Article about Nofap written on Psychology Today

Why publicise it here?

 

Nothing wrong with publicising the article, we are out in the public ourselves and should not take the natural expectation to be "publicised" for granted. We have more than enough "scientific credibility", by the way, to argue with our critics, don't we? Even if they are coming from the background of a prestigious university and they think that we're all coming from the background of scientific ignorance. We are honoured to receive such academic attention. So here is the publicly honourable opportunity for us to show the scientists that we have scientific evidence of life-changing testimonies. So the doctor wants scientific evidence? No worries! We are giving him scientific evidence!

Before I can fire back with the charge of hypocrisy and double-standards, what scientific university has a lab and research center devoted to the monitoring and long-term effect studies of habitual porn usage? Where are the scientists when we started to complain about sexual frustrations and feel helplessly addicted to porn? Where are the psychologists and psychiatrists for "scientific investigation" of the PMO crisis other than being out of our economic reach while they enjoy making a living out of social problems from those who are fortune enough to afford the consultations and the treatment!

Here, we are, Doctor in Disbelief, a significant percentage of the human population that are at your service for your scientific investigation. Come, take us for your dutiful scientific consideration. Don't you need a lab and preferably open a research center, for professional scientific surveying and scrutiny? Come here, then, we'll voluntarily register for your research center while you can study our experiences and scrutinise our information, instead of dismissing us all of being scientifically worthless misrepresentations of reality and then reassess your original proposition that hangs on nothing but thin air and zero scientific data.

For your information, Doctor Highness, I would not have been able to study advanced science – at the most personal, professional and academic level – if I had continued to live upon my "healthy" addictive lifestyle and sexual frustration for the rest of my lifespan after allowing this "healthy" disaster to consume almost two decades out of my life while you scientists and humanitarians turned me a blind eye and continue to treat the rest of us with scientific inconsideration. Remember, Doctor Something, when you were yourself struggling to pay continuous attention to your teacher while you were only a student in the first year of science class, that every scientific anomaly adds up towards a call for scientific reassessment of the original model.

The more individuals that come here every day, and gather here at NoFap, and accumulate the consistently testified, life-changing testimonies... The more scientific challenge we present and threaten therewith your standard model of what constitutes a sexually healthy human being. Until you consider us to be worthy of challenging your stubborn scientific model of healthy human sexuality, more porn addicts are joining up every day and paying way more attention to our anecdotal, so-called unscientific version of reality than to your so-called scientific proposition and dismissive arguments.

 

I would really like to invite David J Ley with his shiny Ph.D to come step foot in the arena here for a full on intellectual brawl to the wits end.

I bet he fapped after writing that article.

 

Like that guy should even be allowed to write an article about NoFap on Psychology Today, who in their right minds....freedom of speech sure but come on, just look at the way this man views sex addiction let alone porn addiction...he wrote a book titled The Myth of Sex Addiction for goodness sakes.

 

I think that guy who wrote up that article is doing a disservice to the up-and-coming generation of people who are experiencing the abundance of porn in their worlds. I think, a parallel to this would be the idiots out there claiming climate change is all a load of bollocks, just to get their contrarian Point of view out their. Absolute lunatics. Can't wait to see where the consensus on this issue is in say, 50 years!

 

I'm just going to leave this here...

http://www.nofap.com/forum/index.ph...-porn-addiction-deniers-discourage-you.39162/

 

That's what came into my mind as well. Probably to some nasty porn too!

Interestingly I think the author has some valid points that is worth thinking about. Personally I agree with him on that abstaining from PMO will not magically solve our problems, and the "superpowers" that someone claim to acquire are not inherently related to nofap, or it's just placebo.
But the writing is antagonistic, arrogant and indifferent but a perfect example of how the scientific community works. They are just a bunch of people with a bunch of ideas, and you can prove anything you want if you create your survey in a certain way. Even if he claims that his points are based on "scientific evidence" you can see that the tone is anything but scientific.

 

I've enjoyed reading through that post @giggleshmack , the comments by professionals and Gary himself were really encouraging - the more this movement grows the more it's likely to be attacked unfortunately, but we just need to keep fighting it!

 

Thanks for the link to that it has balanced up the argument to a more grown up phase!

 

This discussion highlights what frustrates me about NoFap and is what lets people like Dr Ley a foot in the door with their negativity. The disorder that we refer to PMO addiction is poorly researched, although there is more research into the existence, causes and symptoms of the addiction then in the recovery. It is a new phenomenon that has yet to break the surface of society's awareness because the shame behind drives it into secrecy. And while there is no focused scientific research it allows Dr Ley and his cohorts the opportunity to spread their own disinformation.

