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Pornography and Mental Health: How Porn Can Ruin Your Life

5/12/2014

2 Comments

 
Let's skip over the moral debate, just bypass that altogether. In fact, let's work from the perspective that pornography is just like any other activity or hobby. 

Pornography's accessibility is incredibly easy. Statistics show that the average age of exposure is 11, and the largest and fastest growing consumer of internet pornography are kids aged 12-17. That's alarming, especially considering this is the developmental period when kids learn about and experience relationships. 

There is a natural process of learning about romance: the innocence of sliding a note to someone, asking a friend to ask for you, actually saying "i like you." Pornography bypasses this maturation process and pushes people into a completely different world. Kids and even young adults aren't psychologically and neurologically mature, so pornographic content becomes a part of their maturation and personal belief system. 

A relationship is an emotional connection with another; pornography is a lonely attempt to satisfy your needs.
There is a must-watch TEDxGlasgow talk about how the brain is affected by pornography, I really recommend it. In that video, the presenter speaks about dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in the reward system. The reward system is linked to the prefrontal cortex, a brain area that develops well into a person's late 20s. Internet pornography gives you perceived satisfaction with the click of a button, something that is impossible in real life.

Imagine the idea that you could feel satisfied with one click of a button, you believed that satisfaction and happiness were that easy. That's an unrealistic goal and unrealistic goals can lead to relationship issues, personal disappointments, and psychological disorders.

In working with couples where one or both are addicted to porn, there are usually expressions of marital emptiness and dissatisfaction. Over 50% of divorces involve one or both persons having an obsessive interest in pornography. Pornography was sought to fill a void or provide novelty. In reality, it isolates and distances people. Part of the work is understanding the personal void and helping couples reconnect in a healthy, meaningful way. 

Individuals with an addiction to pornography talk about a chase of making a fleeting moment of satisfaction more permanent. It warps your mind and belief system much in the same way that Hollywood movies do. The work here involves increasing awareness that this is an unhealthy chase that can't be won, and permanent satisfaction is based in actual relationships, not internet content. 

Most assume that pornography addiction is almost exclusively a problem for boys and men. That's simply not the case as about 1/3 of the visitors to pornographic websites are women. So it's a problem that's faced by both boys and girls and men and women.

Pornography and other addictions can literally change the neural circuitry of your brain. It can alter your emotions and belief system. However, it's never too late to better and work on yourself. 


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2 Comments
Brock
10/24/2014 08:06:55 pm

I don't care whether you are religious or not because pornography will impact your life in a very negative way it is a hopeless pursuit it profits you nothing it wastes your time and energy and forces you into a life a loneliness and isolation it will alter the way you look at women and you will have zero respect for women trust me it is not worth the time to struggle with an addiction to porn and if your married it will ruin your marriage and either you will lie and go behind their back or they will find out and they will be torn up inside now I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad but this is the truth and the truth can be harsh and bitter but this is why it is not worth it!

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TFCKnoxville
10/28/2014 12:45:28 pm

Thanks for your comment, Brock. Thanks for sharing your experience and you hit the nail on the head. Pornography skews reality whether it's your personal beliefs, relationships, or psychology.

I wish you well.

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    Salmaan Toor is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Knoxville, TN.

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