Author(s): Cotigă, Alin C.; Dumitrache, Sorina D.
Abstract:
Introduction:
The effects of pornography consumption among men are revealed by both hundreds of internet testimonies and specialists who deal with such effects. This topic raises strong questions and determines the search for valid answers, as this behavior becomes addictive in some cases. There is a strong consideration among specialists that pornography consumption can be related to other problems.
Objectives:
The present paper aims to clarify some sexuality aspects in the pornography consumption context, in an attempt to understand both the brain mechanisms and the psychological factors involved in it.
Methods:
The method used was the investigation of the literature and the analysis of some clinical cases from our practice.
Results:
Pornography consumption influences the person’s behavior as he resorts to this type of stimulation to cope with life dissatisfaction. Even if the compulsive behavior fades to remission, the individual may relapse if the true cause that predisposes him to pornographic material consumption is not found. Therefore, it is needed to identify the psychological mechanisms that cause and maintain this behavior or that can favor relapse.
Conclusion:
Mental health specialists should take in consideration the possible effects of pornography consumption on men sexual behaviors, men sexual difficulties and other attitudes related to sexuality.
KEY EXCERPTS FROM THE STUDY:
Mental health specialists should take in consideration the possible effects of pornography consumption on men sexual behaviors, men sexual difficulties and other attitudes related to sexuality. In the long term pornography seems to create sexual dysfunctions, especially the individual’s inability to reach an orgasm with his partner. Someone who spends most of his sexual life masturbating while watching porn engages his brain in rewiring its natural sexual sets (Doidge, 2007) so that it will soon need visual stimulation to achieve an orgasm.
Many different symptoms of porn consumption, such as the need to involve a partner in watching porn, the difficulty in reaching orgasm, the need for porn images in order to ejaculate turn into sexual problems. These sexual behaviors may go on for months or years and it may be mentally and bodily associated with the erectile dysfunction, although it is not an organic dysfunction. Because of this confusion, which generates embarrassment, shame and denial, lots of men refuse to encounter a specialist
Pornography offers a very simple alternative to obtain pleasure without implying other factors that were involved in human’s sexuality along the history of mankind. The brain develops an alternative path for sexuality which excludes “the other real person” from the equation. Furthermore, pornography consumption in a long term makes men more prone to difficulties in obtaining an erection in a presence of their partners.
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