What can be done to decrease attraction towards pornography?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 26-year-old male, and I have been suffering from a very critical disease. I feel tense, stay in fear of a simple matter, my heartbeat grows fast, and I am always in doubt about all of my work, especially my religious work like praying. Let me give you an example, if I pray, I feel like my prayer is not accepted. When I walk on the road, I see one thing many times, and it happens always. If I read anything, then I repeat one word many times, although I have already read it. I always have doubts in my mind, although people tell me to trust them. My mind always feels sorrow. I cannot laugh at all as tension overcomes me, so I cannot be happy. I stay abroad from home and work in another country, and I am still unmarried. I have an attraction to pornography and girls to have sex. But I do not do it actually but I want to do it. I think about this kind of thing if I see any girl or any photo. Please help me.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

The symptoms you have mentioned, like doubts that your prayers are not accepted, and other things, like seeing things and words repeatedly even when you are aware that it is wrong. These symptoms are probably occurring due to obsessive-compulsive anxiety. Obsessions are unwanted intrusive, purposeless thoughts that are distressing. As these thoughts are resulting in impairment of your functioning, so I suggest you take a visit to a psychiatrist. Behavior therapy like thought stopping, exposure, response prevention, etc. have great efficacy in controlling these thoughts. If needed SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) drugs like Fluoxetine can be used for rapid response.

Thank you.