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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Sigismund on March 6, 2009, at 1:26:14
In reply to Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 6, 2009, at 1:04:21
>I was reading that 70% of males between 18 and 30 engage in this behavior on a regular basis and that it has a strong influence on the median forebrain and dopamine production. Obviously, if they are addicted they will need a program of recovery
There's a market for a medication there.
Posted by Sigismund on March 6, 2009, at 1:29:39
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by Sigismund on March 6, 2009, at 1:26:14
Paxil might work a treat.
Posted by linkadge on March 6, 2009, at 6:21:23
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by Sigismund on March 6, 2009, at 1:29:39
The problem is that most anti-obsessive medications are going to mainly work on account of their ability to obliterate normal sexual function.
So sure, you're not addicted to porn because your sex drive has been slashed.
Anyhow, to be honest, how is viewing porn an issue? Unless you're in a relationship which is being serisouly affected.
I find it can help me sleep and it is at least one way to satsify a need that is not being met otherwise.
Posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 13:57:01
In reply to Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 6, 2009, at 1:04:21
This would only be considered "addiction" if it is messing up your life to a crippling degree...i.e. losing your job to stay home looking at porn, completely ignoring the "outside world" for porn, ignoring your gf/bf for porn to such a degree you can't keep a relationship...these kind of things. Looking at porn everyday isn't much of a problem...so you have an undirected high sex drive. Perhaps focus on trying to get out more if possible. Although a good wank now and then is good for you ;o)
> Has anyone heard of medication that can be used to help people with this condition. I was reading that 70% of males between 18 and 30 engage in this behavior on a regular basis and that it has a strong influence on the median forebrain and dopamine production. Obviously, if they are addicted they will need a program of recovery but I'm wondering if there is any drug on the market to assist these men through the initial stages of their recovery.
Posted by desolationrower on March 6, 2009, at 17:13:57
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication » myname20098002, posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 13:57:01
Finally, we are facing the real threat to our health. This rampant epidemic, first identified in 1994, causes unintelligible cave-man grunts and painful groans, fluid leak from the body, mishapen bodily growths that can form a hardened protrusion in less than a minute, blood flow abnormalities, erratic eye movements, and drowsiness. Even worse, some people claim to *enjoy it,* and only realize the shameful nature of pleasure when their mothers confront them during the act. When confronted by their partners, they will try to spread the addiction by means of physical contact. Preferred pharmacotherapy includes ssris, antipsychotics, and other cure-alls.
-d/r
Posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 17:18:13
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by desolationrower on March 6, 2009, at 17:13:57
LOL Yes!
> Finally, we are facing the real threat to our health. This rampant epidemic, first identified in 1994, causes unintelligible cave-man grunts and painful groans, fluid leak from the body, mishapen bodily growths that can form a hardened protrusion in less than a minute, blood flow abnormalities, erratic eye movements, and drowsiness. Even worse, some people claim to *enjoy it,* and only realize the shameful nature of pleasure when their mothers confront them during the act. When confronted by their partners, they will try to spread the addiction by means of physical contact. Preferred pharmacotherapy includes ssris, antipsychotics, and other cure-alls.
>
> -d/r
Posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 17:21:52
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication » desolationrower, posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 17:18:13
Does babble have a top ten? i'm still laughing
> LOL Yes!
>
>
> > Finally, we are facing the real threat to our health. This rampant epidemic, first identified in 1994, causes unintelligible cave-man grunts and painful groans, fluid leak from the body, mishapen bodily growths that can form a hardened protrusion in less than a minute, blood flow abnormalities, erratic eye movements, and drowsiness. Even worse, some people claim to *enjoy it,* and only realize the shameful nature of pleasure when their mothers confront them during the act. When confronted by their partners, they will try to spread the addiction by means of physical contact. Preferred pharmacotherapy includes ssris, antipsychotics, and other cure-alls.
> >
> > -d/r
>
>
Posted by myname20098002 on March 7, 2009, at 21:58:29
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication » myco, posted by myco on March 6, 2009, at 17:21:52
That's it? No helpful replies. Guess it's time to close out the thread.
Posted by myco on March 7, 2009, at 22:09:48
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 7, 2009, at 21:58:29
ok...all joking aside...
