Do you know that your playful and flirtatious chats with your online friend could transition to sexting and may become an addiction? Sexting or rather cybersex, is the exchange of explicit texts, voice notes, pictures or videos over a media platform.
Modern hookups engage in this strategy to satisfy their distant clients. Even couples who are in long distance relationships utilize the option of sexting to temporarily address their sexual cravings.
At the start, sexting or cybersex could be a go-to option for those who are sex-starved or in need of immediate gratification – it provides temporary satisfaction. But in the long run, what started as a mere “hi sexy” could become so addictive, leading to very serious consequences.
And with the availability of mobile devices, sexting has become so rampant, even among teenagers. Worsening the matter, there are a lot of sexually explicit materials scattered over the digital space which can be assessed in the twinkle of an eye.
Breaking out from the claws of sexting addiction could be so challenging as victims seek to experience once again the initial high pleasure they had in the beginning. This search for a pleasurable experience better than the former, keeps the addicts in a cycle and renders them helpless.
However, thinking of how to stop sexting addiction is already a sign that a victim is getting tired of the consequences of sexting or cybersex addiction. With this, we have identified 8 proven tips on how to stop sexting addiction. These tips would lead you out from your sexting addiction and help you reposition your mind to a goal-oriented one.
How to stop sexting addiction: 8 straightforward tips
Understand that the process of stopping sexting addiction is similar to the process of stopping sex addiction, as the two addictions are very similar.
Just like stopping sexual addiction, it requires persistence, time, support from professionals and a busy mind to break free from the shackles of sexting addiction. To get you started, here are 10 tips you must work with.
1. Acknowledge your addiction and its risks
Without admitting you’re at the verge of slipping into the risks of sexting addiction, leaving it might be difficult. Acknowledge that you’ve gotten addicted to sexting and the risks have immense consequences.
Understand that this addiction would delay your personal growth, widen your sexual urge and make them unattainable, distract you from your goals, alienate you from family and friends, and set unrealistic expectations for your future partner.
Acknowledging these dangers would put your mind in the right frame to fight back against sexting addiction.
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2. Uninstall the sexting apps or deploy app blockers
How to stop sexting addiction has a lot to do with the messaging apps in your device. Get the dating apps or sexting apps uninstalled from your device and deploy app blockers if you must use the app for another purpose.
This implies that your screen time would be limited on a daily basis, to ensure you wouldn’t have time to wander into sexting when you have a task to complete.
3. Delete the contacts of your sexting partners
Deleting or deploying app blockers may not be enough if your sexting partners are still in your contact list, friends list or followers.
Because if they’re around, their pictures, status updates might elicit another “hi sexy.” To shut yourself off from these distractions, deleting them from your contact list remains inevitable.
4. Keep your phone away from you when you want to sleep
Bedtime is the most comfortable time for sexting or cybersex and naturally, your mind would search for options to ease the day’s stress. If you have your phone around you, within a matter of a few scrolls, you’d be thinking about sexting already.
To avoid this situation, keep your phone away from you when you want to sleep. Even if you might need it later, the stress of standing up to pick it would deter you. This is a great idea on how to stop sexting addiction.
5. Engage in physical activities
Boredom is the primary cause of sexting addiction and to stop sexting addiction, you must address your boredom.
Start by getting yourself engaged in physical activities like exercise, sports, jogging and other outdoor activities, to reduce the time you spend alone. With active involvement from physical activities, you’d discover another resourceful means to burn out your energy and end boredom instead of resorting to sexting.
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6. Talk to your friends and family about it
There is a chance that one of your friends or your family member might have gone through sexting addiction and would be in a better place to advise you on how to get over the addiction.
Tell them about how you feel and your desire to end the addiction. Friends and family can be very helpful in such a scenario, by understanding your plight and offering you their unconditional support.
In addition, you should spend most of your time with your friends and family especially when you’re not engaged in any physical activity. This would further diminish the time you spend alone and ultimately reduce your time for sexting.
7. Explore romantic relationship
How to stop sexting addiction is by getting yourself a romantic partner very close to you. Someone who could show you affection, love and fulfill your intimate desires.
This tip is very necessary because lack of romantic partners has been identified as the major trigger to sexting addiction. As you tend to fill the vacuum created by a significant other, through sexting.
8. Seek professional help
Sexting addiction is very severe just like other addictions – drugs, sex, alcohol addictions. As such, similar measures should be applied also.
Seeking the help of a professional is very important, especially when the brain has gotten obsessed with it. Though the above tips on how to stop sexting addiction are very helpful, an expert would give you a better road map and the needed guidance.
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Wrapping up
How to stop sexting addiction should be taken seriously if you find yourself in the claws of sexting or cybersex addiction. This kind of addiction is built on the desire to be loved and sexual satisfaction, hence it appears to be solving a problem – while creating a bigger problem.
Sexting offers only immediate gratification, which becomes a problem in the long run as the mind begins to search for a better gratification than the initial one.
How to stop sexting addiction begins with your acknowledgement of the problem and its attendant risks, uninstalling dating apps from your devices, spending more time with friends and engaging in outdoor activities, and seeking guidance from a professional.