Did you know that porn addiction isn't a thing?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/201808/science-stopped-believing-in-porn-addiction-you-should-too

"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.

Having moral conflict over your porn use (PPMI) does turn out to be bad for you. But that's not because of the porn. Instead, higher levels of moral conflict over porn use predict higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and diminished sexual well-being, as well as religious and spiritual struggles. In one study by Perry and Whitehead, pornography use predicted depression over a period of six years, but only in men who disapproved of porn use. Continuing to use porn when you believe that it is bad is harmful. Believing that you are addicted to porn and telling yourself that you're unable to control your porn use hurts your well-being. It's not the porn, but the unresolved, unexamined moral conflict."

TL;DR: Porn addiction isn't a thing, and if you feel harmed by it, you can get help but you're not addicted to porn, you just have something else going on.

Enjoy being horny and enjoying yourself, just know that porn isn't inherently addictive like heroin.

EDIT: I don't know how to say that I'm using heroin as a *metaphor* for how *prudes and conservatives* use view both drugs and pornography. That they are both the same in their eyes, not mine. They don't rally around gambling being a vice as much as natural existence.

Science Stopped Believing in Porn Addiction, You Should, Too

Research finds that porn-related problems are predominantly caused by religious conflict. Clinically, this means people need help, but not necessarily with the porn.

Psychology Today
@q If you're looking it up in inappropriate places (what many also think of as "porn addiction"), that's an impulse control problem, not an addiction.
Did you know that porn addiction isn't a thing?
@q
thank you so much for sharing this, it makes perfect sense and i appreciate knowing the research consensus…. yet another thing my religious upbringing and trauma got completely wrong >>
@q It's almost as if purity culture is the problem and enjoying "naughty" content is perfectly natural.
@q Not surprising. It's always a very specific type coming forward talking about their "porn addiction". It's like "oh no, I'm not really watching porn, I'm too pure and christian for that, but I got curious once and caught in a vicious cycle of addiction beyond my control. Pls believe me." ​

Yeah, right. C'mon. Just enjoy your porn.

@q
Porn is quite boring repetitive and predictible in script and images so may be people are looking at more porn just in the hope to see something new and horny♨️

Same problem with Netflix movies most of them boring and predictible scripts.

Looking at boring things is depressing
Just use your own imagination 🫠

@q Quibble: Heroin is addictive. That is a very different thing from being inherently evil and corruptive

Otherwise, excellent info, thanks for sharing!

@SallyStrange I have changed the wording now, apologies as I thought the metaphor for how conservatives and prudes view the same was clearer.
@q Thanks for posting this. Doesn't surprise me at all. I suspect the "addiction" thing originates from conservatives trying to invent reasons to make porn seem like a bad thing.
@q I disagree, but I'm too much of a coward and a prude to explain my reasoning 😨
@q I didn't really believe in porn addiction in the first place (felt strange and inconsistent), but I needed to hear this anyway. Thanks for sharing.
@q Humans (and indeed all life forms) are instinctively driven to reproduce, and as such are attracted to sexual stimuli. "Porn addiction" as a concept is ridiculous. You might as well tell someone they're addicted to air, or water.

@q
"porn isnt inherently evil and corrupting like heroin"

Fuck off with this.
Heroin is not any more inherently evil or "corrupting" than anything else on earth.

Challenge your stigma against drug users like you challenge the stigma against porn users. Educate yourself on the ACTUAL effects of drugs.

@joemama I have changed the wording now, apologies as I thought the metaphor for how conservatives and prudes view the same was clearer.