The only real 'medicine' to help this kind of thing would be a med that would reduce sexual desire and cause heavy anorgasmia...two side effects that would cut down your ability to 'do the job', so to speak. These include typical heavy seratonin driving SSRI's like paxil for instance...notorious for the 'johnny cums way too lately'. Aside from that you could try meds for OCD - but unfortunately I don't know much about these - mood stabilizers perhaps? like lamitrogene. Not sure from that side. There are no directed meds for this issue dude. Just meds that will induce "useful" side effects.
> That's it? No helpful replies. Guess it's time to close out the thread.
Posted by desolationrower on March 8, 2009, at 4:09:08
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 7, 2009, at 21:58:29
um, ok how about couples therapy?
-d/r
Posted by myco on March 8, 2009, at 11:10:19
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by desolationrower on March 8, 2009, at 4:09:08
have your wank with a cheese grater instead...you'll learn real quick
> um, ok how about couples therapy?
>
> -d/r
Posted by Garnet71 on March 8, 2009, at 12:27:00
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 7, 2009, at 21:58:29
Porn addiction should be treated as other addictions are treated. There are 12-step programs for sex addiction.
Taking medication to suppress your sex drive might either help or delay addiction recovery-I don't know. I'd say an antidepressant might help with dealing with any miserable withdrawal symptoms.
Posted by linkadge on March 8, 2009, at 18:21:34
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication » myname20098002, posted by Garnet71 on March 8, 2009, at 12:27:00
>I'd say an antidepressant might help with >dealing with any miserable withdrawal symptoms.
And then when its time to come off the AD, you can turn to pornography to deal with the miserable withdrawl syptoms.
Linkadge
Posted by yxibow on March 8, 2009, at 23:52:01
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by linkadge on March 8, 2009, at 18:21:34
Its a socio-cultural phenomenon. And its also like trying to argue with religion, because there is a strong societal pressure from some religions on people regarding sexuality.
That being said, as an agnostic -- bring on the porn.
As a certain person noted, when you're down, at least as a male I can say pleasing yourself definitely meets an unmet need.
Its a release for some and, well it might even help insomnia.
I'm not trying to minimize what the average person might consider porn addiction -- not how much porn one has, I mean, what are cheap hard drives for ? -- no seriously, its how much time one spends on it.With a high libido, one may be able to "get off" multiple times a day? Is that a bad thing? I think it belongs more on the social or religious forums if one has issues there.
Real porn addiction would mean one is calling 1-900-etc.. lines all the time, running up tabs on it, and doing it for no good purpose, consuming an unreasonable part of the day.
If that's the case, its not really just medication that is going to do things -- I mean you can even go on a testosterone (males) reducer, but I think that's a harsh thing on the body.
Psychotherapy is going to have more of an impact, and if it does fall in the OC Spectrum which it could, behaviour therapy is probably going to be needed. Deleting files, throwing out tapes, having your phone blocked for 900 #s (although that won't help 800).
So I'm not saying I'm not sympathizing if it is a true obsession -- agents that help OC -might- help but its also as noted, I think strongly a behaviour modification that will take time.
But to be crass, I don't think one should completely cut off that outlet. We're all born (hopefully) with the ability to have pleasure and frankly, if you're depressed or anxious it is a blessing....unless you compare it to alcoholism, which I can't really get into a discussion because I don't know enough about the mechanisms behind that. If one is "prone to" addiction, then maybe abstaining from things for a while until getting them under control may be part of the therapy.
But in a free society, which I hope we live in, use what we have, hedonism is not necessarily a pathology unless it harms other people.-- best wishes
- Jay
Posted by garnet71 on March 9, 2009, at 0:49:31
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by linkadge on March 8, 2009, at 18:21:34
I'm really disappointed with the ignorance and joking about sex addiction on a mental health forum. Disgusted is a better word.
Myname posted a question about porn *addiction* not casual porn use. Porn addiction mirrors other addictions--missed work/jobs are lost, financial ruin, divorces follow, health is comprimised, and people end up in jail. The dynamics of porn addiction are serious because a person who is sexually addicted becomes desensitized and will build a tolerance and need more 'extreme stuff' to get off (child porn) and eventually act out 'in real life' rather than only their computers, which leads to more extreme circumstances.
