Porn Addiction Test

Think about the last 6 months and pick the answer that fits best. Nobody sees this but you, so be honest. Your answers are scored in your browser and never leave your device. This self-check is for adults (18+).

1.I thought about porn when I was trying to focus on something else.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

2.I watched porn for longer than I meant to.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

3.I used porn to escape stress, boredom, loneliness or a bad mood.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

4.I needed more time, or more intense or novel material, to get the same effect.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

5.I tried to cut down or stop, and couldn't stick to it.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

6.I felt restless, irritable or anxious when I couldn't watch.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

7.I put off or skipped work, study, sleep or other responsibilities to watch porn.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

8.Porn got in the way of my relationship, my sex life or my interest in real intimacy.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

9.I kept watching even though I could see it was causing problems in my life.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

10.I watched in places or situations where it was risky, like at work or where I could be caught.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

11.I hid how much I watch, or lied about it.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

12.I kept watching even when I wasn't really enjoying it anymore.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very often

0 of 12 answered See my result

What your score means

Each answer scores 0 to 4, so your total lands between 0 and 48. The bands are a guide, not a clinical cutoff.

Pay the most attention to three questions: watching longer than you meant to, trying to stop and failing, and carrying on despite problems. Loss of control is the real marker, more than any total.

How this test works

The 12 questions cover the things clinicians actually look for in behavioural addictions:

• Preoccupation: porn taking up headspace when you're trying to do something else.
• Mood management: using it to escape stress, boredom or loneliness.
• Tolerance: needing more time or more extreme material for the same effect.
• Loss of control: watching longer than planned, and failed attempts to stop.
• Withdrawal: feeling restless or irritable when you can't watch.
• Consequences: work, sleep, relationships and risk-taking.

Let's be straight about the limits. This is our own self-check, not a validated clinical instrument. Researchers use scales like the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale (PPCS) and the Brief Pornography Screen (BPS), and a therapist may use one of those with you. Only a qualified professional can diagnose anything.

Is porn addiction real?

The label is debated. The problem isn't.

"Porn addiction" isn't a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5. But the World Health Organization's ICD-11 includes Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder: a pattern of failing to control sexual urges, over six months or more, that causes real distress or damage to your life. Compulsive porn use is the most common form it takes.

Here's what most people get wrong: it's not about how much you watch. Frequency alone is a poor predictor. What matters is whether you can stop when you want to, and what it's costing you.

Guilt isn't the same as addiction

You'll notice this test never asks if you feel guilty or ashamed. That's deliberate.

Studies keep finding that people who morally disapprove of porn often rate themselves as "addicted" even when their use is low and under control. The guilt is real, and it's worth dealing with. But it's a values conflict, not a compulsion, and the fix is different.

So we score control and consequences instead. If you scored low but still feel awful about watching, that's worth talking through with someone you trust, not proof that you're an addict.

Common signs your porn use is a problem

• You've promised yourself you'd stop, more than once, and didn't.
• Sessions run far longer than you planned.
• You need more extreme or more novel content than you used to.
• You're losing sleep, missing deadlines or showing up late because of it.
• Real intimacy feels less interesting, or harder, than it used to.
• You hide it, and you'd be mortified if someone saw your history.
• You watch when you don't even want to, and feel flat afterwards.

We go deeper on each of these in signs of porn addiction.

What to do after the test

Want this built for you? The Quit Porn Plan Generator turns your triggers into a step-by-step plan, and the Trigger Tracker shows you when you're most at risk.

For the long version, read how to quit porn addiction and our roundup of porn addiction recovery apps.

Frequently Asked Questions