If it just takes a month to break, it’s not an addiction. It’s a habit.
Really hate the way that the word addiction is watered down by people who just look at porn a lot.
I’d like to agree with you, but I don’t think there are fixed periods where stopping something turns it from being addiction into habit.
Addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior even though it may cause psychological or physical harm.
I think porn can come within that definition, just as much as smoking or drinking can be called a habit.
And I’m saying that what’s described in the OP is a habit, not an addiction.
‘Addiction’ is very overused when it comes to porn because people don’t have any concept of what addiction actually is. Half the time the harm doesn’t come from looking at porn, it comes from the purity culture that we’re inundated with in western society. Being abused by puritanical ideology does not make looking at porn an addiction. Neither does having a strong sex drive that makes us want to engage with sexual content.
Porn addiction is real, and watching porn can have more harm than just puritanical bullshit. Most people that I’ve watched looking at porn don’t just find a video a watch it start to finish. They watch multiple videos, fast forwarding to their favorite parts. Delayed gratification is good for you. Also, porn doesn’t accurately depict what sex is like. It can give you fucked up expectations of what sex should be.
If you watch so much porn that you can’t have an orgasm without watching it, if you are only aroused by porn that can’t exist in real life, if you stop having sex with a partner to instead only masturbate to porn, if you find yourself constantly watching porn even at inappropriate times, if the amount of porn you watch decreases your quality of life… That’s addiction.
I think that masturbating is healthy and good for human sexuality, but I think a lot of people could benefit from masturbating differently. Try reading or using your imagination or even just masturbating meditatively, focusing on sensations.
Never said porn addiction isn’t real. I’m saying it’s less common than people think and that most people who say they’re addicted to porn aren’t.
And I’m saying that what’s described in the OP is a habit, not an addiction.
‘Addiction’ is very overused when it comes to porn because people don’t have any concept of what addiction actually is. Half the time the harm doesn’t come from looking at porn, it comes from the purity culture that we’re inundated with in western society. Being abused by puritanical ideology does not make looking at porn an addiction. Neither does having a strong sex drive that makes us want to engage with sexual content.
“It’s just a heroin habit!”
Didn’t take me more than a month to quit smoking, is that just a habit rather than a real addiction in your eyes?
You’re going to have a tough time arguing that compulsive behavior that the individual has difficulty stopping and often performs when they otherwise didn’t intend to isn’t addiction, just because they found a way to stop.
Again, I’m not saying porn addiction doesn’t exist.
I’m saying that the use of ‘addiction’ with porn is extremely overused and most people who claim to be addicted aren’t.
And for what it’s worth, I quit smoking after three years of up to 2 packs a day in a single day. Just made the decision and never craved them again. Every body handles substance dependencies differently. But porn addiction is different and the comparison is apples and oranges.
Masturbating is good for you. Stop self harming.
There haven’t been any studies to conclusively prove that this is the case but some correlation shows that nocturnal emmisions are lower in men who masturbate more. Probably more than likely this guy would have nutted in his sleep during that month of no fap.
satire?
Nah it’s good for prostate health to masturbate at reasonable intervals
I’m glad you mentioned reasonable levels because like with anything, it can be harmful if done too often.
How often is too often?
When dust comes out, it’s time to stop
No, keep pushing forward. No pain no gain
I had a friend recently who was on flomax, which is a prostate drug but they were treating his kidney stone, he said when he finished it came out like a puff of dust. I’ll let him know he should have stopped.
Great question.
Essentially if its not interfering with your life in a meaningful way, you’re fine.
If it causes you to miss work or if you’re unable to wait until you get home and end up doing it somewhere its not acceptable, then its an issue.
Or not being able to stop or reduce the frequency can also mean its an issue.
However, rather than listen to some nobody in the internet, you’d want to consult a medical professional.
Sounds like im good
Worst case, get a D-lock
If it causes you to miss work or if you’re unable to wait until you get home and end up doing it somewhere its not acceptable, then its an issue.
I remember a story about some low level politician pulling off into the parking lot of a preschool to rub one out. That probably would be a good example of this.
Are you numb, bleeding, sore or neglecting other activities like friends, family or your job?
You’re probably fine. Whole area’s kinda built to do that pretty regularly. So same rules as exercise.
If you have to ask, it’s too often.
If you have to ask, it’s too often.
Every time you jerk off jesus weeps.
If that’s what gets you off, I don’t kink shame… just enjoy in moderation, there is only so much lubrication tears can provide…
Oh no
Is there an actual specific reasonable interval or does it vary person to person (of course putting aside any specific issues like muscle injury in the area for an example)
It does vary from person to person. Whats reasonable for you may not be reasonable for others. Libido as well as age is gonna be a factor. Some people do it multiple times a day and others are a couple times a week.
Again as long as its not hurting you or others, go for it man. Like others in this thread mentioned, in moderation, its a healthy thing to do.
I’m not taking a side, but unless there’s some new evidence, virtually every study I’ve seen is filled with little to no evidence this is true and sums up with something to the effect of ‘results uncertain, more research needed’.
That was back in 2016 the case, but not anymore:
https://sperlingprostatecenter.com/can-masturbation-help-prevent-prostate-cancer
Good advice. Doing more research right now! ;-)
I don’t masturbate because I’m horny. I masturbate because I’m bored.
I masturbate because im horny and bored
Borney
deleted by creator
bro
Can they float tho?
If you don’t masturbate, you become reimu?
rare anon w
Let’s not start the cult of /r/nofap here. And no, you are not suddenly more charismatic and confident. You are just not reeking of cum all the time, something achievable with regular showers as well.