It's unexcusable to blame the partner of a sex addict as well as I've seen hinted here and on another post in this forum. Halle Barry divorced her sex addict husband; surely he did not seek sex repeatedly with others because 'she wasn't hot enough'. It has nothing to do with religion either-it is an ADDICTION. These are old wives' tales.
Patrick Carnes' book "In the Shadows" about internet sex addiction explains a lot. I've seen a documentary about sex addicts too--what started off as internet porn addiction ended up destroying their lives. One of the addicted persons explained how every waking moment of your life is plagued by the need to 'get off'. Every moment. No different from a herion addiction. That is no way to live, and one cannot possibly be in a marriage or relationship when all your thoughts revolve around sex 24/7. Other countries have opened internet addiction centers--this really is an issue that shouldn't be joked about, but instead, discussed maturely.
Again, the poster asked about sex addiction, not casual porn use. Anyone with addictive tendencies should be aware of the possibility of becoming seriously addicted.
The next time you feel like joking about porn addiction or not taking it seriously, think about the 6 year old girl who is raped repeatedly in front of a webcam to satisfy the urges of child porn users--those who started off with 'porn addiction' then subsequently required more and more extreme to get off. Just because women don't wear it on their foreheads, doesn't mean their are not numerous children--boys and girls-that have to grow up with the pain and knowing that thousands of men might have their rape stored on their hard drive so they can j*ck *ff over and over to their rape and molestation. My God, there are 1 year old babies that are raped.
I used to work with a man whose 2-year old baby girl was raped by a male caregiver. He took a handgun and almost killed the guy, but someone stopped him. Not only does the baby have the propensity to be affected over a lifetime for this, but the father is affected with deep pain and feelings of guilt for not somehow being able to prevent the situation, affected for the rest of his life, and he now has a criminal record in addition to mental health problems he had never had before.
Sex addiction hurts people.
Posted by desolationrower on March 9, 2009, at 1:22:51
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by yxibow on March 8, 2009, at 23:52:01
setting up rules where one abstains compeltely helps create the mindset where the object/activity itself is bad - that is, the thing has moral qualities, instead of the actor having the moral qualities. i can't think of a better way to become obsessed with a thing than to join a 12 step program taht claims to 'free' you from it...
-d/r
Posted by yxibow on March 9, 2009, at 5:08:23
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication » myname20098002, posted by Garnet71 on March 8, 2009, at 12:27:00
By my comments, I wasn't shoving the possibility away.
But there's miles between feeling lonely and satisfying your urges in a legal manner with porn (or without) because you are in a current situation where you don't think you can have sexual relations and criminal behaviour.
I know this personally... lots of side effects, weight, self esteem, a major psychiatric disorder, and hangups about sex and my own orientation from OCD, certainly not from my fairly liberal parents, but from society and surroundings.
Some believe that the -criminally- ill, those with severe urges for minors or other things that I'm sure you can see dramatized on Law and Order SVU. This is an entirely different category.I also don't believe that regardless how repugnant it is to someone else, pure sexual fantasy on the screen, even if it is 'deviant', necessarily leads someone to act on it.
And then there is the belief, and yes, with some backing, that certain people can never reform their sexual behavior after even being released from prison. Tagged with acts in most states, listed sometimes, as 'sexual offenders', they are sometimes held in a psychiatric limbo in jail even after they have "paid their dept to society."
Or laws, some struck down that would prevent them being 1000 feet from just about anywhere, hence allowing nobody to live free anywhere.
And then there are those that are still on those lists, merely for, say, having a consensual homosexual act somehow in public or other entrapment. People have had to fight their way off these lists.
Now, I'm not saying that someone with a true hard core (no pun intended) criminal mental illness as opposed to obsessing about sex far more than the average person are the same thing.
But the term "correctional institution" doesn't seem to have much weight in places... /end soapbox/
These are complex subjects, I agree.
-- Jay
Posted by Sigismund on March 9, 2009, at 5:39:45
In reply to Re: Porn addiction *TRIGGER » linkadge, posted by garnet71 on March 9, 2009, at 0:49:31
I wasn't joking.
I'm sceptical about the widespread application of the concept of addiction.
