I mean, can’t anything be an addiction?
Their argument was no.
If the concept of pornography addiction were true, then porn-related problems would go up, regardless of morality, as porn use goes up. But the researchers didn’t find that. In fact, they cite numerous studies showing that even feeling like you struggle to control your porn use doesn’t actually predict more porn use. What that means is that the people who report great anguish over controlling their porn use aren’t actually using more porn; they just feel worse about it.
[…]
It is noteworthy that in this research, and in the numerous commentaries in response, no one is defending the porn-addiction model. None of the researchers looking at data on porn-related problems have chosen to argue that an addiction model or treatment strategy is appropriate. To be sure, some researchers still defend a compulsive model, or suggest that pornography itself is too broad a concept to be neatly captured by a single theory. The editors of the Archives of Sexual Behavior invited commentaries on this article only from researchers, who must argue based on science, as opposed to anecdote. None of them argue that porn is addictive, that it changes the brain or one’s sexuality, or that the use of porn leads to tolerance, withdrawal, or other addiction-related syndromes. Put simply, while the nuance of porn-related problems is still being sussed out, the idea that porn can be called addictive is done, at least in the halls of sexual science.
It’s a little bit like how you can stop being a bastard by ceasing to be a cop. Being a cop isn’t addictive, it’s an active thing you choose to be. You must put in energy every day to get up and go do it. If you’re giga-addicted to alcohol and you don’t consume it you’re subject to a litany of addiction-related syndromes (like dangers of withdrawal with which I am unfamiliar). If you stop being a cop you might be subject to a crisis of identity or lack of income, but these would probably be more circumstantial than what they classify as addiction. I miss my dog when I go into the rooms where she used to sleep, but the lack of my precious baby angel doesn’t put me in danger of overloving another dog because my tolerance went down or something. I wasn’t addicted to my dog because she wasn’t addictive.
They conclude thusly (the finding was religiosity is the main predictor of reported problems with pornography consumption):
Helping people to consciously examine and consider their religious beliefs about sex, masturbation, and porn with modern, adult, self-determining eyes, may help them reduce the pain and suffering caused by this moral conflict.
If you call something addiction without the addictive nature, you do harm in the clinical sense (your first directive is to first do no harm). Your clients would be better served with the tools, techniques, and attitude of dealing with compulsions. It’s the same way you don’t just wipe an eating plate with bleach to disinfect it and instead use soap and water even though they’re both cleaning products.
Hmm based on the last paragraph, it sounds like the argument has more to do with what the word addiction means which isn’t really productive in my view. I think certain things can be more addictive than others to people with different personality types
which isn’t really productive in my view.
The author made a case for why such a distinction is important.
I will add something to the arguments made by the authors of this study: Having demonstrated that it is the moral conflict and self-identity of porn addict which is harmful, it is thus upon us to confront the social, media, and clinical use of this concept. It causes and perpetuates harm by focusing attention upon porn rather than the true cause: the moral conflict over one’s sexual desires. Clinicians who continue to promote the idea of porn addiction are, like those who promote age-regression hypnosis or recovered memory therapy, engaging in malpractice. Websites and advocacy groups that promote and encourage identification as porn addicts are doing harm to their followers, and can become like the hucksters promoting naturopathic treatment despite federal medical groups identifying such treatments as ineffective and potentially harmful. Ultimately, all should be held accountable for their inaccurate, outdated, and exploitative actions.
Chuds love to just blame somebody instead of interrogating a situation.
idk I’ve struggled with porn addiction most of my adult life which has lead to me seeking out hard stuff that under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be comfortable with discussing. I’ve talked about trying to give up porn on here and failing over and over again, and I’m by no means a religious person.
i think anything can be addictive to specific people. I struggled hard with an addiction to dxm – the active ingredient in most cough syrups – but was told that it is not an addictive substance and that I just simply just stop taking it. Most people would probably agree with that, but I nearly ended up trying to get myself thrown in jail just so I wouldn’t have any opportunity to get ahold of the shit for long enough to get over it. Even to this day from time to time I think about doing it even though I know the hell it will lead me to if I do. It was easier to quit drinking alcohol, which was in no way easy to do, than it was to quit abusing dxm for me.
I think certain things just have a draw to certain people. Maybe most people won’t have an addiction, but some will.
edit: i initially put dmx … woof woof
I’ve previously used a lot dxm, the accessibility of it made it very easy to use as a mental escape, even if it made me feel terrible and was fucking up my life. Solidarity comrade.
The best thing for me was filling my time with other things, heck I’d smock cigs over dealing with what dxm did to my mental health
dxm did help me accept I was trans though, but i think therapy would have been better than crying under a blanket on a wednesday
For a time when I was very heavily abusing dxm I also thought I was trans. I almost scheduled a visit with a doctor to talk about my options to transition. A sudden change in my living situation forced me to cut back on the dxm use substantially, though not completely, and that desire to transition stopped almost as suddenly as it began, but that is probably just coincidental. I don’t think dxm was the reason why I had a sudden fascination with cross dressing and wanting to be a woman though. I think it just helped me explore that to the nth degree very quickly and then I just realized that it wasn’t for me.