I say their own disinformation, because I believe some of the beliefs and approaches promoted here ARE anecdotal, pseudo-science or just misued science. I think Dr Ley is right to call us up on focusing on dopamine levels. Dopamine levels describe a biochemical state that the brain is in. You cannot directly control dopamine levels and changes in behaviour will not affect overall dopamine levels. Dopamine as a neurotransmitter is used as a vital component for communication between neurons in the brain. It isn't just about porn. I do believe it is right to understand the mechanics of porn addiction if that understanding helps you come to terms with your addiction, but we also need solid scientifically-proved solutions to the problem.

Abstinence is always only a part of any addiction recovery program. Open discussion about triggers, motivation, emotions and experiences is another part of recovery programs and that is what I believe NoFap forum is about. I believe when we start trying to apply scientific terms to our recovery we make ourselves vulnerable to people like Dr Ley because he is right to say that we are just playing with words. And then that gives him the space to ALSO disclaim the addiction exists at all.

I want to post again what Alexander Rhodes posted in one of the threads responding to discussions about the article. For me these 4 statements need to be posted again and again because I see people on here repeatedly pushing anti-masturbation, anti-sex, anti-pornography messages. NoFap is a support forum that offers advice, understanding and education. We must remember this and not get too focused on scientific terms and puritanical absolutes. We are here to help each other at a time when we are all vulnerable - not to change the world or to bully people into a way of life just as unhealthy as PMO addiction. Of course, this is just my opinion. I think Alex's speaks far better for the site.

NoFap is not a movement. It’s just a website. Some have mistaken NoFap as a “movement,” but participants in a movement rally behind a common political, social, or moral ideal. The fact is NoFap’s users come here to improve themselves, not to improve the whole world. Far from being a single-minded movement, our users are a diverse group who find common ground in only one thing—they believe abstaining from individually-elected sexual behaviors for a period of time will improve their lives. Get any more specific than that, and you’ll find there aren’t many things our users can agree on! Users set their own reboot goals. NoFap is here to help them succeed. Additionally, NoFap is only one of many websites in the porn-recovery industry, dubbing us our own movement would be a disservice to them.

NoFap is not an anti-masturbation website. A clear majority of NoFap’s users and administrators alike agree that there’s nothing inherently wrong with masturbation. A small number of users may believe otherwise, perhaps due to their moral principles, but find NoFap’s broad-minded approach works better for them than the moralistic focus of “chastity” websites that dot the Internet. NoFap does not encourage lifelong abstinence from masturbation or sexual behavior. Rather, we encourage our users to abstain for a period of time for the duration of their reboots—typically around ninety days. While some abstain for longer periods of time—even for life—most of our users then return to masturbation having freed themselves of the need to use pornography. Our users choose what is healthiest for them and best serves their goals.

NoFap is not a sex-negative website. In fact, we believe that quitting porn is one of the most sex-positive choices a person can make. NoFap doesn’t argue that individuals should abstain from sex or masturbation altogether for the rest of their lives, nor do we argue that individuals should “save themselves for marriage.” We might recommend that our users abstain from sex for the limited duration of their reboot. However, we ultimately want people to enjoy sex! We argue that heavy porn use makes real sex less enjoyable by desensitizing the brain’s reward system, which has consequences on sexual performance and intimacy. Most users return to sex soon after their reboots only to report vastly improved sex lives.

NoFap does not support legislation to restrict the creation or consumption of pornography. In an interview with Maclean’s Magazine, NoFap’s founder Alexander Rhodes described himself as “‘an Internet-freedom zealot’ who thinks the dangerous effects of porn are best dealt with in sex-ed class and not through government regulation.” NoFap believes that the solution to porn addiction comes from education rather than legislation. We believe in an individual’s right to make his or her own decisions. We empower those individuals who choose to quit porn with the resources they need to follow through on that choice.

 

I believe there are studies out there that prove this man's work invalid.

Also I was making a bad joke by saying he probably faps, how do I know, it's just the nature of his books give me a perspective of how this man views sex, need we expand on that bad joke it just makes us both look even more childish..

 

He was on the Katie Couric show too and he came across as a real idiot. People in the audience were booing him and Katie herself was calling him out on his stupidity!

 

Ignore him, the fact that he tries to suggest a lack of scientific rigor, but then hypocritically comes out with massive unfounded statements like "porn is never, ever the problem" shows he is emotionally wound up by NoFap idea. He is probably a serial PMO-er, and wants to justify himself. I feel sorry for his wife.

 

@perusan you are masterful in this post. You have a gift for coherent writing. It brought so much clarity to my mind on the subject.

Just one thing that stood out, I am the guy who was told as a teenager that masturbation is sinful, and yet found this condemnation and belief completely incapable of helping me to quit. This forum is so encouraging and helpful. I am quitting porn and masturbation to improve my marriage and my life in general.