ADHD and Porn : What is the connection?

Over the last few years, I have been using IFS or Internal Family Systems to help people with stop using cannabis, alcohol, and porn. The trauma focused approach has been compelling for me as therapist. I am increasingly convinced that addiction starts off as an unhealthy coping mechanism to a deeper problem. Eventually the negative consequences of the addiction become a problem themselves, but the heart of the problem is pain.

I have noticed a startling pattern. Almost every person I help with compulsive porn use is diagnosed or could be diagnosed with ADHD. So much so, that I have now started screening people seeking this kind of support for ADHD.

Studies on this have showed a strong correlation between ADHD and substance use disorder and other behavioral compulsions like compulsive use of pornography. The correlation is not as strong as I see in my practice, but one therapist does not make a proper study.

This article in the PsyPost reports one study found that 67% of the people in treatment for hypersexuality had ADHD symptoms.  They found the correlation much strong in men.

Another study found that about ¼ of the hypersexual men seeking treatment were ADHD, and the vast majority of them met the criteria for the inattentive, not the hyperactive subtype of ADHD.

How come there is a strong connection between ADHD and porn?

One common factor in ADHD is deficit in impulse control. For the ADHD brain the present is so much bigger than the future. The common ability to stop, pause and think about the long-term consequences is impaired in the ADHD brain. Which results in more risk taking of all types. Often unwanted pornography use does not become a problem until someone is in relationship with someone with a partner who equates with cheating or finds it invalidating.

Another factor is many people with ADHD have shame or trauma from being misunderstood and harshly treated childhood. They might have been told that they are lazy, messy, undisciplined, or they do not care when they struggle to get things done, remember important dates or do not keep their room organized. Academics can be struggle as well as relationships. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to blame yourself for just not being better. Pornography helps people cope with that distress.

Rejection sensitive dysphoria

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is term used to the describe the intense emotional pain trigged by rejection is it is common for people with ADHD. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is not an officially recognized diagnosis, but it is gaining in recognition. It is associated with the impaired emotional regulation that comes with ADHD.

ADHD causes problems in relationships resulting in rejection. That rejection hurts, so people withdraw or mask their true feelings. They become disconnected from themselves and others, and eventually a deep inner loneliness develops. The more we mask we become less able to take in the love that we are given. It appears pornography scratches the itch of loneliness better than substances of other compulsive behaviors.

Less dopamine

One aspect of life with ADHD is a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine. We often hear about dopamine as a reward, but dopamine is not the same as pleasure. It helps your brain notice cues, get ready to act, and learn which actions lead to rewards. There are fast bursts of dopamine that signal “this is important now” and slower background levels that keep you generally alert and motivated.

People with ADHD often have lower and less steady background dopamine in brain areas that help with planning and self-control. That makes it hard to stay interested in tasks that are boring or slow to pay off. The brain then relies more on sudden, strong dopamine spikes from exciting or new things to feel engaged.

Lower steady dopamine makes people with ADHD chase quick, high‑intensity rewards like games, social media, or porn because those give big, fast dopamine hits. When a task does not give an obvious, immediate payoff, motivation drops and it is hard to start or keep working.

Less dopamine means your brain does not have the same ability to pause and weigh long‑term consequences. That leads to more impulsive choices that favor immediate rewards over goals that pay off later.

Which means that there is not as much motivation to pursue low-stimulation tasks. Pornographic imagery can be very compelling, particularly for men. It provides rapid, easily accessible, novel, low-cost rewards. It provides stimulation that many people with ADHD crave. Excessive use can then cause tolerance to build requiring more porn to get the same pleasure and it starts to reduce the motivation for other rewarding activities in life. This can then further entrench the desire to use porn.

Does ADHD medication help?

ADHD medication might help. There are no studies that specifically studied compulsive sexual behaviour and the impact of ADHD stimulant medication, but there is solid evidence that the medication does reduce impulsive behaviours. To the extent that the medication helps improve functioning it would then reduce the stress and shame of problems that come up relationships, work, and family life.

There are other non-medical activities and supplements that can help with ADHD, like proper diet, sleep, nutrition, meditation, and even cold plunges.

One reason might be that pornography addiction or sex addiction is not recognized as a disorder in the DSM-5, the current authority that defines disorders in North America. Sex addiction or porn addiction is referred to as a Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder, as defined by the World Health Organization.

Impacts other than ADHD and porn

If ADHD is present is unmanaged through therapy or medication chances, are it causing other problems in life. It can show up in the following areas:

• Work and education — Missed deadlines, poor follow‑through on long projects, frequent job changes, underperformance despite ability.

• Time management and organization — Chronic lateness, losing things, messy or chaotic systems, difficulty planning multi‑step tasks.
• Relationships and communication — Interrupting, seeming inattentive, missed commitments, conflict from perceived unreliability.
• Impulsivity and risky behaviour — Impulsive spending, risky driving, acting on urges that harm relationships or finances.
• Mental health and wellbeing — High rates of comorbid depression, anxiety, low frustration tolerance, and damaged self‑esteem from repeated failures.
• Everyday functioning and independence — Trouble paying bills, managing household tasks, and sustaining routines needed for independent living.

Summary

ADHD and compulsive pornography use often feed into each other. People with ADHD can struggle with impulse control, strong emotional pain, and a need for intense stimulation. Problems like trouble resisting urges, being extra sensitive to rejection, and feelings of shame or loneliness can make someone more likely to use porn to cope. Porn offers quick, novel rewards, so it can easily become a habit that makes those problems worse. Treating both the ADHD and the compulsive behavior with therapy, medication, and understanding helps break the cycle and improves relationships, daily functioning, and overall well‑being.