If you are a man, or if you know a man, you need to read this article. If you are a lady, or you know a woman, you need to read this article.
Read this article. This article comes from the
Husbands and Dads Blog.
Written by Chris Diggins, professional counselor (LMHC). You can check out his practice and blog by visiting Relationship Counseling Seattle.
Pornography is sometimes viewed as "normal" or an "art form." A person might say, "What's wrong with it?…I am not hurting anybody….everybody does it." Those who promote, want to use, or can't stop using porn, often have this perspective.
Here are some of the harmful consequences:
1. Porn often leads to more harmful sexually addictive behavior; e.g., compulsive masturbation, fantasy, promiscuity, exhibitionism, soliciting prostitutes, pedophilia, and rape. The user tends to gravitate toward the type of porn most being observed.
2. Porn by its very nature isolates an individual-making him more intent on satisfying selfish needs even at the expense of his marriage, family, financial stability, and career.
3. Porn stimulates a very powerful sexual desire followed by sexual release, most often through masturbation. Unfortunately, the release provides only momentary satisfaction, then an escalation of the behavior is required in an attempt to maintain a high level of sexual arousal.
4. Porn has the ability to control the user where he cannot stop. The fantasies occur more frequently as the addiction progresses.
Of the
two pleasure centers in the brain, one is high impact, thrilling pleasure stimulated by pornography, erotic fantasies, or new sexual encounters. The other is a steady, less intense pleasure realized by walking on a beach, making love with a long term partner, helping a child with homework, experiencing deep feelings (painful or pleasant) and sharing them in a significant relationship.