Opinions differ, is all.
Posted by myco on March 9, 2009, at 11:39:11
In reply to Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 6, 2009, at 1:04:21
My sincerest appologies for making light of this issue. Was in no way trying to offend just trying to inject ease tensions. I wasn't entirely sure it was serious. I guess I tried to use a bit of humour in hopes that myname20098002 would smile and laugh a lil. We need more of this here in our cloud of misery. Hope you take our teasing to seriously. It wasn't directed at you at all, just in general :o)
Posted by Garnet71 on March 9, 2009, at 23:56:06
In reply to Re: Porn addiction *TRIGGER » linkadge, posted by garnet71 on March 9, 2009, at 0:49:31
Sorry I used such a harsh example to convey my point, and I know nobody meant any harm. Clearly, not all cases of porn addiction escalate to that. Although the original poster seemed to be asking a general question, you never know who may be lurking....perhaps someone who finds themself in a really bad situation with this type of addiction; I wouldn't want to deter people away from seeking help if they were to read some of the comments to this post and subsequently think the addiction is not potentially serious or harmful to themselves or others.
BTW, this isn't information I sought from TV (I've never once watched Law and Order or similar programs in my adult life) but from books, two documentaries, coversations with a doctor at a university and author of a book on sex addiction, therapists, psychiatrists, and some personal experiences with the subject at hand.
There really is a lack of awareness on this subject. I can only imagine how many people fall ill to sex addiction, but are suffering, invisibly, due to social stigmas or shame or other variables.
Posted by metric on March 14, 2009, at 19:28:05
In reply to Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 6, 2009, at 1:04:21
> Has anyone heard of medication that can be used to help people with this condition. I was reading that 70% of males between 18 and 30 engage in this behavior on a regular basis and that it has a strong influence on the median forebrain and dopamine production. Obviously, if they are addicted they will need a program of recovery but I'm wondering if there is any drug on the market to assist these men through the initial stages of their recovery.
I wonder whether this devastating new disease be accounted for in next DSM-n.
Is psychiatry reviving its campaign against masturbation? Remember the masturbation epidemic of bygone generations that claimed more than a few adolescent male casualties?
Posted by desolationrower on March 14, 2009, at 21:57:21
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by metric on March 14, 2009, at 19:28:05
> > Has anyone heard of medication that can be used to help people with this condition. I was reading that 70% of males between 18 and 30 engage in this behavior on a regular basis and that it has a strong influence on the median forebrain and dopamine production. Obviously, if they are addicted they will need a program of recovery but I'm wondering if there is any drug on the market to assist these men through the initial stages of their recovery.
>
> I wonder whether this devastating new disease be accounted for in next DSM-n.
>
> Is psychiatry reviving its campaign against masturbation? Remember the masturbation epidemic of bygone generations that claimed more than a few adolescent male casualties?
>
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria
-d/r
Posted by manic666 on March 19, 2009, at 14:51:55
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by desolationrower on March 14, 2009, at 21:57:21
porn addiction are you taking the piss , all those babes with solid *rs*s an great interllect. do you wanna buy some dvds . an to all babbles red tube is free porn so log on so to speak , you guys crack me up
Posted by manic666 on March 21, 2009, at 7:51:58
In reply to Re: Porn addiction and medication, posted by manic666 on March 19, 2009, at 14:51:55
come on who logged on red tude .i no you did
Posted by Questionmark on March 26, 2009, at 15:20:06
In reply to Porn addiction and medication, posted by myname20098002 on March 6, 2009, at 1:04:21
As with most subjects, i feel that most people are too polarized with their opinions on the issue, and i feel somewhere more in the middle than many people (usually with social conservatives on one end and social liberals on the other, as almost everyone seems to be one or the other). I also quite frequently feel fairly uncertain and conflicted on what i think the best position on an issue is (no coincidence that my user name is what it is). Porn, and internet porn in particular, is one of these issues.
I do not feel that it is morally wrong necessarily or in itself to watch porn, at all. I do not feel that there should be any shame in watching porn, in and of itself (and probably relatively speaking of course-- i.e. barring certain illegal forms). And i also agree with several of you in that it can have significant benefits-- or at least, positive aspects. However, i DO wonder if there can, at least potentially, be detrimental qualities to watching porn, for society as a whole and/or an individual. (Keep in mind here also that i am NOT talking about masturbation alone.)
