Psychology Today Article on Porn, Masturbation, and Social Anxiety

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by oneman on July 9, 2010 at 12:07pm

This article describes some affects of addiction to porn. Addiction is indeed a bad thing. (maybe by definition?)

You can become addicted to almost anything. You can become addicted to exercise, such that you suffer social and health changes because of it. I expect addiction to exercise causes some other kinds of jolts to the brain for those who suffer from it.

Unfortunately, articles like these are usually used to draw the conclusion that ANY PORN is bad, when what it is describing is what happens when something takes over your life.

Permalink Reply by Aaron S. (USA) on July 9, 2010 at 12:46pm

It's interesting, and maybe there's something to it, but all this article does is speculate and offer anecdotes. No matter how many anecdotes you have, it never becomes hard science.

It'd be nice if someone would study this issue in an actually scientific way, but as it is now, everything that was in that article is basically hearsay. It's not any more reliable than a rumor mill.

Permalink Reply by hunter on July 9, 2010 at 9:42pm

I agree with this guy, I mean don't get me wrong it wouldn't surprise me but at the same time I don't know for sure, we should get some statistics.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on July 9, 2010 at 1:27pm

According to this article, all we need to overcome shyness and depression, and be popular, is to stop masturbating, watching porn, and having orgasms! That's funny, I was shy for years and years when I never looked at porn or masturbated...

I agreed with the part of the article that said some people become addicted to the dopamine release of orgasm to the point where in-between orgasm time is a "low". That is why I think sex addiction is a real thing, and I've known some swingers as well as constant porn users who showed signs of sex addiction.

I'd always heard that women who regularly get orgasms are happier. This seems to fly in the face of that, but then again all of the anecdotes in this were male, and I think this article was mostly about males.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on September 23, 2010 at 6:03pm

Double ditto. I'm much happier and more social now that I'm not insane and afraid of the world, thank you.

Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on July 10, 2010 at 1:06am

This is just the end result of a society that's allowed itself to be taken over by Oprah and Dr. Phil. A pigeon hole has to be created for everything. What is essentially just a broader social disfunction in some people who also happen to like porn suddenly becomes a pathology. It's called mistaking correlation for causation. These folks are just hollow and they fill the void with what's handy and can maintain their attention. Fundamentally, how different are they to Paris Hilton groupies?

The way they spoke and the language they used seemed a little narm-y to me... almost like Christian conversion testimonies...

And this is precisely what happens when you successfully drill it into people that they have a problem which doesn't even exist. I would say it's more cult-like than xtian.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on July 10, 2010 at 3:33pm

This is an interesting article, but I'm not entirely convinced. I guess I'd have to experience this for myself, but the cynic in me has not dismissed the possibility that the author is secretly an anti-porn advocate searching for data to justify an existing bias. As for the men quoted in the article, I think I would need to first know their initial attitudes towards porn/mastrubation to begin with (Did they feel guilt and shame?), and how much time they spent doing it before I drew any serious conclusions.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on July 11, 2010 at 12:25pm

The men sounded a little too much like "product testimonials" too.

Permalink Reply by hunter on July 10, 2010 at 5:48pm

in my opinion even if this was true a little too much porn wouldn't have too much effect, althoug I wouldn't be surprised if it did have a little effect. this sounds more like an anti-porn adict, like dallas said.

Permalink Reply by Anette on August 4, 2010 at 7:41am

This is a highly complex issue. My default position is, I will not date a man, that regularly watches porn. I can get into the reasons if people ask.

The article highlights a very good point, in that we are exposed to stimuli, that were supposed to reward us HIGHLY in the past for a particular reason. We are in part, slaves to our animal desires.

In this regard, the best of the best, would make us work harder, to achieve our goal.

Now the best of the best, sex and material means are everywhere.

I'm not opposed to porn, because I'm prudish, christian, or am not aware of my sexuality. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I am highly aware and realize now, the animalistic side of sex, is boring and full of ego.

I'm an athiest, but I'm not an athiest that is opposed to religion. When they say to me "God said so", I ignore them. If they give me a good rational, philisophical reason for their views, I will listen.Beyond the "god' stuff, most religions have observed human behaviour for a very long time and tried to understand it. Not all of what they say is wrong. It's just their ultimate reasoning IE God, that I disagree with. Less tribal following, and more human thinking is okay.

Sex is very powerful, and tribal cultures in the past realized this, and tried to curb it to maintain a stable society. It actually had nothing to do with a God. How could it?

And I think they are to a degree correct. Human sexuality is sacred. Not because it's "religious"
cheers

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on September 23, 2010 at 6:09pm

I would force my boyfriend to read Twilight. :P

Not because it would get me off or anything, but I think it's something we should be able to discuss. I'm not exactly a Twilight-fan (or hater) but the reaction to Twilight can be so hostile (like porn) that we should be able to find a consensus, in which case, he has to probably read it.

I would also paint the living room pink.

Permalink Reply by Jen E. on August 6, 2010 at 10:01pm

I agree about "lose the shame, lose the shyness".

I suffer from social anxiety and I am pretty sure that it stems somehow from how I dealt with sex growing up.

I find that if for just a moment I give up feeling dirty and bad because I am sexual, I don't feel so scared of people!

J.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page