Is Pornography Addictive?

[Boxlicker101]

When I refer to "pornography", I don't mean the well-crafted literature of an erotic nature that is produced by many of the authors on this site. I mean, in this case, the outright smut, such as I write, that appeals solely to prurient interests and has no redeeming social qualities. Both kinds of writing can be called porn, but I am referring to my kind.

The reason I ask is that, some time ago, I got email from a woman who is a psychologist and she said that one of her patients is addicted to what I write, and he showed her a story he had printed. She enjoyed it so much that she sent me feedback and I ended up writing a story based on her situation. The name is "Annie's Neglected Pussy", and she really enjoyed it. I changed some of the details on the one posted here so neither her husband nor anybody else recognizes her but the copy I sent her describes her and her life accurately, at least reflecting what she told me.

Anyhow, I have been wondering about that. Can smut actually be addictive? I realize that well-made products, such as literature or food or automobiles or furniture or other things make a person unwilling to accept inferior substitutes, but that is not really an addiction. That's just appreciating good quality. I enjoy writing dirty stories and I hope people have fun reading them, but I feel a little strange with the thought that they might be addictive, even though they are harmless.

What do other people think?

 

[AppleBiter]

I think that it would depend on the criteria for addiction. I just did my final research paper over Internet addiction, so it's interesting that you should bring this up.

Anyhow, I'm of the opinion that most people who use the Internet, porn, or whatever to excess more than likely have underlying issues that cause their condition rather than the dependency being the problem on its own. In other words, I think that the apparant addiction may be the symptom rather than the disease.

 

[rgraham666]

I don't think it's the porn that's addictive. It's the masturbation or sex that usually accompanies it that's addictive.

Some are looking for intimacy. Some are looking for excitement. Some are looking to feed fetishes and kinks.

Any and all of things can be stimulated by porn.

And some people, either with addictive or compulsive personalities, or those with little else in their lives are going to end up coming back to porn again and again.

But if the porn wasn't around, I suspect that these people would just find something else to fill their lives, alcohol for example.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

When I refer to "pornography", I don't mean the well-crafted literature of an erotic nature that is produced by many of the authors on this site. I mean, in this case, the outright smut, such as I write, that appeals solely to prurient interests and has no redeeming social qualities. Both kinds of writing can be called porn, but I am referring to my kind.

The reason I ask is that, some time ago, I got email from a woman who is a psychologist and she said that one of her patients is addicted to what I write, and he showed her a story he had printed. She enjoyed it so much that she sent me feedback and I ended up writing a story based on her situation. The name is "Annie's Neglected Pussy", and she really enjoyed it. I changed some of the details on the one posted here so neither her husband nor anybody else recognizes her but the copy I sent her describes her and her life accurately, at least reflecting what she told me.

Anyhow, I have been wondering about that. Can smut actually be addictive? I realize that well-made products, such as literature or food or automobiles or furniture or other things make a person unwilling to accept inferior substitutes, but that is not really an addiction. That's just appreciating good quality. I enjoy writing dirty stories and I hope people have fun reading them, but I feel a little strange with the thought that they might be addictive, even though they are harmless.

What do other people think?

Water can be addictive. If you don't believe me ask a fish

I think if you look at if froma behaviorists point of view, it probably can be. In classic operant conditioning, you present proposition A, it produces B. Once stimulus B has been the result of proposition A enough times, you are conditioned to expect stimulus B whenever confrnted by Proposition A.

If you're a quick jerk artist, porn = proposition A, Orgasm = stiumlus B. That's about the strongest of naturally occuring stimulus so it should build the strongest and fastest connection.

A less clinical observation would be with Porn you always get your nut, never get turned down, neer have to deal with social situations, societal pressures, pregnancy, etc. It's cheap, pretty usre and readily avialable no matter how you look, what your finances look like and where your social standing among peers is.

I doubt you can get "addicted" to porn in the ture sense of suffering if you don't have it. i don't doubt you can get to the point where you will choose jerking off with a good story to actually trying to go out and get laid.

 

[impressive]

Orgasms are addictive.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

The Wikipedia has an article on Pornography addiction but it is under dispute at the moment, and has a Talk Page where various contributors are discussing their support for/objections to the citation.

Seriously, I believe certain personalities can experience difficultly handling pornography, the same way similar compulsion-prone individuals (as rg pointed out) can obsess over Harry Potter, Star Trek, or Benny Hinn.

