When Bad Bunny went live for his concert “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí”, millions around the world tuned in. But something else surprising happened that night: Pornhub traffic dropped by 13.4% globally, and in Puerto Rico, it dropped by more than 20%.1
For one night, millions of people chose music, energy, and connection over scrolling through content alone. Maybe that points to what many of us are really craving — not just pleasure, but meaningful stimulation in community, emotion, and rhythm.
It’s fascinating, but it also makes sense. Both music and pornography activate the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine, the chemical responsible for pleasure and motivation.
Pornography, however, can flood the brain with dopamine, sometimes reaching levels up to 250% above baseline and sustaining that surge for hours. Over time, this can desensitize the brain, requiring more extreme or frequent content to feel the same level of satisfaction.2
For some, this pattern isn’t just about sex or pleasure; it’s often a way to escape. Many people who struggle with problematic porn use are coping with loneliness, anxiety, depression, disconnection, and/or trauma.
When Does Porn Use Become Problematic?
Bad Bunny’s ability to hold a global audience for hours reminds us of the power of emotional resonance and human connection — qualities pornography often fails to deliver in healthy ways.
A 2019 study found that 11% of men and 3% of women report feeling addicted to pornography, figures that are likely underreported due to shame or stigma.3 While there’s no official diagnosis for “porn addiction” in the DSM-5, many people experience real distress or consequences from their use.
You might be struggling with problematic porn use if you notice any of these patterns:4
- Feeling unable to stop despite negative consequences
- Using porn to cope with loneliness, boredom, or emotional pain
- Experiencing guilt, shame, or inner conflict about your use or types of porn you are watching (abusive, unethical, or illegal)
- Noticing decreased sexual interest or satisfaction with a partner
- Feeling mentally stimulated but physically disconnected while watching content
- Experiencing “post-porn” symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, or anxiety
If this resonates, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck.
How DBT Therapy Helps Break the Cycle
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an empirically-supported therapeutic approach originally designed to help people manage intense emotions and impulsive behaviors. It’s also been shown to be highly effective for people struggling with compulsive or problematic porn use.
Here’s how DBT can help:
1. Mindfulness
Like being immersed in great music, mindfulness teaches you to stay present. You learn to observe urges and emotions without judgment, giving yourself the chance to respond rather than react.
2. Emotional Regulation
Porn often becomes a quick escape from shame, boredom, and/or disconnection. DBT helps you identify, label, and manage those emotions in sustainable, healthy ways.
3. Distress Tolerance
Pulling through strong urges without acting on them is hard. Distress tolerance skills, like urge surfing, help you ride those waves of discomfort, allowing you to survive them without feeling compelled to act.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness
Porn can sometimes substitute for real connection. DBT can help build bridges with others by teaching you communication, boundary-setting, and vulnerability — foundations of intimate relationships.
From Isolation to Connection
Bad Bunny’s concert gave people a chance to feel alive, connected, and seen, even if only for a night. That’s the kind of feeling therapy can help you recover more deeply and consistently.
If you’ve been caught in a cycle of shame, disconnection, or problematic porn use, you don’t have to face it alone. With support, you can reclaim your emotional life, restore meaningful connection, and find healthier ways to feel pleasure and presence.
Therapy can be the space to help you do that.
1Habib, Y. (2025, September 25). Bad Bunny’s livestream was so big it shifted global Pornhub traffic. We Are Mitú. https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/entertainment/bad-bunny-concert-crashes-pornhub-traffic/
2Buchwald, L. N. (2025, March 11). The hidden cost of pornography: How it shapes your brain and behavior. Manhattan Mental Health Counseling. https://manhattanmentalhealthcounseling.com/the-hidden-cost-of-pornography-how-it-shapes-your-brain-and-behavior/
3Grubbs, J. B., Kraus, S. W., & Perry, S. L. (2019). Self-reported addiction to pornography in a nationally representative sample: The roles of use habits, religiousness, and moral incongruence. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 8(1), 88–93. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.134
4Ince, C., Fontenelle, L. F., Carter, A., Albertella, L., Tiego, J., Chamberlain, S. R., & Rotaru, K. (2023). Clarifying and extending our understanding of problematic pornography use through descriptions of the lived experience. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45459-8
