Self-medication vs. Addiction

It's possible you may continue to struggle with porn addiction after you get treatment for depression and anhedonia. I hope I'm wrong and you should ask around, especially from experts. I know for me that I always turn to porn when life is hard and I suffer painful feelings. However, I noticed I also have turned to porn when things are fine and everything is under control. I think your brain learns certain cues that will trigger you to the porn habit. If you can recognize those cues and replace it with another behavior, it's entirely possible you'll notice a lot of progress in your recovery. Once we become addicted or do something so often repetitively, it's really difficult to unlearn a habit. My opinion is that it's 2 steps. Treat your depression and anhedonia. Then unlearn this porn habit. Good luck!

 

It can be possible for porn to be healthy if you do it in a non attachement way, like when you do edging but without identification of what you see. Then you will be a real master of the dark arts doing porn meditation from 3-7 am as you usually do.

The problem is when you identify with it, if you simply watch porn like watching a white wall it can create mental strenght and transmutation otherwise is just a superestimuli you are just tricking your brain thinking you are having sex with multiple women.

The practice will have to leave you strong, mental clarity, full of energy and happy.

Pleasure has a price, you can intelectualice it all you want but if the result is negative depression and anhedonia then you are not doing it right.

 

I would argue that there is no distinction to be made here. All addictions are responses to underlying issues. They are never an end in themselves. No one just becomes addicted to something for the fun of it. In my opinion, the only way someone can be an addict at all is if they have some unmet emotional or psychological needs.

 

That is tantra you use the same poison as a cure to illness. You might as well try it.