Are You Addicted To Struggle Porn?

We already know traditional pornography is dangerous. Watching porn changes the way our minds are wired and gives us an unhealthy view of sex. There’s even more issues with porn than I can list.

Men, especially, struggle with porn. The allure of a beautiful woman. The fantasies that get to play out in front of you. And the lust of the heart. These can be so hard to resist but we must.

Woman leaning against a wall with her head down

Photo by Eric Ward

Be careful of porn. Porn is dangerous. It destroys lives and relationships. There’s another kind of porn that destroys lives as well.

This porn is what I like to call Struggle Porn.

What Is Struggle Porn?

Struggle porn is a growing problem for leaders and entrepreneurs. Struggle porn has recently crept into our lives because of masterful copywriters and their knowledge of what draws people in.

Take a look at social media influencers. Or maybe it’s the latest business book. Struggle porn is prevalent in the self-help, personal improvement, and the entrepreneur world.

Struggle porn is the constant failing and sharing of the failure.

I’ve seen multiple people who have struggled the same way for years. Each year they have a new take on their struggle on how they overcame it. Then they relapse.

One example is an entrepreneur who had fallen into debt because he failed to pay his taxes. He had a tax debt of $20,000. He struggled through the challenge and came out on top. Freed from the weight of tax debt, he was now helping others become free.

But… next year he was in the same position. He failed to pay his taxes again. This time, the amount was $30,000.

Reading his struggle became an addiction to his followers. He learned by sharing his struggles, he could rope people in just like traditional porn.

Struggle porn is dangerous. Struggle porn will leave you wanting for more. Struggle porn will make you think there’s something wrong with you. And struggle porn will leave you going down a deep, dark hole.

How To Break Free From Struggle Porn In Your Life

Realize you’re addicted:

Do you find yourself repeatedly attracted to the same story of struggle and challenge? Do you find yourself longing to be able to share a similar story? If you find yourself dreaming of this, you may be addicted to struggle porn.

Like any other issue in life, recognizing your addiction is the first step in solving your problem.

Don’t be afraid to admit to your addiction. You’re not alone. Not by a long shot.

By admitting you have a problem, you’ve taken the first step to free yourself from its ugly grip.

Set clear boundaries:

The next step you need to do is to set clear boundaries. Boundaries help you from stepping into dangerous situations. Boundaries aren’t to hurt you. They are to help you.

You need to set clear boundaries for the content you’re going to continue to consume. You will need to know what is okay and what is not okay.

Set clear boundaries by unsubscribing from content providers that are sending struggle porn. You can also ask your friends to help you by asking you questions to see if you’ve crossed the boundaries you’ve set. You might have to go as far as to block certain senders or content producers on YouTube so you’re not able to visit their struggle porn collection.

Get accountability in your life:

I hate the term “accountability group” but the term fits. We need people in our lives we can be accountable to. We need groups of people we can ask for help.

Find a group of people who are willing to hold you to your new standards. These can be other business leaders, entrepreneurs, church members, or coworkers. These people will be the ones who have your back when you stumble but are also willing to tell you that you’ve done wrong.

Accountability groups will help you kick the habit of struggle porn. You can do it!

Call out struggle porn:

This is going to be the hardest thing you will do. You and I need to start calling out struggle porn.

When we noticed someone is displaying struggle porn, be willing to step up and speak out. Your voice will begin to help others realize the damaging effect of struggle porn. They’ll also begin to realize they’re being manipulated into feeling a specific way and how dirty it makes them feel.

It’s okay to call out unhealthy habits. Don’t be afraid of what others will say. Be willing to do what is right. Call struggle porn out for what it is.

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