I’m Kayla, and I’m going to be honest. Porn had a grip on my nights. It was a quiet habit that got loud in my head. I wanted a switch I could flip. I tried a lot of things. Then I tried hypnosis. I didn’t think it would work. Weird, right? But I was tired and curious. So I gave it a fair shot.
My Messy Starting Point
My triggers were simple and sneaky:
- Late-night scrolling on my phone
- Work stress around 4 p.m.
- Feeling bored or lonely on weekends
I’d promise myself I’d stop. Then I’d slip. Then I’d feel shame. That made the next day harder. You know what? Shame is heavy. It makes you want to hide. And hiding feeds the loop.
Why Hypnosis?
Two reasons. Time and energy. I was already doing therapy. It helped. But I needed something I could use on the spot. A tool for the “oh no, here it comes” moment. I’d heard hypnosis could calm urges and give you a mental anchor. Turns out there’s some research behind the hype—a small pilot study on mindfulness-based relapse prevention for compulsive sexual behavior found significant drops in problematic porn use after just eight weeks. I rolled my eyes at first. Then I said, fine, let’s see. Seeing how the industry intentionally engineers endless novelty—something I learned by browsing the analyses on Wild Porn Reviews—also motivated me to look for deeper fixes like hypnosis.
Reading another first-person breakdown of how hypnosis sessions can play out really demystified the process for me, so I bookmarked this detailed hypnosis-for-porn-addiction diary for courage.
What I Actually Used
I tried two things for a full month:
-
A real hypnotherapist
I did three sessions, one per week. Each was about 60 minutes. Cost was $150 per session. She was certified and kind, which helped me relax. No pocket watch. No weird stage tricks. Just a quiet room and a comfy chair. -
A self-hypnosis app (Reveri)
I did their “urge control” and “habits” sessions. About 10–15 minutes each. I used them right before bed and again during my 4 p.m. slump. I also tried Hypnobox for sleep. It felt cheesy at first. Then less cheesy.
If you want to geek out on the bigger picture, the American Hypnosis Association hosts a library of hypnosis-and-addiction studies (including work on internet addiction) that convinced me the method isn’t just smoke and mirrors.
What a Session Felt Like
The therapist had me breathe slow. She counted. My eyes felt heavy. My hands felt warm, like I was holding a mug. I was awake the whole time. Just calm. She gave me simple phrases. Stuff like:
- “Notice the urge as a wave. Waves rise and fall.”
- “Use your anchor word when the urge shows up.”
- “See the urge slide past like a car. You don’t have to get in.”
We picked an anchor word: “Switch.” When I said it, I pictured a dimmer in my chest going down. Sounds silly. But it stuck. My brain loves a picture.
On the app, it was a similar flow. Calm breath. Guided words. A cue. Sometimes I felt a strong drop in tension. Other times, not so much. It wasn’t magic. It was practice.
Two Real Moments That Changed Things
Moment one: Thursday, 10:23 p.m.
I was alone. Phone in hand. That familiar itch. I felt the pull. I whispered, “Switch.” I pictured the dimmer sliding down. I did a 4-count inhale, 6-count exhale. Twice. The urge didn’t vanish. But it softened, like a radio turned low. I put on socks (weird trick—signal to your brain that you’re “up,” not “down”). I made tea. I went to sleep. I woke up proud and a little shocked.
Moment two: Tuesday, 4:12 p.m.
Stress spike. My email was a mess. I wanted a quick hit. I grabbed my headphones and played a 12-minute Reveri session. My boss pinged me mid-way. I ignored it and finished the track. After, the urge felt… boring. Not scary, not loud. Just there. I did my next task and forgot about it. That felt new.
Did I Slip? Yep. Here’s What I Did After
Week two, I relapsed on a Saturday night. Old path, same couch. I felt that hot shame right away. I almost quit the whole hypnosis thing. But Sunday morning, I did a session. I wrote down what happened. Trigger: lonely + tired + phone nearby. New plan: no phone in bedroom for 30 days; Kindle only. I used the anchor word three times that week. No slips. That bounce-back felt huge.
What Changed Over 30 Days
- Urges dropped in intensity by maybe half. Not gone. Just softer.
- I slept faster. Less scrolling before bed.
- My focus at work got better. Fewer “lost” minutes.
- I felt less gross shame. More “Okay, I see you, urge.”
- My partner said I seemed lighter. I think she meant less snappy.
I also stacked a few tools:
- Freedom app on my laptop from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Phone in the kitchen at night
- Short walk after dinner (10 minutes, nothing big)
- Streaks app to track my “no porn” days, with a reset if needed
Hypnosis didn’t replace my other tools. It helped them land. Mapping my own milestones against this week-by-week porn-recovery timeline helped me see that progress rarely looks linear—and that was reassuring.
What I Didn’t Like
- Cost: $150 a session added up fast.
- Some scripts felt corny. If I was cranky, they annoyed me.
- Results dipped during high stress. I had to repeat sessions.
- It’s not a fix. It’s a skill. If I skipped it, the old pull got louder again.
- Apps can feel same-y after a week. I had to switch tracks.
Little Tips That Helped Me
- Use headphones. Sounds silly, but it blocks the world out.
- Keep an anchor word. One word, one picture. Use it fast.
- Pair hypnosis with a tiny action. Tea. Socks. A short walk.
- Do one session at the same time each day. I liked 9:30 p.m.
- Write down one win per night. Even a small one.
I also discovered that swapping late-night scrolling for a quick dose of genuine intimacy helped keep my phone habit from sliding back into porn. Tossing your partner a playful, bedside text can scratch the connection itch without tripping old triggers, and this roundup of sexting messages for him before bed is packed with sweet-to-spicy ideas you can copy, tweak, and send in under a minute—perfect when you need a flirty sign-off that nudges the night toward real closeness instead of pixels.
Live near Florida's Atlantic coast? Redirecting your late-night energy toward meeting real people can break the isolation loop even faster. The updated classifieds at Backpage Port Orange let you browse verified local dating ads and community events in minutes, giving you a concrete, real-world plan that pulls you away from the porn scroll and toward face-to-face connection.
If you’re a spiritual person, pairing mental techniques with something reflective like a simple prayer routine aimed at porn addiction can add another layer of calm.
One more thing: I told a friend. Not the full story. Just, “Hey, I’m working on my screen habits at night.” He checked in on Thursdays. That nudge kept me honest.
Who I Think This Helps
- If your urges feel loud but not out of control
- If you want a calm tool you can use in minutes
- If you like guided audio and don’t mind a routine
Who may need more than this:
- If porn is blowing up your life and you feel stuck every day
- If there’s deep trauma or heavy depression in the mix
I still think a good therapist is worth it. Hypnosis can sit next to that. Not in front of it.
My Verdict
Hypnosis wasn’t fireworks. It was more like a new gear for my brain. A lower gear. I could slow down and steer. It took me from white-knuckle “don’t do it” to steady “I can ride this out.”
Score from me: 7.5 out of 10
Would I keep using it? Yes, as a support tool. I’ll do one longer session weekly and quick tracks on hard days. I’ll keep my anchor word. And I’m staying strict with no phone in bed. Winter nights are cozy and tricky