Has adult entertainment addiction caused you to lose your libido and experience ED ?

[Chip Douglas]

39 year-old heavy chronic adult entertainment user here. I know there's a growing number of males, even in their 20ies experiencing these issues - adult entertainment addiction, just like any other addictions, causes neuroplasticity changes to take place in the reward pathways - pursuant to this, one becomes desensitized to regular sexual intercourse or to his mate. Worded differently, over time you're no longer being sexually aroused by your mate and the only way to get ''some'' reward is to masturbate to adult entertainment. Masturbation is only the conduit and isn't the real problem - the real problem is adult entertainment -such is the theory at least.

Instead of further expanding on this topic, here's a very good place laying it all out : http://yourbrainonporn.com/

I've lost all libido for a number of years and have moderate ED - medicine, psychiatry and psychology have investigated my case from every possible angle. I've been found to have ADHD, GAD and dysthymia. I've had a penile doppler done and blood flow proved unremarkable - all hormones have been looked into a number of times - I'm myself a health care worker, just so you know. It's also common in those with ADHD to have such addiction issues. Obviously, I don't want to expand on my own case, because there's no need to, but what I want to find out about is whether those like me who have been masturbating to adult entertainment for years have also experienced total or near total loss of libido as a result of this ?

Thanks for reading,
Cheers.

 

[MAXAMEYES]

There is, in fact, no such thing as a adult entertainment addiction.

 

[Chip Douglas]

The DSM-IV doesn't list adult entertainment as being an addiction, but this kind of behavior is common in those with ADHD. ADHD/ADD is more common than most people might think.

 

[itsk]

I've noticed occasionally I'll use adult entertainment too often and masturbation w/o it completely bores me, when that happens i usually force myself to go w/o adult entertainment for a few days and usually does the trick. That's the only experience i have on the subject though.

 

[Turnover]

adult entertainment has a powerful effect on the mind. Addiction works the same way for a lot of people. Maybe there is no technical "addiction" to adult entertainment, like some say you can not get "addicted" to marijuana. Well come on now that is just the same wolf in different wool. People with addictive personalities go from one addiction to the next. Years and years ago I learned in mandatory rehab that addicts move from addiction to addiction so the best way to make that work is to change the addiction from an unhealthy addiction to something more productive. Like if you're addicted to television, try changing the addiction to loving to go on long walks. Thats probably not the best example since someone addicted to t.v. is not likely to go outside as an addiction, my point is you switch it from something unhealthy to something productive. If I was addicted to adult entertainment I would try and move my addiction to an addiction of drawing pictures...or whatever you would see as therapeutic. Personally I have lots of hobbies, I have been going through addiction for many years, so I have learned many healthy ways to keep my mind focused on other things unhealthy for me like alcohol or television, a big one I am working on for the 1st time in my life is no sex, zero, none...people I tell that to don't even know what that means, even my mom is like honey you need to just meet someone...its a hard one.

adult entertainment is something easy to become "addicted" to because it feels good, and its easy to access. So you can't look at much adult entertainment while you are out so you should go out more! They say in rehab, "once an addict, always an addict" not as a term of condemnation but more as a way to help you understand how to work with your behavior. Lots of people are this way, they even have groups for every kind of addiction these days; even sex. I stopped looking at adult entertainment a long time ago because I had such a difficult experience and seeing other people interacting in intercourse gave me lots of painful emotions so I had to leave it alone and even when looking back at it now and then I still have not been able to find it useful. Will that ever go back to being the way it was as something I enjoy? I hope so. I don't think adult entertainment is unhealthy when used appropriately. If you are using it too often try cutting back, maybe think of it like smoking. You don't have to go cold turkey. Think of ways to reward yourself when you do a good job. Treat it as you would if you were quitting alcohol. They have a lot of the same characteristics.

 

[MAXAMEYES]

There is an entire Universe of difference between
1. An addiction
2. An obsession
3. An excuse.

And critical self-examination is in critical short-supply these days.

 

[Turnover]

Tomato: Tamoto

ob·sess
   [uhb-ses]
–verb (used with object)
1.
to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally: Suspicion obsessed him.
–verb (used without object)
2.
to think about something unceasingly or persistently; dwell obsessively upon something.

ad·dict·ed/əˈdiktid/Adjective
1. Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.
2. Enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity