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What exactly qualifies as "porn addiction"?

Discussion in 'Porn Addiction' started by lukeman3000, Oct 29, 2020.

  1. lukeman3000

    lukeman3000 Fapstronaut

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    I have read a lot about porn addiction and such but I still don't feel like I have a concept of what exactly it is.

    For example, it is not uncommon for me to use porn once daily, usually in the morning for 15-20 minutes. It's not an everyday affair but I would say it is usually at least 4-5 days out of the week.

    Does this constitute addiction? Why or why not?

    If not, could this degree of usage still potentially contribute to symptoms such as lethargy, brain fog, low drive/motivation, lack of interest in pursuing relationships with women, etc.?

    I have been struggling with what I can only describe as chronic fatigue and these other issues for at least 3 years now. The fatigue is the worst. Getting through a day at work can sometimes literally be a challenge, and I have virtually no energy to exercise or do anything actually productive.

    Is it possible that my porn usage as described above could be responsible for this? Or would it have to be substantially greater and/or more frequent to account for such things?
     
  2. kropo82

    kropo82 Fapstronaut

    This is the layman's definition I use of 'addiction':
    1. Something you do is causing harm.
    2. You sincerely try to stop doing it, but
    3. You find that you cannot stop.
     
    OhWhenThe and lukeman3000 like this.
  3. lukeman3000

    lukeman3000 Fapstronaut

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    Good answers from everyone.

    I should also note that the porn I view would likely be considered quite vanilla by most standards. We're talking POV bj, pretty much exclusively. I have viewed the same kind of porn for years, and I've never felt compelled to escalate in any way.

    But it has been a habit that I've had for probably around 18 years, and something I've participated in with regularity. Anyways, I was just curious if there was anything in literature out there which might speak to this kind of usage or perhaps a "lighter" form of porn addiction (if such a thing exists), and what kind of symptoms it can cause and such. But I agree that the best way to find out is to simply experiment.
     
    CC887 likes this.
  4. IR254

    IR254 Fapstronaut

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    Addiction is not really about how often or how long you use. It's mainly about an inability to stop despite negative consequences.
     
    mouton1998 likes this.
  5. Reverent

    Reverent Fapstronaut

    A lighter form would be called sexual compulsions. Or problematic sexual behaviors.

    We see it in teenagers who are never diagnosed as addicts because thier brains are still developing and the neuro pathways are still being formed. However they still have compulsions or tendencies that are difficult to stop. And are drawn to very mild consumption, often never including nudity or explicit sexual acts.

    I think of it more liking biting your nails. Nobody says "I have a nail biting addiction." It is an anxious compulsion. And with enough forethought it can be easily stopped.

    Addictions however change the wiring in the brain, and don't just go away. Like the others have said it's the pull once we stop that defines their severity.

    Best of luck, I say try a reboot, let us know, I'm curious where your journey takes you.
     
  6. Tiredofporn75

    Tiredofporn75 Fapstronaut

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    My take on whether you are addicted. You should be doing other things. But you can’t break away from the screen. You view material in places where you shouldn’t. And one thing I have experienced relapsing after clean stretches is a complete rush that is almost like a trance and completely out of control. I never want to feel that again.
     
  7. If you can't quit whenever you want, you are in trouble
     
  8. OhWhenThe

    OhWhenThe Fapstronaut

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    When you're two weeks in and feeling like a recovering crack addict.
     
  9. mouton1998

    mouton1998 Fapstronaut

    Look @lukeman3000 , there is no "standard" use of porn in which you are classified as mentally healthy/sick; the use depends a lot on how much free time you have, how strong is your libido... things like this, which vary from person to person.
    If I were you, I would ask a psychologist, because the symptoms that you have stated could be caused by something else, or by porn + other factors that maybe you haven't counted or that we aren't aware of.
     
  10. JoeinUSA

    JoeinUSA Fapstronaut

    If you can't do without P even if you wanted to, then you are addicted. If you don't really need P, then why not find out for yourself whether you're addicted or not, once and for all. Give it a try, and give it up for 90 days. If you can't or if you refuse because it just sounds too repugnant to you, then you are addicted.

    .
     
  11. Very good question. I personally feel that some use the word ‘addict’ to wrongfully describe themselves. It can be unhealthy to label oneself with inaccurate labels. I’m no expert but have appreciated the comments from a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Dallin H. Oaks. He said:

    It is helpful to focus on four different levels of involvement with pornography: (1) inadvertent exposure, (2) occasional use, (3) intensive use, and (4) compulsive use (addiction).

    1. Inadvertent Exposure. I believe that everyone has been inadvertently exposed to pornography. There is no sin in this when we turn away and don’t pursue it. It is like a mistake, which calls for correction rather than repentance.

    2. Occasional Use. This use of pornography may be occasional or even frequent, but it is always intentional, and that is its evil.
    Pornography stirs and magnifies powerful sexual feelings. The Creator gave us these feelings for His wise purposes, but He also gave commandments that limited their expression to a man and a woman who are married. Pornography debases appropriate sexual expression and encourages the expression of sexual feelings outside the boundaries of marriage. Those who use pornography are trifling with forces so powerful that they can create life or destroy it. Don’t go there!

    The danger with any intentional use of pornography, no matter how casual or infrequent, is that it always invites more frequent exposure, which will inevitably increase preoccupation with sexual feelings and behavior. Scientists have discovered that sexual images produce chemicals in the brain that reward sexual feelings, which then encourage more attention to sexual behavior. Immoral sexual behavior of any kind or degree produces feelings of shame, which, over time, can be entrenched within an individual.

    3. Intensive Use. Repeated intentional use of pornography can make its use a habit, “a behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” With habitual use, individuals experience a need for more stimulus to have the same reaction in order to be satisfied.

    4. Compulsive Use (Addiction). A person’s behavior is addictive when it forms a “dependency” (a medical term applied to the use of drugs, alcohol, compulsive gambling, etc.) amounting to an “irresistible compulsion” that “takes priority over almost everything else in life.”

    See full article: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org...overing-from-the-trap-of-pornography?lang=eng
     
  12. lukeman3000

    lukeman3000 Fapstronaut

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    I appreciate the information, but personally I give no credence to the inherent immorality of porn. Do I believe there are some immoral forms of porn? Yes of course; revenge porn, etc. But two people who upload a video of themselves having consensual sex for others to view? I personally do not believe there is anything morally wrong with that, whatsoever.

    Now that doesn't mean that I don't think there isn't anything harmful with viewing such content, but I just see no point to discuss what the Bible might have to say about the morality of porn. First of all because I don't personally view the Bible as the inspired, inerrant word of God. And secondly because it just seems superfluous and unnecessary. There are enough real detriments of porn that it can be argued against on its own merits.
     
    outkasted likes this.
  13. Queek The HeadTakker

    Queek The HeadTakker Fapstronaut

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    Your much simmilar to me the diference was i watched all days
     
  14. There are a lot of possible causes for fatigue, and it would be very difficult for any of us to say that it is porn. The way to test this would be to quit for a couple months and see if anything changes.
     
  15. ElderStatesman

    ElderStatesman Fapstronaut

    Whether what you have is an addiction may not be the question to focus on. (The mental health industry, at least not its bible the DSM, does not even diagnose any porn use as an addiction.)

    Consider: Why are you here? Why are asking that question?

    I’m not trying to be clever. If you can’t stop using porn, I’d say you’re an addict. We can dance around what word to use. We can’t avoid facts.

    If you want to stop, do so. It kind of just comes down to that.
     
  16. Fullyawake

    Fullyawake Fapstronaut

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    I am stronger than porn. I’m clean and will stay clean. The longer you go WITHOUT it the easier it gets, from my experience.
     

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