As long as it is a hobby from which they get enjoyment, pornography is no better or worse than other hobby.

When the money involved in memberships, tapes, line fees, et cetera, begin eating up one’s savings, or when time for it interferes with the proper execution of one's business or social life, it has become something other than a pastime.

Likewise, Trekkers who waste all their money and time on what is essentially second rate television sci-fi, or a person sends thousands of dollars to a faith healer rather than face relatively minor surgury, they too have travelled beyond a logical interest, and into the boundaries of an obsession — possibly addiction.

 

[Penelope Street]

I think it's closer to nail chewing than smoking, thus I'd file it under habit rather than addiction.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I think that it would depend on the criteria for addiction. I just did my final research paper over Internet addiction, so it's interesting that you should bring this up.

Anyhow, I'm of the opinion that most people who use the Internet, porn, or whatever to excess more than likely have underlying issues that cause their condition rather than the dependency being the problem on its own. In other words, I think that the apparant addiction may be the symptom rather than the disease.

As a recovering alcoholic and former tobacco addict, I am aware of the idea of an addictive personality. However, those are substances. Can actions also be addictive?

Personally, I think so. I believe it is widely accepted that gambling is addictive to some. I have read and heard a lot about some teenagers being addicted to video games. I have heard about reckless driving or other dangerous activities being addictive. I have also heard about men being addicted to watching football on television but I thuink that is more facetious than actual.

I don't think of sex as being addictive because it is a natural thing, like eating and sleeping and breathing. It's not as essential as those things but the body can suffer without some kind of sexual outlet, which can include masturbation. I have also heard about "sex addicts" but I tend to scoff at such ideas and look on them with extreme doubt.

By the way, Collie, I very early got to the point where I would choose masturbation rather than going out and trying to get laid. This was in the late fifties and the sixties and, when I was horny, I had several choices.

A: Masturbate.

B: Go and try to get lucky. My chances were extremely slim, and even if I got somewhat lucky, there would usually be a lot of expense involved, as well as the risk of STD (This was pre-AIDS) My chances of getting lucky were so slim that this was almost not something to consider.

C: Go to a prostitute. This would be OK, but illegal and I would run the same risk of STD, as well as the risk of getting arrested or mugged by her pimp.

D: Take a cold shower and think pure thoughts.

E: Have a wife or girlfriend. I include this because there may be some who would believe this was actually an option. It wasn't. It would have easily been my first choice but the circumstances with me, at least at the time, made it almost always not possible.

 

[cantdog]

I remember reading a little blurb about endorphins, which are quite frequently involved in addiction. The blurb claimed holding a cell phone to the ear while it was on engendered endorphin production in the brain, through some electromagnetic thing or other.

That would mean that cell phones are addictive, potentially. I haven't ever read any confirmation of the idea, scientifically. But they do seem to make people act like they would if it were true.

 

[Guest]

I don't think it's the porn that's addictive. It's the masturbation or sex that usually accompanies it that's addictive.

Yup.

Orgasms are addictive.

Preeecisely!

I remember reading a little blurb about endorphins, which are quite frequently involved in addiction. The blurb claimed holding a cell phone to the ear while it was on engendered endorphin production in the brain, through some electromagnetic thing or other.

That would mean that cell phones are addictive, potentially. I haven't ever read any confirmation of the idea, scientifically. But they do seem to make people act like they would if it were true.

Yep, it's all about those endorphins, and those oh so delicious feelings, smells, sounds, touches and sensations. Can't say I've ever got all that from my phone, though. That is unless there was someone saying dirty things at the other end. Again, we're back to porn (ok, not visual, but audio ).

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

I remember reading a little blurb about endorphins, which are quite frequently involved in addiction . . .

I believe dopamine might also be involved.

Dopamine is commonly associated with the 'pleasure system' of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate us to do, or continue doing, certain activities. Dopamine is released by naturally rewarding experiences such as food, sex, use of certain drugs and neutral stimuli that become associated with them.

Whether viewing pornography falls in or outside of that list of rewarding activities is still to be confirmed.

 

[impressive]

If you Google "endorphin addiction" you will find a variety of material -- ranging from exercise (particularly running) to pregnancy to BDSM to eating spicy foods. Naturally, that would extend to an activity that produces a rush of feel good hormones -- be it sex or eating chocolate.

