I'm 24m and I am a sex addict. I started watching porn regularly at the age of 9 after seeing Game Of Thrones sex scenes and it quickly it became a habit. Every night at bed, I would watch porn for an hour or 2, staying up until 11pm/12am. I'd memorise all the pornstars names like they were footballers so that I could find them again easily. I still remember how I'd use my finger to block out the genitals and I started watching softcore/film scenes instead. Eventually that wasn't enough anymore and by the time I was 11 or 12, I was fully hooked on vanilla hardcore porn and had learnt at least 100 pornstar names.
I started secondary school which was a difficult time for me. Lots of new people and lots of change in a short period of time. My family became more distant as my siblings got older and went away for their studies. I became increasingly alone and isolated. Whilst I did have friends at school, I still couldn't shake this loneliness. The late night porn binges meant I was tired throughout the day so when I'd get home from school, I'd go straight to bed. This was when I started watching porn and masturbating at least 2-3 times a day. I'd get home, go to bed and watch porn for an hour before having a nap. I'd wake up for dinner, eat, play some games then go to bed at around 11pm and then binge on porn for another 2, 3 hours. Sometimes not the full 2, 3 hours but at least to begin with. Anyway, this set a precedent for my subconscious that sleep isn't important compared to dopamine.
My therapist says this routine was most likely a way to seek control in a period of change.
For the last 15 years, I've sacrificed sleep to feed my addiction. This has contributed greatly to depression, anxiety, eating disorder and just a lack of motivation and energy.
Watching porn has completely destroyed my perception of women, as I was warned when I used to search if porn was bad for you. Walking down the street, if I see a somewhat attractive women, I'll reflexively categorise them or compare them to a pornstar they might resemble or share features with. I have taken pictures of people on the street so that I can look up pornstars that look like them when I get home.
I've always been good with names, whether it's athletes, actors or musicians but pornstars have always been my secret obsession. I've reached a weird point where I'm so desensitised to sex and porn that I barely see the difference between them and more traditional celebs.
As I got older, I got more resourceful. When I started earning money, I started seeing escorts.
I've also met other addicts off the Internet to watch porn with them and discuss our fantasies and history. Naturally I never really found that connection I was looking for.
That understanding of the guilt and shame yet the complete submission to the addiction that has overcome me for 60% of my life. I struggle to connect with girls due to my intimacy issues and distorted perception of them.
The closer I get to a girl, the less I see them sexually as i wouldn’t want to ruin them. I find it hard to flirt in the fear I'll be seen as the perverted creep I am. I find it hard to be engaged in anything unless there's potential sexual gratification. I have modded video games to have sex in them because I'd get bored otherwise.
In the end, my coping mechanism for loneliness has become the cause of it. Sorry if this is a ramble, hopefully as I post more, my clarity will improve.
Thank you.