No ED, a heavy porn user? Why quit?

Calvin83

Member
If someone does not have ED, does that mean their not desensitized?
Do you risk permanent damage to your dopamine receptors or permamently decreased sensitization?
I think Gary Wilson said in one of his speeches that you don't have to have ED in order to be desensitized I'm trying to find a video on YouTube but he has so much content it's hard to find.

 
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William

Guest
Porn induced erectile dysfunction, as well as anorgasmia, are two symptoms of porn addiction.  If you have both, you are, almost certainly, an addict.  That said, the symptoms, like the addiction, take time to develop.  You are not an addict the first time you watch porn, maybe not even the hundredth time, but if you watch it over years, it can become addictive, meaning you sensitize to porn, as a trigger to a dopamine high, over reality, as a trigger to a dopamine high.  Experience here tells us you begin to sensitize to porn (and desensitize to the real deal) before the end-game physical symptoms manifest themselves.  By this I mean many become addicted before they see the physical symptoms.  On the other hand, there are people who watch porn, are not addicts, and never experience the physical symptoms.  In a sense, everyone who "likes" watching porn is somewhat sensitized to it, because what they "like" about it is only the dopamine rush that many do not understand they are using porn to get to. 
 

JediMaster

Member
A lot of what you guys are talking about has nothing to do with whether or not someone is addicted. Addiction has a definition that can apply to many things. Just because you watch a whole video in no way means you're less likely to be an addict. Being addicted to porn means that you are in some way dependent on it. Whether it's to escape feelings, reality, loneliness or whatever. If you feel you are dependent on it if you feel as if you can't stop thinking about it if you feel that it's causing problems in your life or causing distress. Those are all things that tell you that you may be addicted. The content has nothing to do with it. If you've reached the hundredth time and it has only been a month or two, then you might have a problem. Excessive use doesn't necessarily mean addiction, but an addict generally uses excessively in their lowest or on the regular. And not using excessively also doesn't mean that you aren't an addict. It really depends on the kind of effect it has on your life as does any other addiction.
 
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Numez

Guest
asking why you should quit heavy porn use if you have no ED is the reason to quit.

gary wilson said it nicely, fish does not what is water. if you are heavy user you are probably using porn for years and you dont see the damage because you cant compare how would you feel if you did not used it for years. like fish cant compare how it is to be outside of water. as a heavy porn user you are probably experiencing a whole lot of consequences of porn without being fully aware of them.

think of porn like its heroin, it eats your brain. you need brain in life for thinking and feeling. thats the reason to quit. yes cigarettes, junk food, social drinking etc. its all damaging too.. but not as heroin or cocaine. porn is up in there with hardcore drugs so its not a joke to be a porn addict.

forget about erections, brain is responsible for a lot more things in life. quit porn and enjoy the ride.

im just wondering what you mean by heavy porn user? how often you use it? how long you been watching porn? do you switch between videos very often or stick to only one?



 

JediMaster

Member
Psychological Dependence and addiction go hand in hand. We all know addiction. If you stop using your substance of choice, you will have withdrawal symptoms. Physical Dependance is when you have negative physical effects from stopping. Psychological Dependence is when you have emotional and motivational problems after stopping substance use.

Whether it's to escape feelings, reality, loneliness or whatever. If you feel you are dependent on it if you feel as if you can't stop thinking about it if you feel that it's causing problems in your life or causing distress.
Many people, including Gabe Deem, Noah Church, and myself, weren't using to "escape feelings, reality, loneliness", and weren't unable to "stop thinking about it", but rather developed ED, low sex drive, profound desensitization and hypofrontality and other problems, and this is the manifestation of addiction brain changes.

That comparison doesn't make any sense. I was talking about things that may cause someone to use porn and become addicted. I did not say they were the only causes. Everything you stated about yourself, Gabe Deem, and Noah Church, are only effects that porn has had on you. They are not the reasons that you use porn. Those are all things that can happen in the midst of porn addiction but they are not causes or reasons for going to porn. I'm sure there are reasons why we've all gone to porn and I'm sure they're all different. Just be aware of the difference when you're talking about reasons for going to porn or effects that porn has had on you.

A) Unlikely to cause addiction-related brain changes because it doesn't keep dopamine perpetually high in the way that surfing videos does
That's not necessarily true for everyone. For example, if someone is overly stressed in life, they may watch multiple full videos for hours. That can cause many of the same symptoms of addiction and addicted behaviors. You are speaking to one way of addiction and it affects. That is not the only way to be addicted.


B) Needing frequently changing content is a sign of of addiction brain changes, namely sensitization and tolerance

That is a sign, but it's not the only sign. You seem to be looking at this through a straw. There is more than one way to be addicted. There is more than one way one's addiction can work. There are many many ways an addiction can occur. People get addictions because whatever the substance, it makes them feel good. Whatever the reason they need to feel good can range from "I just like the feeling" to "everything in life sucks".

Also, I never said one video. ED can happen whether or not you go through a full video. It's repeated use that can cause PIED. It' not necessarily that they switch between videos or the way they were introduced. If I, for example, got off to multiple times a day always to full-length videos for years, that can cause PEID. So it doesn't always matter how they were introduced or the reasons they did it. What matters is whether or not they repeat the use consistently for a long time.
 

JediMaster

Member
You can't increase something if it remains constant. My analogy was hours a day consistently. Even with no escalation, it can still turn into addiction if it isn't already. Those aren't the only characteristics of an addiction, causing distress in life or interferes with life are also important effects of addiction.

Anyway, we're getting off-topic. You do not need to have ED to be desensitized. It can happen before you get to PIED. And no, you can change the wiring of your dopamine receptors to fire to things that are more naturally stimulating.
 
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