Pornography And Depression
Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 19, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Pornography is seen by some to discover sexuality, improve connection, or release tension.
  • These can range from increasing sexual closeness to self-exploration and even boredom.
  • Even though it is a taboo and contentious topic, consuming pornography has been linked to a number of health benefits.
Reading time: 11 min

Pornography is seen by some to discover sexuality, improve connection, or release tension. Have you ever thought if this practice could contribute to depressive symptoms? Pornographic content is consumed for a variety of reasons. These can range from increasing sexual closeness to self-exploration and even boredom.

Even though it is a taboo and contentious topic, consuming pornography has been linked to a number of health benefits. According to research published in the journal Sociology, pornography can be instructional for some people. Another study from Carnegie Mellon University found that watching porn reduces adult males’ stress reactions.

However, the mental health consequences of watching porn are not confined to this. Pornography consumption has been associated with increases in depressive symptoms in other studies.

People may suffer unpleasant physical, psychological, or spiritual effects as a result of their sexual cravings, attitudes, or practices, like pornography consumption, according to AASECT.

However, there is currently insufficient data to support the claim that watching pornography might cause depression. Yet, research has discovered some correlations between the two.

For example, according to a 2019 study of 507 women and 250 men, depression appears to increase the likelihood of developing a troublesome connection with pornography. (source: NIMH, 2024)

This was true only for those who used pornography to escape negative emotions and for women who had sexual problems as a result of using pornography.

Excessive pornography consumption was linked to an elevated risk of depression in both males and females, according to a 2019 study.

How prone someone is to develop depression as a result of or in conjunction with pornography use appears to be influenced by how frequently they consume it and how long they are exposed to it.

For instance, according to a 2017 study of 582 senior male students, 14.6 percent of those who consumed pornography more than 3 times per week had depression, compared to 2.8 percent of those who used pornographic material less than thrice per week.

According to the same study, people who began using pornography in elementary school, junior high school, college, or university reported depression rates of 11.7 percent, 7.1 percent, 4.9 percent, and 5.9 percent, respectively. (source: WHO, 2023)

Individuals who ethically oppose pornography are more likely to regard their engagement with it as addictive and to experience sexual shame, which can contribute to high levels of depression.

There appears to be a link between problematic pornography usage and:

  • Isolation
  • Anxiousness
  • Headaches
  • Narcissistic behavior
  • Neurotic Tendencies
  • Lower Pleasure With Life, Sexuality, And Relationships

Emptiness or loneliness, losing interest in things that you previously loved, and a general sense of hopelessness are all feelings many casual porn viewers are familiar with. We would not wish these depressing emotions on anyone after a night of porn, but regular porn users’ practices make them vulnerable to these bad and painful side effects on a daily basis.

The pornographic industry would like us to presume that its product will make everyone happy, pleased, and knowledgeable about sex and relationships, but it really deprives users of love, intimacy, and true connection. That is just heartbreaking.

Some of the harmful effects of pornography on your mental health are: (source: APA, 2023)

Escalating Despair

Pornography, like other addictive drugs, masks emotions of pain, isolation, and even a sense of inadequacy for a short time while also raising the risk of making those same issues even worse in the long run. This is understandable, given that other self-medicating drugs can both fuel and lead to depression, making it difficult to determine which comes first: feeling depressed or pornography.

It’s difficult to keep the larger picture of things in mind when pornography offers instant pleasure, but continue battling and opt for alternate strategies to lift yourself up, such as taking up a beneficial pastime or joining a healthy community.

Increased Isolation

Do you believe that porn will help you feel closer to others? Consider the following situation. (source: NIDA, 2024)

Some people turn to pornography in times of isolation and loneliness because they believe it will make them feel less alienated and detached, but this is repetitive thinking. Keeping a porn addiction hidden can lead to the consumer withdrawing psychologically from their relations and feeling crippled by shame. As a result, there is more loneliness, which is fed by porn, which in turn fuels more isolation.

Relationships Are Harmed

Porn consumption is a guaranteed method to sabotage important romantic and non-romantic relationships. When partners of porn users discover that their partners are spending their alone time being stimulated by manicured strangers on a screen, they usually feel deceived. And, because pornography portrays a distorted view of relationships and sex, a regular habit can contribute to unrealistic standards and feelings of failure.

Trust and self-esteem issues can also harm a relationship, and while they can mend with time, it’s always better to avoid suffering in the first place, right?

Intimacy Problems (source: SAMHSA, 2024)

Porn can somehow boost intimacy between you and your lover, according to a popular fallacy in our sex-obsessed world.

Pornography, in essence, can sabotage the actual, strong connection that is required in relationships in order to express closeness with one another. Users who were subjected to soft-core sexually explicit content were shown to be much less satisfied with their partner’s appearance and sexual function, according to studies. Even casual viewing of porn might cause people to lose interest in their significant other. What makes that sexy or relationship-enhancing?

Loveless Industry

There are a few prerequisites for building and implementing true love, such as an emotional bond with another person.

Porn undermines the actual aspect of partnerships with synthetic, violent depictions of fake love, and false connection. Consumers are led to assume that airbrushed beauty is superior to the true beauty of loving relationships because of pornography. The most depressing aspect? Executives in the industry couldn’t care less. Massive quantities of traffic continue to flood the pornographic industry’s websites. People will continue to manufacture misleading, violent depictions of sex and love as long as they believe the deadly illusion that “porn is cool.” (source: FindTreatment.gov, 2025)

You may escape definite heartbreak whether you’re in a relationship or not by avoiding porn. The heartache from actual relationships might be worthwhile, but heartbreak from pornography is never. Choose what is genuine—true love.

