Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

SJWarCleric OP wrote

Reply to comment by masque in The Porn Crisis That Isn’t by SJWarCleric

I totaly get what you're saying but I also am suspicious of the overapplication of the word "addiction."And while the self-reported cases of "porn addiction" might be overreported due to relifious guilt, I'm sure there are legitimate cases of addiction that involves porn. (If not addiction proper, I've heard there have been damaging cases of ADHD and OCD where it becomes a fixation that takes over the person's life. Like a "shopping addiction" or "gaming addiction" I'm not sure that I feel comfortable with the colloquial "addiction" in those cases.) Also I suspect it's a bit of a tricky issue due to being less of a substance and more of a behavior? Perhaps "compulsion" is a better word. For example, when my anxiety gets high for an extended period, I develop certain cleaning compulsions that feel out of my control. But I'm not addicted to cleaning?

I suppose there's a sort of chicken-egg thing of "which came first" that could be considered in cases of addiction (of any kind.) Between self-medication (or in the case of porn, self-soothing) due to stress/trauma VS how someone is wired causing them to become dependent on an action or substance. Which I believe is somewhat debated, at least between the colloquial sense of addiction vs the actual biological processes.

So, as a personal example. I'm asexual. I don't have an interest in having sex unless my partner wants to, and even then it's probably not going to happen. I generally don't have a libido either. But occasionally when I'm on my period, it's easier to just masturbate as a method of helping with cramps and weird feelings, that to me are otherwise alien. I have no shame about it (not religious) but it's inconvenient and I'd rather spend time doing something else. But when my symptoms get really bad, I will "give in" to the urge. (This is like, once a month maybe. When my symptoms are really heinous it might be a multiple times a day sort a thing. But then I'll also go for months without needing to. Just depends on the particular period.) I don't believe that this means I'm addicted to masturbating.

I also eat and drink water and take medications and use the restroom even though I'd rather not have to lol

3