Porn addiction may hamper your relationship

Do you love watching porn in alone time?

You may need to stop it, as a study finds, self-proclaimed porn addicts may struggle to maintain a romantic relationship as they feel unworthy about themselves to go on dates.

According to researchers, perceiving yourself as a porn addict can make you more anxious about starting and continuing a relationship.

"Those that believe themselves to have a problem with pornography start to believe they are undesirable as a romantic partner or "damaged goods" in the dating market," said Study author Nathan Leonhardt from Brigham Young University in Utah.

"Ironically, if they actually have a problem controlling pornography use and are trying to stop, this isolation and secrecy are some of the most counterproductive ways to stop uncontrollable use," Leonhardt added.

The study, published in Journal of Sex Research, analysed 350 men and 336 women, reports Mail Online

The found that self-proclaimed porn addicts were more likely to agree with statements including 'I feel unworthy to go on dates because of my pornography use,' 'I stop dating when I am using pornography,' and 'I have withheld details about my pornography use because I am afraid my partner will react negatively.'

The findings also indicated that religious porn users were more likely to describe their habit as addictive, regardless of how often they used it.

"One reason we think this is happening is because religious individuals, who are often told pornography is morally wrong, are more likely to experience negative emotions like depression and shame from pornography use," Leonhardt noted.

Merely thinking about sex can make men and women more open and outgoing.