Alex's Answer

Hi and welcome to Ask Alex. 

We know that it can be a difficult thing to reach out and talk about what’s going on for you, but we feel that this can be a really helpful thing for young people to do, so thank you and well done for taking the first step. 

It sounds like you think you may be addicted to porn and want to stop but feel that you can’t. 

First of all, since we are discussing porn, it’s helpful to remember that it is not a realistic representation of sex, and this can sometimes influence how we view ourselves, other people and our relationships. You can read more on this point here: https://www.childline.ie/the-truth-about-online-pornography/  

Secondly, when you say you have a porn addiction, we understand an addiction as being a behaviour that becomes hard to control, even though there are often negative consequences. A person who is addicted has a strong urge to do the thing they are addicted to and might even feel like it is taking over their life. If you have a look at following websites and articles – www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/; www.spunout.ie/mental-health/getting-help/problem-with-porn – you can find out more information and advice on how to recognise whether you have an addiction to pornography. If you feel you are addicted, we understand that this must be a really difficult feeling to manage and can have a great impact on your life. 

Have you tried to set yourself some achievable targets, such as limiting times or how often you watch porn? You could also try to use some distraction techniques, like chatting to your friends or going out for a walk? As with any addiction or wellness concern, you have the right to seek the appropriate medical and/or psychological help.  

We also feel that chatting to someone about it can help. Have you a trusted adult that you could speak to, to tell them how your feeling? This could be a family member or a youth worker.  You could also reach out to us here at Childline (phone 1800 66 66 66, text 50101 or online chat) where we could chat a bit more about this.  We offer a free non-judgemental listening service, available 24 hours a day.   

We hope you have found this helpful and look forward to chatting to you, 

Alex