and alcohol in the past and PMO is much harder to stop. At least for me. Although in terms of which is worse im not sure

 

I dont think labelling yourself an "addict" of anything is helpful. Im a recovered alcoholic, i was on a path of absolute self destruction for 20 years, my life was a total mess. As i was walking to the bar, again, knowing i really shouldnt do it, i would think "well, im an alcoholic, i have no power over this, this is not a choice, its a compulsion deep within me that i have no control over (ie an addict)...so ill go and get shitfaced again. SO, labelling myself an addict permitted the drinking. Then one day i thought, no, that cant be right because Mon - Wed, i choose not to drink (i was a weekend binge drinker). That was the turning point. I stopped identifying as an addict and took responsibility for my decisions and stopped feeding myself the "im an addict therefore i have no power over this" line. And i quit drinking within a week.
My point is - be careful whether you label yourself an addict because that essentially gives you the green light. It tells you you dont have a choice - and that is not true. There may be very strong factors making the choice very difficult, but ultimately it is a choice, whether you pmo, gamble etc...so labelling yourself an addict robs you of the ability to choose not to do something, and thats not right - you ALWAYS have the freedom to choose.

 

I don't think you can compare.

They are both horrible, but in different ways.

You can't overdose on porn. You can overdose on heroin and it will straight up kill you.

Porn though is really terrible because people don't take it seriously like people take drug addiction, so if you try and get help, you face a real risk of being judged or not taken seriously.

 

Porn addiction might don't kill you, except people dying from heartaches in front of their screens but this is pretty little amount, not common. Drugs affects in a more chemical way, it can be dangerous but it can't easily accessible. Porn is easily accessible, it won't kill you probably but it makes the life very miserable for a porn addict. Both of them, if you are not sober, you don't have a real life. That's why as a porn addict, I cast my votes equally as bad.