There is no solid evidence that depression can contribute to pornography addiction on a widespread scale.

In reality, the AASECT does not consider pornography addiction to be a mental illness.

Only one possible Internet-related addiction is presently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA): online gaming. The American Psychological Association considered including pornography addiction as a category of hypersexual illness, but it was not included in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

However, neuroscientific research suggests that online porn addictions have the same foundation and basic principles as substance addiction. (source: AASECT, n.d.)

Indeed, several studies indicated that when compulsive pornography users were exposed to erotic images, their activity patterns in the brain were comparable to those of patients with alcohol abuse disorder who viewed alcohol ads.

Another study, on the other hand, suggests that it is not the case.

Some preliminary and small-scale research has also revealed that when people are depressed, they are more likely to participate in pornography, particularly men.

For instance, according to a 2017 study, males with depression are more likely to use pornography as a coping mechanism, even if they morally condemn it.

In addition, a new study reveals that returning male U.S. soldiers who are depressed are more likely to engage in problematic pornography use. (source: ICD-11 (WHO), 2024)

According to certain studies, depression can alter how somebody views or perceives their usage of porn in a negative way.

In a 2018 study, depression and loneliness were discovered to be the underlying mechanisms that regulated how internet behaviors like pornography consumption altered satisfaction with life.

Differences in gender and sex appear to have an impact on the effects of erotic exposure. Porn usage may have some positive consequences for women.

According to a 2020 study, women who watched pornography on a regular basis were more likely to have various beneficial outcomes related to the content, including:

  • Having an easier time being aroused
  • It’s easier to have an orgasm now.
  • Masturbation gives you more pleasure.
  • Increasing the number of masturbation bouts that culminate in orgasm

Some may feel that women’s usage of pornography has a negative impact on their relationship satisfaction, however, the study found that watching porn had no effect on their relationship quality or physical relationships with partners. It appears to help with masturbating but has no effect on depression. (source: Kraus et al., 2018)

These findings are fascinating since more women than ever before are seeing pornography. Women made up only 14 percent of online porn consumers in 2002, but by 2013, that number had more than doubled to 33 percent.

For men, the effects vary based on their moral standpoint on pornography. Men who believe that pornography is ethically reprehensible yet still watch it are more likely to suffer from depression. This link could be due to sentiments of guilt and shame associated with certain behaviors.

Here are some of the telltale signs that pornography has had a negative impact on a person’s life:

  • Instead of interacting with others, people prefer to isolate themselves and watch porn.
  • They are unhappy with the demeanor of their companion.
  • All through the day, they are concerned with sexual ideas, and they can’t wait to check what fresh sights have been added to their favorite porn site.
  • They consider sex to be merely a physical act with no emotional attachment.
  • They take greater chances and may begin looking for porn at work or when they are worried that their partner will catch them.
  • People are becoming more objectified as a result of their actions.
  • They may develop a desire to engage in various sexual acts or may progress to carrying out what they see in porn with other individuals.

Someone who is suffering from serious symptoms of a pornography addiction may benefit from a term of residential or inpatient treatment at a treatment facility. This approach allows patients to focus only on rehabilitation by removing pressures from the outside world. These types of programs usually last anywhere from 28 and 90 days, with some therapies lasting longer.

Here are several possibilities: (source: Grubbs et al., 2019)

Individual therapy: It is advised since becoming aware of stressors and learning healthy ways to manage them can be quite beneficial. Other treatment modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), are frequently accessible.

Group Therapy: Patients can meet with others who are dealing with similar concerns and discover coping skills to assist them to conquer the day-to-day obstacles of pornography addiction in group therapy. Such groups are frequently offered, but if a client has social anxiety or is suffering from severe depression, it may be a more difficult effort on their behalf.

Medication in addition to therapy: If an underlying mental health problem like depression or anxiety disorder is present, medication may be used in addition to psychotherapy and behavioral approaches.

Irrespective of care level, porn addiction therapy focuses on:

  • Assessment and evaluation of the condition
  • Recognizing addiction and mental health difficulties
  • Resolving root causes influencing addiction
  • Improving relationships and communication
  • Examining healthy coping mechanisms to limit pornographic use
  • Making a relapse prevention strategy

FAQs

What Neurochemical Changes Occur In The Brain When Your Watch Porn?

Diet, water, and sex are all-natural responses for the brain. The brain responds to a satisfying meal or a satisfying sexual experience by producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Dopamine helps us remember things. When dopamine is released, the body knows when and how it happened, allowing the feeling of the pleasurable experience to be repeated.
The issue with porn is that it can abuse this natural pleasure. To get the desired level of dopamine, people may need to watch pornography more frequently, for longer periods of time, or with more controversial content. Addictions and other repetitive activities are examples of this. The brain adapts to the effects of alcohol by drinking more or more strong alcohol to get the same results. Reduced dopamine activity in the brain may affect symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The Article

+

About This Article

+

Do you need help?

Sister Topics

Anxiety And Erectile Dysfunction Autism And Sex Depression And Erectile Dysfunction Exhibitionism Heavy Threads: Remnants of Sexual Abuse Hypersexual Disorder Hypersexuality And Trauma Love Avoidance Love Bombing Low Sex Drive Obsessive Love Disorder Orgasm And Depression Pedophilia Premature Ejaculation Sex, Love & Porn Addiction Sexual Frustration Symptoms Sexual Masochism Disorder Sexual Performance Anxiety Sexual Trauma Stress And Erectile Dysfunction What is Obsessive Love Disorder