Is it possible that watching porn can, at least potentially, have harmful neurological effects? It is so highly reinforcing and rewarding, and at the same time so easy and convenient (if one has the necessary resources available), and takes so little effort, it is bound to have the potential to be extremely habit-forming. Also, watching porn allows one to have the visual and auditory (in the future it will also probably be tactile) qualities of a real-life sexual encounter, as well as the corresponding powerfully rewarding sexual pleasure that is derived from this (i am also assuming the involvement of masturbation and, at least eventually, orgasm here). It provides all this, but without all of the physical exertion and real human-to-human contact that is normally required and necessarily a part of real-life sexual relations. It makes me wonder if this could have detrimental neurophysiological consequences, maybe of the kind that other excessively rewarding (and sort of artificially rewarding) activities have, such as cocaine and other powerful CNS stimulants-- perhaps a desensitization or down-regulation of dopamine receptors in certain areas of the brain, for example. Now does this mean that occasionally using cocaine or amphetamines or watching porn is *necessARily* wrong or permanently harmful? In my opinion it does not. But it certainly is a risk-- not only the risk of excessive use and possibly addiction but also of disadvantageous brain effects. (I'm also not saying that watching porn is on the same level as using cocaine, or even necessarily detrimental at all in the same way-- i don't know-- but i do wonder if it might be. Now using cocaine AND watching porn, that may be even more detrimental :?) ).
On a similar vein, and for similar reasons, i have wondered if watching porn may gradually and subtly-but-significantly reduce the pleasure and wonder of real-life sexual encounters. The few friends with whom i've discussed this disagreed with me (and offered several counterpoints), but i still seriously wonder.
Finally, i wonder if something so powerfully reinforcing and easily accessible to so many people can have negative cultural and societal impacts. For one thing, how much of our time (of which we modern people are grossly in short supply anyway) is spent watching porn, especially for us males? It will probably only continue to increase in population number and time proportion. Now sure, it has its benefits. In some ways it is a positive recreational activity, like drinking or getting high or watching a movie. But you cannot do anything else while watching porn as you can while drunk or high. And there are no real messages to be discovered like watching a movie (which is also why i think many TV shows and some movies are worthless and detrimental). And unless you're watching with a partner or spouse, there is no social connecting whatsoever when watching porn. It is largely a completely solitary activity. So if we modern humans are consistently spending enormous amounts of time watching porn, we are missing out on numerous other possible uses of our time, such as connecting with each other, learning & gaining knowledge, helping others, helping ourselves, creating, inventing, working, and the list goes on. So, bottom line, for an individual, watching porn is not necessarily detrimental, but for society as a whole, it concerns me. (Is it possible, for example, that if internet and other porn were available in the late 1700s, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Jefferson, and others would have been too busy watching strangers have sex on a screen to accomplish all that they did to help us create our new great nation?)
There are other factors that make me wonder if porn may have some negative societal or cultural consequences. I won't go into detail or into all of them since i've rambled enough, but for instance are or will men develop [even more] unreasonable expectations for women in the bedroom (or vise versa)?
Okay, enough, i'll stop. ... I'm not saying people should feel guilty for watching porn. I'm just saying we need to think about it. Think about the potential consequences. Don't just assume it's without detriment because it has some significant positive aspects or because it's available and widely used. Just as i would tell the anti-porn people that just because it might have some negative qualities does not mean it is without some benefits or should be shame-inducing. Of course, i don't even know what the solution should or would-- or *could*-- be if hypothetically say, scientific studies suggested and some panel of scientists, philosophers, and psychologists concluded that watching porn was more detrimental overall than beneficial. But still, we should think about these things. We should wonder. Question what you assume to be right... or wrong.
god i'm an idiot. This was so long, i'm sorry.
But to the original poster, i agree with the others who said that therapy would be the most beneficial and effective thing for porn addiction. That said, if you absolutely needed pharmaceutical assistance, serotonergic drugs and atypical antipsychotics would probably be the most beneficial (other than directly estrogenic or anti-androgenic substances, which i would think would be too extreme).
This is the end of the thread.
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