The connection between porn addiction and POCD — has anyone else experienced this

Has anyone else experienced both POCD and compulsive porn use together? I started watching porn at 11 and used it compulsively for nearly 20 years — sometimes 2-3 times daily. The POCD intrusive thoughts only started recently and came out of nowhere. Before that it was never an issue. What I've also realized is that I've had intrusive thoughts my entire life but never knew what they were called or that they had a name. It wasn't until recently that I discovered OCD and POCD and finally had words for what I've been experiencing. I'm wondering if the long term compulsive porn use could have triggered or contributed to the POCD developing. Has anyone else experienced this pattern where porn addiction came first and POCD appeared later? Or recognized that you'd had intrusive thoughts your whole life without knowing what they were? Would love to hear from people who have navigated both

yahoojosh

Date posted: 22h

Similar experience of both. For me it was porn use for 15 years which stopped after getting into a relationship. Porn use started before 10. I’m 35 now and just started ERP now because I didn’t recognize they were intrusive thoughts and images either

This2shallpass

Date posted: 19h

I am relieved there is someone else here with a similar experience. How has ERP gone for you?

strugglebusman

Date posted: 16h

I’m currently navigating through all types of sexual intrusive thoughts about sexuality around men children family and even pets. All triggered from a thought while watching porn. Back to struggling really badly as of lately

This2shallpass

Date posted: 16h

@strugglebusman This is what I’ve been dealing with. Until about two weeks ago, it never happened when I watched porn. The thoughts may have always been somewhere in the back of my mind, but when they came up I would question them and ask myself what was going on or whether any of what they were telling me was actually true. Once I convinced myself they weren’t true, I could move on with my day. That changed two weeks ago. While I was watching porn, those thoughts suddenly started turning into vivid images. Since then, it’s been almost impossible to stop thinking about them. For the past two weeks, it’s been a constant mental battle and a real struggle. In nearly 20 years of watching and being addicted that never happened until recently

strugglebusman

Date posted: 16h

@This2shallpass Yeah, I’ve had the same thing. I’m not trying to trigger you by any means and I hope I really don’t but I’ve been experiencing mine for almost a year and a half now. I was having weird thoughts about what if I could be attracted to men. Along with having sexual thoughts on top of them. Then a intrusive thought while watching porn caused me to orgasm, which caused me to spiral and live in a deep dark depression for a while now. I’m still struggling and trying to learn how to get out of this. Was on and off medication and tried ketamine therapy which helped me tremendously get out of the hole. I was in, but now I’m right back in it. Again, sorry if I trigger you, but everybody’s story is different and at the end of the day, it’s just OCD trying to trick us into believing what it wants.

This2shallpass

Date posted: 15h

@strugglebusman You didn’t trigger me, if anything it assured me that I wasn’t the only person ever to experience this. So thank you for sharing your experience.

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