Experts share 6 tricks to spot if you happen to’re porn addicted after Ore Oduba reveals battle
Experts have shared six tips to know if you’re hooked on porn after Ore Oduba bravely revealed his long 30-year struggle giving hope to help fellow porn addicts
The TV and radio presenter Ore Oduba, best known for winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, has spoken publicly for the first time about his battle with porn addiction.
Opening up on Paul C Brunson’s ‘We Need To Talk’ podcast, the 39-year-old media star revealed how he discovered porn at nine. The addiction then “destroyed” his life in the following three decades. “A year-and-a-half ago I was able to escape an addiction that had dogged me for nearly 30 years,” Oduba told the podcast host.
“It had been destroying my life from the inside out, but it was the thing from a very early age that I was running to as a response to a lot of the trauma.” Stigma surrounds the addiction, he explained.
“I became a master masker. I had to keep it quiet,” said Oduba. “This is the problem with this form of addiction that even I could understand at 10… It’s so shameful.”
But the dad-of-two broke his silence to help guide his own children and others who may be struggling.
Porn addiction still largely remains a taboo and widely misunderstood. But experts can help us know when we’re in trouble and need to seek help.
“In today’s digital age, access to pornography has never been easier,” says Alex Warden, an addiction therapist who supports patients at Priory Hospital Chelmsford.
“For some people, it remains a casual activity, but for others, it can develop into a compulsive behaviour that affects their mental health, relationships and overall wellbeing.
“Porn addiction refers to a compulsive or uncontrollable urge to view pornography, even when it leads to negative consequences.”
Paula Hall, accredited BACP sex and relationship psychotherapist and founder of Pivotal Recovery, agrees and adds that it’s often referred to as a spectrum disorder.
“At one end it’s recreational causing no problems at all, then there’s more problematic usage in the middle, and then you have addictive or compulsive usage right on the other end of the spectrum,” explains Hall.
So what are some common signs of a porn addiction to look out for?
It’s not necessarily about how often someone watches porn, but rather about how it impacts their life, explains Warden.
“When viewing becomes a coping mechanism for stress, loneliness, or low mood – and begins to interfere with relationships, work, or self-esteem – it may indicate an addiction pattern,” he says.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
