Today we're talking about problematic pornography use. I'm Dr. Rena Malik,
urologist and pelvic surgeon, and if you're new here, I make weekly content on urologic health,
bladder health, sexual health, and so much more. If you like what you
see please make sure to subscribe and share this channel with your friends.
as a disclaimer this video is not meant to shame anyone if you're using pornography and it's
enjoyable and it's not causing any negative consequences to your life then there's no harm
in using it however if you're using pornography on a regular basis and getting strong urges to
use it and avoiding normal daily activities like going to work or hanging out with friends maybe
needing more and more pornography to reach climax i feel like you've lost control these are signs
that pornography may be a problem for you also if generally you're feeling frustrated unsatisfied
with life and pornography is the only thing that's bringing you joy or happiness then that's another
sign that you need to really take a look and watch this video for people who have problematic use of
pornography this can have really significant life consequences it can lead to social isolation when
you're spending more and more time watching pornography rather than doing other activities
you can start feeling very lonely it can also lead to decreased productivity in work or school
and in some cases it can lead to increased mental health issues like depression or anxiety
and lastly it can cause problems in your relationships and if you're spending a
lot of money purchasing pornography it can end up being very financially problematic meaning you can
end up spending more money than you have on things like buying pornography
so if you're in this category what are some tips that you can use to help break
the cycle well first and foremost you want to delete all access to pornography that you have
delete all the pornography on your computer on your phone delete the websites make sure you don't
have access to them and find an accountability partner find someone who will keep you honest
in saying did you use it today and you're going to tell them honestly if you did or you didn't
better yet you could also get help from other things like apps blocker x is an application that
can allow you to effectively block apps websites and other things on your devices that give you
access to pornography but the problem with most apps unlike blocker x is that you can delete
them or bypass them yourself but with blocker x you also can choose an accountability partner
that actually is the only person who can allow you to remove that app from your phone or computer
and this app has a community it has over a hundred thousand active community members that are all
trying to overcome their problems with pornography and the app also gives you access to several
courses about how pornography can affect your relationships your sex life and potentially cause
erectile dysfunction ultimately this app increases awareness of the problem and provides concrete
solutions blocker x premium allows you to choose an accountability partner of your choice block
unlimited applications keywords and websites and avoid those annoying advertisements make sure you
check out the link in the pinned comment below the third thing you can do is figure out the cues that
are triggering you to use pornography so take note of what's happening when you get the urge to use
pornography are you depressed are you bored are you sad are you lonely what exactly is causing you
to feel this urge is there something that happens pretty routinely before you go watch pornography
the fourth thing is then identify what happens when you get the urge itself to watch pornography
how does your body feel do you feel kind of tense in your muscles do you feel your heart racing
do you feel very uncomfortable sensation in your chest or your stomach take note of that
feeling that's your urge feeling and once you've really figured out what that urge feeling is
identify it take note of it sometimes it can even help to give it a color or a shape for example you
could say oh it's the purple dinosaur and so whenever you get the urge you're like oh it's
the purple dinosaur you can't fight the urge you just have to acknowledge it know that it's there
and know that it will go away on its own but it's gonna be there and so allow the urge and then let
it pass and as you keep practicing that the urges will get less strong and less bothersome but they
will still certainly be there you will never get away from having urges to do something that your
brain has habituated itself to do and really allow you to overcome this problem and lastly now that
you know what your cues are your triggers are and what happens when you get the urge write those
things down so for example if you feel depressed write down i feel depressed and then i get the
urge and i feel my heart racing and my muscles tense up and then you go watch pornography so
that's your habit loop now you want to break the habit loop so what are you going to do
when you have that cue and that trigger what can you replace with pornography what else gives you
dopamine or joy maybe that's going for a walk maybe that's talking to a friend maybe that's
reading a book or taking a bath or even just doing a quick workout like 20 jumping jacks or
five push-ups and maybe that will help you get a little bit of endorphin rush and avoid the need
to use pornography lastly realize that if you do watch it or if you do give in to the urge don't
beat yourself up be kind to yourself know that things will happen it will not be a straight line
and just keep working at it keep writing those things down keep practicing and eventually you'll
get over it if none of those things work there are other options available to you to go seek help see
a psychologist and they will maybe offer you things like cognitive behavioral therapy or
medications like antidepressants mood stabilizers or naltrexone which is a medication that's used
for other types of dependencies to reduce cravings okay i hope this video was helpful for you thank
you so much for watching as always we want to take care of yourself because you're worth it