Masturbation/porn possibly linked to SAD and depression

I forgot to add something else about desensitization. When it 1st starts, its on a very small scale...... I bet anyone who watches porn rarely goes back to the same video that started it all. Why ...because it doesn't excite them anymore. Its human nature to want more and up the ante. They find themselves looking for more and more stimulus......it takes longer and longer to find one that will do it for them.

For a man who's using it once in a while, it probably won't interfere with his excitement for his partner. But for the couple who's having challenges and perhaps an average sex life....naturally a Cirque De Soleil video can't compete with average sex with his partner. Then when he does try having sex, it takes longer and longer to climax and usually has to finish with a hand job. Most videos don't really show what a woman wants and its not having it all over her hair and face.....contrary to how most end.

Yes I do. I have already sited a few credible sources earlier in this thread.

Have some more:

The abstract of this book: Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography Consumption - Springer
An article on that book that details more on the study: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...or-detrimental

Another article:
All men watch porn, and it is not bad for them - Health News - Health & Families - The Independent

Yet another article:
New research suggests porn is overly demonized | Health Tech - CNET News

Article on the health benefits of masturbation:
5 Health Benefits of Masturbation | Men's Health News

The link to the site where I got my statistics on mental health frequency:
NIMH · The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America

Don't belittle me by assuming that I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm not someone who studies brains, but I am linking you to actual studies conducted by people who do and you're dismissing them by saying that everything I'm saying has no weight. The good thing about this stuff is that it's true regardless of what you want to believe or not. Alcohol does not cause alcoholism, food does not cause obesity, video games do not cause video game addiction, and porn does not cause depression. If you want to live your life without porn and mastubation then go ahead. I don't care what healthy things you choose to deprive yourself of. But don't go around trying to force people to follow your life style by saying that porn is inherently wrong.

Which shows how clueless you are. Because porn ED is real.

Well I'm not trying to force you or anyone else to do anything. Just posting info.

Again, porn does not cause this. This is the fault of the person who is abusing the porn. Absolutely everything in life can be abused and misused
regardless of how healthy it is. Some people can't drink at all because it becomes a problem for them. Same thing with porn. If you can't handle watching porn a healthy amount, then don't. But just because you can't that doesn't mean there is anything inherently wrong or unhealthy about porn.

Yes it does, that's why it's called porn ED. You don't know what you're on about.

Now that's a bit excessive. Not many things are universally and inherently "bad." Like Growlithing said, just because porn certainly might be bad for some people doesn't meant it'll have a damaging effect on everyone.

Never said that. I said porn ED is caused by porn, never said everybody who watched porn would get it.

Here's a link that explains it simply:

Can You Trust Your Johnson? | Your Brain On Porn

Porn ED is caused by too much porn. It is something men can normally reverse by stopping consuming porn for 4-8 weeks. It's not like sitting down and watching one porno will destroy your ability to get an erection without porn and it is not like watching one or two videos will make you physically addicted to porn. It's just like alcoholism. Drinking one or two shots of vodka and/or occasionally getting drunk does not make you an alcoholic. What makes you an alcoholic is continued excessive exposure that you choose to do. It's not like alcohol is this evil thing that will suck you into its trap. You become an alcoholic when you are self medicating your problems. It's the exact same thing for porn related ED.

Yeah but that's by people who are biased against porn.
Those religious nuts and sexual prudes, like me, who watched porn for 17 years.

Again, this is that same propaganda website.

Porn also helps people explore their sexuality. It can be a healthy tool in relationships for communicating things they want to try or giving them new ideas. It is also a safe way to explore aspects of your personality that is not possible to carry out in the real world.

Indeed that is correct. The problem is with porn is often you don't know you're an addict. We're often told that masturbation is healthy, and so therefore, masturbating to porn every night is healthy. Which it isn't imo.

I'm not totally against porn in moderation and didn't perceive it to be a propaganda website. Its a fact some people are addicted to porn and find it hard to have functioning sex IRL. I don't come from the religious angle at all....just a scientific and medical view. When there used to be a Q&A section here at PC, we got many questions from men who couldn't orgasm with intercourse. Does it happen to all men - no but men should be aware of the risks and how to use it in a healthy way. I only get into these discussions because I care about men. Maybe you'll trust Psychology Today:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...le-dysfunction

Sorry, I misread you. I though you were implying that everyone who watches porn would get negative side-effects.

But you don't avoid food out of fear of becoming addicted.

This argument has long since become stupid and I'm not going to continue wasting my energy talking to people who are already steadfast in their opinions and consider everyone who presents a differing perspective to be uneducated and uninformed before even hearing their position. Yes, some people have problems with porn. It can be damaging for some people. But for the majority of the population, it is a healthy and natural part of life. I hope that whatever problems you are having with porn and your sexual life resolves.

If you are masturbating to porn every night, then, if I may ask, when are you having partner sex? Are you masturbating to porn nightly in addition to partner sex, or, solely?

Sorry if this is too personal, but this forum overall has people open up on personal issues, so I thought I'd ask.

This is a key question.

Porn is not like food. You don't need porn to survive so therefore your entire argument is pointless. If you're comparing porn to sex then you're making an even bigger mistake. Most humans need sex but not porn. Porn is manmade, masturbation isn't, but porn with masturbation can warp a person sexually, but not always.

About me personally. I masturbated to porn almost every night despite being single or in a realationship. Now I know the effects and the effects on me I've stopped.

It has happened to many men. A lot are married and often porn is a secret addiction.

Lynn - the article on psychology today lists, as the first example (I do not have time to read it in its entirety) a typical nerd with socialization issues. He does not have partner sex until age 23 (which is probably later than the median age of sexual debut for American males - the guy must have gone through college without having a girlfriend, which is non-standard). He then writes:

"At university, I was a computer nerd with glasses and no social life, though I played a lot of sport. I'd stay in my room and study, play guitar or masturbate. I got pretty good at all these things."

So he himself makes the point I made earlier on this thread, without the benefit of reading this article, but, rather, just conjecturing by applying common sense.

The guy was socially awkward IN THE FIRST PLACE. Hence problems. Hence too much porn. Not the other way around. Exacerbating? Maybe, but not the other way around altogether.

Look - why would one watch so much porn if one can interact with the people around him, and, possibly, have sex with them? Why, oh why? The guy played guitar IN HIS ROOM. The guys (and gals) I knew in the days of my youth played guitar surrounded by spellbound listeners (me included). They were not socially inept.

This guy goes on:

"I want to be connected with the rest of the world and enjoy my life. I've been using porn to escape"

So he is able to identify the problem - he was using porn to escape from his issues/loneliness. That it can exacerbate the underlying issues is quite possible, but I cannot believe that a cool, smart, intelligent guy without underlying socialization issues would willingly give up partner sex with cool, smart, attractive women in favor of sitting in front of the computer screen for hours a day.

Let us listen to him - he says that his porn use was part of escapism from something that was bothering him in the first place.