 

[Belegon]

I don't know if I would use that language...addiction has such powerful tones and yet it also is overused.

It is definitely habit-forming for some...but do you have to be predisposed to it? Certainly I know many people that are far less sexually focused than I am and I know people that enjoy porn and sex without being as into it as I am, let alone someone who may be truly "addicted".

now please excuse me...I need to go ring Imp's doorbell naked with a box of chocolates....

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I don't know. I've tried smoking some of these stories, and they taste terrible.

--Zoot

But really, I know this: that about 4 years ago when I was in the depths of a depression I thought I'd never recover from, when I didn't care about myself or anything else in the world or whther I lived or died, I'd still drag myself down to the computer and stare at pictures of people fucking. There was still that one little spark of horniness smoldering inside me.

Then I discovered Lit and started sending in stories, and the spark became an ember, and the ember a flame, and finally my stupid sexual obsession actually brought me back to the land of the living.

For me, there'll always be something sweet and life-affirming about people reading porn. Given all the horrible things people are wont to do to themselves and one another, sex is probably one of the most benign.

 

[Pure]

porn addiction:

can one be 'addicted' to porn, in particular the writing of Mr. Box?

I think Virtual B has pretty well nailed it; if you say we're looking at actions habitually performed as possible addictions, then one can ask, does the habit interfere with earning a living, having a 'love life,' being intimate etc.

I don't think it matters if you focus on a thing --the porn picture-- or the activity--viewing it. Clearly, though, the latter is what could interfere.

Perhaps a clarification needs to be added, to distinguish the 'true addict'. The partway addict can see s/he's harming his other interests, like his job and his family, so he can 'control', so to say. In behavioral terms, pull back, lessen the frequency. The 'true addict' just keeps going (NOT reducing frequency) toward destruction of various things s/he thought valuable.

I agree with Box that gambling is a good candidate--when it meets the above critieria, and sex seems less so because it's 'natural'. Like drinking water, as someone said. Frequent sex or drinking water do not seem 'bad' for one. I knew of a couple that went at it several times a day. Both seemed otherwise functional.

At the same time, I did read of an addict who had a van and spent a good part of each day 'cruising' to get a women in there to fuck--i.e., 5-10 times a day. Call me undersexed, but that does sound 'excessive'. Note that it clearly interferes with the guy's work and emotional/love life.

But there are always social judgments. The guy pouring over his panty collection is labelled addicted/perverted. The guy pouring over his butterfly collection is not; he's maybe 'obsessed.'

As to endorphins, that's a likely mechanism. It doesn't make sense though to say you are addictied to endorphins. Apparently any rewarding habit (or indeed anything experienced as pleasant, like a warm bath), esp. the ones involving some effort produce endorphins. So then you'd have to talk about 'positive addiction' , as some running enthusiasts do.

Coming back to the sex addiction question, why is it that the 'perverts' seem more like addicted? One argument is that the 'obsesssion' so called is simply the reaction to society's barriers. It takes a lot of thought and planning to get caned just the way one wishes, esp. from a volunteer who doesn't charge. So, in brief, the pervs who do find social connections would not count as addicted; if s/he has a partner and/or a group of similarly inclined consumers and suppliers--whatever the activity--i.e, some social life, there is no addiction.

Taking the Trekkie example; those whose obsession provides a social outlet and allows them to work and 'love' (even just other Trekkies) is not a 'true' addict.

 

[The_Darkness]

Porn addictive? yes.

And I may or may not have proof.

When we get off, our brain releases endorphins and other happy chemicals that make us have that awesome after-glowy feeling. Get enough of it, and you'll have a psychological fixation for it.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

What seems weird to me is how some of us respond more to written porn than to pictures.

 

[The_Darkness]

What seems weird to me is how some of us respond more to written porn than to pictures.

Good point, but it's just how our brains are wired....kinda like how some people like blue and others like red.

I think some people get off better on putting themselves in the scene, so the written word allows them to construct more of the details as opposed to seeing it all in color corrected, zoomed in, impossibly odd angled cinematography.

 

[rgraham666]

What seems weird to me is how some of us respond more to written porn than to pictures.

In my case, it's because the written stuff has a level of emotion the pictures rarely do.

I kind of like emotion.

 

[Belle_Ringer]

Is Ponography addictive? Depends on who the star is. I never had any interest in the guys really, but if Amee Donavan or Erica Rose Campbell is invlolved, I just want to be there.