Porn addiction isn’t a thing. People with addictive personalities always out here trying to blame whatever they are hyperfocusing on, instead of getting some therapy and addressing their neurodivergency.
I think I’m confused here. Would it not be true that porn addiction is a thing, just that porn isn’t the root cause of it? Like, addictive personalities result in addictions but they have to be addicted to something and that addiction is the {insert vice here} addiction.
Gambling addiction, porn addictions, gaming addictions etc. Just because the personality is the cause I thought it would still be helpful to get them away from whatever they hyperfocus on in order to start working of the addictive traits.
This is a refreshing comment thread compared to reddit these days. You just get shouted at saying something like this. There are chemically addictive things and then there are things that are addictive and habit forming because they are fun. Totally separate things. One takes self control, one takes outside help.
Accurrate comic though minus the being able to go over a week part!
Mental addiction is a thing.
The problem is, that line of thought isn’t very useful conditioning is a thing very much so, and you can absolutely be addicted to the dopamine release. Just because it’s downstream doesn’t mean the porn isn’t the ultimate addictor.
You can also self control your way out of addictive substances like nicotine. Only a scant few need medical intervention. Unless you’re going to tell me heroin and alcohol are the only actually addictive substances that exiat. It’s INCREDIBLY reductive to reduce anything that doesn’t have a specific chemical addiction mechanism to “not an addiction get help lol”. Yes, get help. Probably from these things called addiction therapists, that deal with things like porn addiction and gambling addiction.
Porn addiction isn’t a thing. It’s made-up bullshit by people that buy into Judeo-Christian morality regarding sexual “purity”. There are reasons that it didn’t make it into DSM-V, and won’t make it into DSM-VI either. The porn and masturbation isn’t the problem, it’s how people feel about it, and how they reconcile it with their own beliefs in morality, which is not even remotely the same as being addicted to opiates or nicotine.
Even if you don’t call it an addiction, I still consume an unhealthy amount of porn imo. I worry that I wouldn’t be able to get it up for a real person, not that it matters cause I’m too mentally screwed up to try hooking up or dating.
Start slow by starting to masturbate before turning on porn, remembering the last porn you watched. Slowly increase the amount of time before turning on porn. Then over time eventually you might be able to get off entirely by remembering what you’ve seen before. You can use that skill any time when with someone.
You think you consume an unhealthy amount of pornography, because that’s the message that you’re hearing from religiously-motivated sources. (Groups like “Fight The New Drug” are funded and staffed by Mormons, which meets all the criteria for a high-demand religion, AKA cult.) It’s the way that you conceptualize your use of pornography, rather than your consumption of pornography, that is the problem. When you compare self-described “porn addicts” to average people that do not label themselves as addicts, their consumption is most typically either identical, or slightly below average.
Your anxieties about “[not] be[ing] able to get it up for a real person” are what is likely to cause problems because that’s going to interfere with your arousal levels.
Bruh I haven’t been brainwashed by religious messaging, I have an archive of like 20 gbs of super niche fetish shit because I’ve essentially over the past decade shifted what I consider normal way into the deep end. I’m not saying that porn addiction is a thing, just saying that overconsumption can still be a problem.
What do you consider “super niche” fetish stuff?
DM’d you about it. Nothing illegal, not a pedophile, but not comfortable talking openly about it.
Surprisingly, porn use has damages outside of just puritanical BS taboo! Instant gratification, a decrease in drive to meet your needs in other ways, unhealthy associations with sex (because that actually exists outside of puritanical views, believe it or not), some pretty gnarly effects around the whole dopamine release and reward seeking thing…
Cite your sources.
The same “problems” would apply to video games, Facebook/IG/TikTok, etc., and even reading books. It’s certainly true for people that are avoidant and use shopping or gambling, and yet those aren’t addictions either.
Ya know what I lied, happened to find a pretty decent source for you. Specifically about Internet gaming disorder, another psychological addiction that’s present in the DSM-V, and even has withdrawal symptoms associated with it. Here ya go.
…It’s present as “a condition for further study”, which is not the same thing as an official diagnosis. (source)[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201407/internet-gaming-disorder-in-dsm-5]
Sure, it’s ‘present’ in the DSM-V, but it’s still not a diagnosis.
Social media addiction absolutely exists, is a very recognized thing particularly in younger generations. Same for video games, you can absolutely be addicted to gaming.
As for sources, they’re but a Google search away, I’ll take care of it for you. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C25&q=pornography+addiction+&btnG=
We’re also not in a formal debate, and I’m not writing a paper to be peer reviewed, so that’s about all you’ll get for me.
See my other comment.
It is not a recognized disorder.
You can only be physically addicted to certain substances but you can be mentally addicted to anything.
There is no such thing as “mental addiction”.
Oh fuck off.
Found the Christian.
Not Christian. An atheist.
And yet you’re the one following Judeo-Christian beliefs about morality.
Huh.
Lol. This is a real thing. I suffered from this. Labelling this ‘Christian’ doesn’t make them false.
No, you didn’t. You believed you did, because Judeo-Christian fundamentalists convinced you that you did, in order to sell you their cure. You’re actively promoting their talking points, as well as the talking points of the alt-right.
How many people can you find that are licensed clinical psychologists, that are trained and specialize in sexual disorders, that use an evidence-based approach to treatment–not a spiritual-based or spiritually-aware approach–that promote the idea that there is “porn addiction”?
You can just ask why the person labeled it as an addiction. What if he was regularly missing work, social gatherings, or other things due to his urge to masturbate? Is that not an addiction? If a person’s life is worse because they can’t stop doing something that’s an addiction.
Found the reductionist! Every problem has to be because of your preconceived enemy figure, doesn’t it?
