Should I?

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If you would read the link I posted, you would see that the physiological/neurological component is almost identical. The only difference is that alcohol is a substance and sex is not

Damien I've always been rather puzzled and curious about this whole concept of "sexual addiction." It seems to me that it became sort of chic in some psych circles a few years back to use that word "addiction" in numerous non-substance related contexts: gambling addiction, shopping addiction, etc. Personally I think of these things as compulsive behaviors rather than addictions. And admittedly they can be enormously destructive.

But what puzzles me at the moment is that that seems to be the essential conclusion of the link you posted (http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/FSCView.asp?action=preview&coid=133)

In summary, before rushing to the judgment that pornography is addicting, we must take note of the following: So-called sexual addiction may be nothing more than learned behavior that can be unlearned; labels such as "sex addict" may tell us more about society's prejudices and the therapist doing the labeling than the client; scientists who have undertaken scientifically rigorous studies of exposure to sex materials report that despite high levels of exposure to pornography in venues such as the Internet, few negative effects are observed. For the average person the message of violence against women must be present for negative effects to occur. For other forms of pornography the effects are an interaction between personality and exposure to pornography. Professionals who encounter both compulsive and impulsive sexual acting-out behaviors in their patients have experienced too many conceptual problems with the notion of sex addiction to be able to separate their preconceived ideas from whatever pathology they may observe in their patients. This difficulty in communication has fueled so much skepticism among psychiatrists and other mental health professionals regarding the case for including sex addiction as a mental disorder that they have not recognized such a classification.

What am I missing?

What you're missing is the fact that I posted the wrong link. I'll have to see if I can find the one I meant to post. Nonetheless, I appreciate you actually opening it and looking at it. I actually disagree with the conclusions in that link. What he is ignoring is the fact that there is a neurological component to sexual addiction. And this skepticism and lack of communication he speaks of...I've never encountered it before. Anywhere. You can't disregard an entire field of study because of the prejudices or ignorance of some professionals with no training in or understanding of the matter.

Just a layman wondering shit here...Does it matter if there is a neurological addictive response. From the outside it seems certain people have a proclivity to be addicted to certain things. Does that proclivity make the object of the addiction bad?Take gaming. Say a hundred people go in the casino, some 'll win some 'll lose, most probably won't come back for a good long while, if at all. But there's that one guy who's gonna believe that big score is just around the corner and he'll end up losing everything because he's "addicted" to it. The addiction may be clinically real, as in neurological changes, but does that speak to the wiring of the individual brain or quality of activity the individual is participating in? I'm sure the answer lies somewhere in the middle but it seems, to me, that it speaks more to the individual brain than the object of the addiction. Millions of people can look at porn yet only a handful will become "addicted" to any considerable point that it has a bearing on their lives. The same, I would think, is true of shopping, gaming, etc.

I understand what you're saying Scotty, and agree to a point. Think of addictions to food. It's a real addiction for the same reasons. But obviously we can't say "food is bad, you shouldn't eat it." There are also people with sexual addictions whose acting out has nothing to do with pornography. So you're right, the problem is with the addiction, not the "substance"...in these cases. I've also seen that if a person with a sexual addiction who uses pornography compulsively, if they are able to abstain from it, might very likely transfer that addiction to a different substance, like gambling. There is much debate over the idea of an "addictive personality", but the point is that you can't just deal with the object of the addiction. Treatment has to go to the source of the addiction, the compulsive behavior and how to correct it.As for non-addictive use of pornography, much of the research showing negative effects of pornography isn't even speaking of addictions. They are dealing with the effects of continued exposure, but not necessarily addiction.

"They are dealing with the effects of continued exposure, but not necessarily addiction."What are those negative effects? Just personal experiences here... the only one I can think of from my own experience is increasingly more hard core material with time. However, even I, hit a wall of shit that went to far. The result I got bored with it and started reading about cosmology or some such shit. The combination of boredom and time away seemed to alleviate any need of hard core material to get off. After pursuing other interests all it took was a couple of guys kissing or a woman showing the right amount of leg to get me off. In other words the effect was short lived.Keep in mind, I'm speaking only of adults here.

Originally Posted By: OldFolks>>>"They are dealing with the effects of continued exposure, but not necessarily addiction."What are those negative effects? For starters, see post # 328178 above.I think I seem to react to porn now much more the way you describe. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been the case. I'm not sure what made the change.

Can you speak to how these studies account for the fact the people like myself and maybe you should be rapists and all into violence objectifying our partners who's relationships should by all rights be unsuccessful, yet that's not the case. Why aren't we like that? I'm not questioning the potential for pron to have those effects I'm just wondering if it's a true causal relationship.Again using myself which admittedly limits my knowledge greatly(sorry the last few months I lack the anima to research anything) I wonder what in myself allowed me to avoid these deleterious effects that as presented seem such a sure outcome of viewing porn.I spent the first few years of net surfing reading about cars, with a little pron thrown in here and there. Then I got bored. I then spent years ass deep in porn. Hard core shit. Then I got bored. Then I spent years reading about cosmology and science with some porn here and there. Then I got bored. Then I tried to go back to porn it was still, for the most part, boring and I found this place and still occasionally look at some good porn... some not so good.By all rights, given the amount of time and variations of hard core porn I looked at and still do on occasion, I should have a real problem at home. The truth is I've never had any real problems at home even when I spent as much time looking at porn as I do on this site, which is a lot.I'm not saying it's had no effect on me. I know it has, some things it has made me callous to in some ways it has brought some creativity and fun into the bedroom. While many things no longer shock me I don't think porn has in any way made me develop a fetish for what wasn't already there at some level. In some ways it has maybe even broadened my horizons of understanding, though I think that far overstates any value I may have gleaned from seeing Joanie take the strap-on to Chachi. Though it did drive home the point if Chachi likes it and Joanie is packing, who cares if it's taboo.

OK. Thanks Damien.

Originally Posted By: RadFor most people, I think, boredom sets in and porn no longer has much of an excitement value.I can watch it in much the same way as I do any internet snippet, and unless it's a particularly good piece, I get no reaction at all ..... except boredom (been there; done that type of reaction)! \I have the same reaction. When i was younger 13-15 i used to look at porn alot (i wasnt an addict i was just young an intreged like alot of young teens) and i really got off to it. Im 18 now and havent had an interest for a couple years and i get no reaction out of it at all now. I rarely rarely look at porn and could go my whole life without seeing it again and i wouldnt care.

just to be the synical one the only difference between lilies and turds is what society has agreed upon.that being said there maybe only three cases in the history of the world that someone had extreme anxiety from not being able to stare at a pare of tits for a month. also psychological research only exists today because its one of the only things we cant understand, that being ourselves. so until we have competely mapped out all the mechanics and workings of the mind. it will all just be another theory or something cant be disproven yet so its considered fact a good example being that it was once a scientific fact that the earth was flatback on topic the human body is beautiful and porn is just a form of art that is considered vulgar only because society dictates it

oh just to throw it out there would that neurological thing be endorphines if i spelled that right

Endorphins are natural painkillers, always present to some degree, and produced more when there is pain or stress. Opiates, such as morphine or heroin or pethidine, work by mimicking endorphins.I think you are relativising more than the evidence allows, in suggesting that things are good or bad only because society so dictates. There isn't one society but many, and if nearly all societies have agreed across history, that's good evidence there is an absolute reason behind it, even if the reason is a misunderstanding.