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Anarcho-Hypnotist

Did you know that porn addiction isn't a thing?

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wo

"If the concept of pornography addiction were true, then porn-related problems would go up, regardless of morality, as porn use goes up. But the researchers didn’t find that. In fact, they cite numerous studies showing that even feeling like you struggle to control your porn use doesn’t actually predict more porn use. What that means is that the people who report great anguish over controlling their porn use aren’t actually using more porn; they just feel worse about it.

Having moral conflict over your porn use (PPMI) does turn out to be bad for you. But that's not because of the porn. Instead, higher levels of moral conflict over porn use predict higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and diminished sexual well-being, as well as religious and spiritual struggles. In one study by Perry and Whitehead, pornography use predicted depression over a period of six years, but only in men who disapproved of porn use. Continuing to use porn when you believe that it is bad is harmful. Believing that you are addicted to porn and telling yourself that you're unable to control your porn use hurts your well-being. It's not the porn, but the unresolved, unexamined moral conflict."

TL;DR: Porn addiction isn't a thing, and if you feel harmed by it, you can get help but you're not addicted to porn, you just have something else going on.

Enjoy being horny and enjoying yourself, just know that porn isn't inherently addictive like heroin.

EDIT: I don't know how to say that I'm using heroin as a *metaphor* for how *prudes and conservatives* use view both drugs and pornography. That they are both the same in their eyes, not mine. They don't rally around gambling being a vice as much as natural existence.

5 comments
Elizafox

@q If you're looking it up in inappropriate places (what many also think of as "porn addiction"), that's an impulse control problem, not an addiction.

Cy

> Did you know that porn addiction isn't a thing?

Unit Autumn

@q
thank you so much for sharing this, it makes perfect sense and i appreciate knowing the research consensus…. yet another thing my religious upbringing and trauma got completely wrong >>

Toni :v_big: :v_bi: :v_ach: :v_pat:

@q It's almost as if purity culture is the problem and enjoying "naughty" content is perfectly natural.

Orange Lantern

@q@mastodon.triggerphra.se Not surprising. It's always a very specific type coming forward talking about their "porn addiction". It's like "oh no, I'm not really watching porn, I'm too pure and christian for that, but I got curious once and caught in a vicious cycle of addiction beyond my control. Pls believe me." ​:neofox_bottom:​

Yeah, right. C'mon. Just enjoy your porn.

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