Porn Addiction. Truth, Reality and Hope for Addicts and Partners > 자유게시판

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For many years the debate on porn was centered around the notion that succumbing to the temptation of porn signified some kind of moral failing.
From a religious/Christian point of view, it was a question of sinfulness. A sign that one has allowed oneself to become infected with one or more of the seven supposed deadliest of sins, lust and/or gluttony. Or, from a feminist point of view, porn is seen as the vile exploitation of women as sexual, one-dimensional objects with no humanity other than form.

Yet as Naomi Wolf points out in her article, The Porn Myth, in actuality the end result of too much exposure to pornography has had the effect, not of turning men into sexually ravenous beasts, but the complete opposite; sexual and emotional anorexics who can no longer relate authentically to a real life woman or get aroused by one.
As it turns out, excessive viewing of pornography in this digital age turns men off, not on.

As numerous studies now show, repetitive and compulsive viewing of internet porn by men (and a growing number of women) induces the opposite effect than one might expect, and just like a person who is addicted to a substance grows increasingly desensitized to the drug whilst continuing to crave it more and more, a person who is addicted to pornography finds he/she ends up on pretty much the same, well trodden treadmill.

Intensely wanting something that can no longer provide the temporary relief and stimulation it once did.

Recent research implies that internet pornography is as addictive as certain drugs and affects the brain the same way. But, porn's special hook is that it taps into that human need for attachment, connection and belonging even more than addictive substances by adding into the mix hormones that are normally associated with bonding, love and connection. In effect, a porn addict becomes more attached to porn than anything or anyone else in their life.

As a consequence, relationships, marriages, work and soon enough, the relationship with the self begins to suffer.

Porn addiction, like any addiction goes through stages - however, unlike most other addictions, the physical effects of porn addiction are virtually invisible, and the psychological and emotional effects are quite subtle, at first.
In-fact, many porn addicts may seek treatment for a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and OCD, as well as physical ailments, stress, other addictions and finally dysfunctional sexual performance before anyone thinks to ask about their porn viewing habits.

But more and more studies clearly link issues related to sexual performance, including erectile dysfunction in men in their late teens and early twenties, (something that was almost unheard of 10 - 15 years ago) back to extensive viewing of internet porn. It is only when they can no longer get an erection, or ejaculate even with porn that some men start to make the connection between their excessive viewing of porn and other issues in their life.

Often this is the only thing that eventually get's their attention. (Their partners, if they have partners, may have known for some time that something was happening, or rather... not happening!)

This sorry state of affairs is bad news for both porn addicts and partners of porn addicts.
Many who spend night after night lying in bed next to a partner that never seems to be 'in the mood' for sex. The result can be devastating to marriages, relationships and the self-esteem of both parties. The secretive nature of most men's porn addiction may also mean that some partners may not know that they are in a relationship with a porn addict or even if they are aware of their partner's porn habit, they may not make the connection at first either.

Or they may not know the extent of their partner's porn viewing. The damage this causes relationships is thus far immeasurable. One site states that 56% of divorces in the U.S. involve one party having an obsessive interest in pornography, among other staggering statistics.

So, is the news all bad?
Well, no. Latest brain research shows that the brain is actually very flexible and malleable, kind of like plasticine. In-fact the term for the way the brain can change itself, based on what is experienced, is called neuroplasticity. This is good news as the same way you get yourself into a sticky situation is largely the same way to get yourself out of it.

While the allure of internet porn may have lost its charm many clicks ago, the habit that it has created will be hard to break. Hard, but not impossible. For men who have lost the ability to relate to women, emotionally and physically, and for partners of addicts there seems little alternative, other than to dissolve the relationship, which let's face it, is fairly likely.

It can't be much fun to be in a relationship with a porn addict. However, chances are that if you leave a relationship with one porn addict, you are more than likely to run into another just as addicted, or on his way to being so, seeing as in America at least, sex addiction (which porn addiction is a form of) has reached epidemic status, according to a 2011 News Week article.

So, how do you beat a porn addiction and reverse its effects on the brain? Well the answer is simple, if not easy and this is simply to stop it.

Stop all contact with porn and masturbating to porn and give your brain a chance to rewire itself and re-learn, or memek rediscover what comes naturally.

That is the only solution. I did say it was simple, but not easy. Recovering from porn addiction (for addicts and/or partners) takes time, courage and commitment and it is not easy to do without support.
There are some very good websites now that can assist, (which I shall list below in the resources) but the assistance of a therapist who is aware of the nature of porn and sex addiction, one who will take it seriously can be fundamental to long lasting recovery.

At least, having a close friend or understanding partner (if that is possible) that you know and trust is also important. The reason for this is that porn and sex addiction most likely mask other issues. Issues such as fear of intimacy, abandonment fears, attachment disorders, and perhaps even trauma.

Once the defence of porn has left the building, then there is nothing to protect your unconscious defences and chances are some deeply buried emotional wounds may re-open.

It's important to be aware of this possibility as many who try to 're-boot' as it is called on websites such as Your Brain on Porn and Fight the New Drug often try many times and fail because they are inadequately prepared or lack support.

If you are experiencing porn addiction or are the partner of a porn addict, seek help from a qualified therapist and/or see some of the websites listed below fo