A 22-year-old Mormon and former porn addict has revealed how he used to watch X-rated videos obsessively for three hours a day before seeking help for his addiction.

Joshua Peters, from Massachusetts, spent seven years of his life utterly addicted to watching porn after being introduced to it by his friends when he was just 11 years old.

The former addict, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attends Brigham Young University-Idaho - a University affiliated with the religious organization - is now in recovery for his addiction.

Recovering: Joshua Peters, 22, from Massachusetts was addicted to watching porn for seven years after being introduced to it when he was 11-years-old

A long journey: By the time he was 12-years-old ( left) Joshua, was obsessively watching porn. The now-22-year-old is a Mormon, and can be seen holding the book of Mormon (right)

Joshua was first introduced to porn by his friends when he was just 11-years-old.

When his peers were using terms that he wasn't aware of, Joshua felt silly for not understanding what they meant.

He began looking up different terms online to try and understand them better, and thus his porn addiction began.

Joshua said: 'I first became aware of porn when I was 11 years old and my friends were talking about some very explicit terms which I didn’t know about.

'After hearing them talking about it, I felt dumb for not knowing anything.

'So, I went online to look up the words and I found out what it was all about. That was the beginning of it all,' he explained.

After a year or so, what started out as a harmless act soon developed into an addiction as Joshua got into a routine of watching porn every day, for anywhere between an hour and a half to three hours.

Watching porn obsessively affected Joshua’s moods, restricted what he would do with his friends and even caused the breakdown of his first relationship.

'At around 12-years-old it really took off and it became a daily thing I had to do. When I was that young, I knew it was bad in some way, but I didn’t know why.

'Perhaps it was because of how secretly my friends talked about it or even because of how my family raised me.

He added: 'I was the cute kid who covered his eyes during kissing scenes in films, yet here I was stumbling onto naked people having sex.'

The 22-year-old said at the height of his addiction, he was 'consuming [porn] dozens of times throughout the day, coupled with masturbation as well.

'I would say I watched porn between an hour and a half to three hours a day.

Support: The 22-year-old told his parents about his addiction when he was 13-years-old and his parents, Pacha (center) and Fabiola (center right) were looking through his computer

Family: Joshua's motivation for recovering from his addiction includes his dream of one day having a family of his own. Joshua pictured above with his two brothers Caleb and Andrew

He added: 'It affected my mood, the way I treated my family and even the things that I chose to do with my friends.

'I watched all different types of porn, ranging from regular soft porn to BDSM, which in my opinion, is the type of pornography that inspires sexual assault.

The photographer came clean about his addiction when he was 13 and his parents were trying to find something on his computer.

Joshua said: 'I freaked out and I told them what I’d been consuming. If they were going to find out what I was doing then it was going to be from me, not some browsing history.'

Joshua knew he had to turn his life around when his addiction to porn was restricting his life, controlling his mind and warping his perception of his relationships.

I watched all different types of porn, ranging from regular porn to BDSM... It affected my mood and the way I treated my family

The key driving forces motivating Joshua’s recovery from addiction were his religion and his dream of starting his own family, like the solid family unit he grew up in.

He told EastIdahoNews.com in an interview that he and his parents, Pacha and Fabiola, went to talk to a religious counselor about the problem.

'We went to talk to a religious counselor, and I met with local religious leaders.

'I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,' he said.

Joshua added that the reason he beat his addiction was through his 'heavenly father'. He added: 'I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior.'

Both pornography and masturbation are frowned upon by the religious organization.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website includes an entire section devoted to addressing pornography problems and giving help to those affected.

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, American scientist and religious leader Richard G. Scott said that sexual intimacy outside the bonds of marriage is a sin.

The quote read: 'Any sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact with the sacred, private parts of another’s body, with or without clothing—is a sin and is forbidden by God.'

Time for change: When he turned 18, Joshua (pictured right during a summer cruise this year) decided it was time to regain the control over his life that porn had taken away from him

Brotherly love: Joshua and his brother Andrew (left) pictured on a road trip in Angels Landing in Utah

Spreading awareness: A snippet from the poetry video Joshua and his friend Coleman Anderton created shows Joshua kissing an actress (right) who played the part of his first ever girlfriend who he dated when he was 16-years-old

He said: 'I love my family very much and my dream is to have a family like my parents made. That goal was, and still is, the driving influence behind my desire to beat porn addiction.

'My religious belief has helped me because I participated in a faith-based 12 step program where a lot relies on a higher power. But I do believe that addiction can be beaten through non-faith practices and beliefs, it was just what helped me.

'Either way, you have to think bigger than yourself. Whether it’s doing it for religion, a spouse, a family, your kids or even the community you live in.

'For me it was my future family, God and also myself,' he added.

When he was 18, Joshua decided to regain the control over his life that he’d lost to his addiction, driven by the hope to be more outgoing once again, see his friends and one day start his own family.

Joshua, along with his friend Coleman Anderton, created a poetry video to show people the truth behind porn addiction, which garnered 45,000 views in just two weeks.

Joshua explained: 'It talks about my first relationship which I had when I was 16 and she was amazing and such a wonderful person.

'It was cute, and I was able to be romantic for the first time, and we were each other’s first kisses. Unfortunately, she didn’t know I was still watching pornography a lot.

'In my poem I describe how sweet kisses soon became nothing unless I felt the same way I felt while watching porn. The relationship fell apart for a variety of reasons but most of the effects were in my own thoughts.

Proud: Joshua pictured looking happy with his parents Fabiola (right) and Pacha (left) after successfully beating his porn addiction

Family love: Joshua pictured recently at his friend Johnathon's (middle) wedding alongside his father Pacha (left) and mother Fabiola (center right)

He added: 'At the end of the day, she didn’t feel special and loved around me, and I attribute her feelings to the problem I had at the time. That really hurt, and I blamed myself for it.'

Joshua said that as he grew older, he began to understand better what was happening to his thoughts and the day he was beginning to view women.

Strength: Joshua explained that the hardest part of his recovery is trying not to relapse

He explained that the hardest part of his recovery is not relapsing.

'I always have to be on my toes and recognize when I have those urges. The urges become less common the longer I stay clean, but they never truly leave.

'The addiction is literally done in darkness and when you’re alone. Other addictions might mean you consume around other people, but with porn you are most likely going to be on your own.

'There aren’t enough people out there who want to spark the conversation about porn addiction, or who are even aware of it. Proof of that lies in how much money the porn industry brings in.

'Porn isn’t something that you can justify having in your life. It affects relationships and the industry is messed up.

'It’s a pointless past time and it engenders an environment that says sexual assault is okay and men and women are merely objects used for physical satisfaction.

Joshua added: 'Sexual education is okay in a variety of forms, but the pornography industry is only in it for the money and it capitalizes on the hormone-inducing emotions we feel.'