Pornography can become addictive to some in the same way as addictive substances. Those with a pornography addiction may view pornography as the means to escape from reality, and often neglect other areas of their lives. A porn addict may use porn as a mechanism to escape from the feelings and emotions that they do not want to feel, in a sense a way to numb oneself from reality as porn is voyeuristic fantasy sex. Porn addiction is progressive, and the addict often seeks more explicit and graphic material as time goes on due to the gradual desensitization over long term exposure that we see in all other forms of addiction. This may lead to addicts accessing illegal material to get the same rush they once had at the early stage of exposure. This escalation in behaviour can create problems for the addict and those around them. Often individuals struggle to stop on their own, and choose to seek pornography addiction treatment which includes accountability software attached to the technology used to access pornography.
The consequences of pornography addiction can result in anxiety, depression and a general lack of motivation. These aspects can easily be misdiagnosed as other forms of mental health disorders while simply symptomatic to what we see in porn addiction. Porn addiction can cause sexual disfunction and a lack of interest in sex. Furthermore, an addict may withdraw from an intimate partner and disassociate from their relationships. Excessive pornography use can also cause an individual to avoid intimate relationships in the form of sexual anorexia.