As Porn Goes Up, Performance Goes Down?

[seabeyond]

Through a fluke of fate, my website has become a hangout for some amazing people, including men determined to wean themselves from porn. Their efforts have taught me more than I ever wanted to know about this subject. A few years ago one wrote,

I am sure that if a study were actually done with honest men, we would see correlation between porn viewing and erectile dysfunction. The porn industry takes advantage of the uninformed public and makes billions. Then the pharmaceutical companies sell us costly sexual enhancement drugs to treat the side effects—and make billions.

Turns out he wasn't an exception.

As Internet speed has soared, so has masturbation to videos. They are easily accessible, increasingly extreme—and much more stimulating than Playboys of the past. Alas, most experts are not thinking in terms of "degree of stimulation affecting brain chemistry balance/wiring." They're still thinking of all porn as "nothing more than a masturbation aid," and therefore harmless, or even beneficial. Since Internet videos are such a recent trend, it's possible that the standard thinking simply hasn't had time to catch up with the reality of today's porn and its risks.

The porn/potency connection is surprisingly treacherous. Most men's potency isn't affected by porn...until it is. So the problem seems illusory until it catches up with someone—at which point he tends to mistake hotter porn as the cure. More extreme material further desensitizes his brain. At this juncture, most men clutch at any explanation other than porn use for their symptoms, due to their growing dependency.

*

The good news is that erectile dysfunction brought on by heavy porn use is apparently reversible. The painful part is that the sufferer has to surrender his compulsive porn use—a sacrifice that is surprisingly tough.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/201003/porn-goes-performance-goes-down
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I had always thought that I was using porn as a substitute for real sex, when it wasn't available. But then I realized the obvious: for me, porn *was* sex! Looking at videos I'd get hard instantly. In bed with an actual woman, however, I was just confused, not horny. I stopped watching porn for good. My doctor had given me a prescription for generic Viagra, which I used in small amounts. My aim was to get into a "positive cycle". In the beginning I couldn't even have sex after taking a boner pill! Then eventually I could perform with them, and finally, after more than two porn-free months, I've had sex without any medical aid, and will probably continue to do so! I feel so relieved. Judging from the number of replies on this thread, it seems that we're talking about a very serious issue. I live in Europe, and haven't come across much public discussion or research concerning porn-induced ED. While we're waiting for definitive scientific evidence, I encourage everyone to *stop* looking at porn. There's really nothing to lose if you do. For me it was a decision between a healthy relationship and jerking off alone in front of a computer. Which one of these do *you* prefer?

It is scary how little awareness there is on the net that ED caused by too much porn is a very real problem. It's not about us lacking confidence, or being uneasy around our lovers, I truly believe its all about desensitization. Although my heart and soul are in my lover, she just can't physically arouse me. She can't compete, no girl can ever compete, with the endless sexual visual fiction porn offers.

I was in the same boat as most everyone here. I became hooked on internet porn and was unable to keep an erection when attempting intercourse with an actual woman. This shocked me into stopping my daily porn/masturbation cold turkey, as I knew that sex with a real woman was no longer a big enough kick to get me excited. After a week of cold turkey I tried again with her and another no go. I faked a bad headache and went home. One week later, after almost 3 weeks of zero porn/masturbation, I felt that this was going to possibly be my last chance with this woman. I was really stressing out. I was really expecting that going cold turkey this long would leave me horny as hell, but actually I felt just the opposite - like I just wasn't interested any more. Maybe my libido was shot. Anyway, the morning of the big day I started fantasizing about having sex with this woman - like we were really doing it, what it would actually feel like. I felt the old juice coming back if you know what I mean. I worked on it throughout the day. I was still nervous that night, but I'd built my desire for her and when the time came I was really wanting her (not some DDD porn star) - and I performed! Needless to say, I'm totally done with porn and I have to say that I don't seem to miss it at all. Just get that **** out of your life!

This is an interesting conversation, along with others on this forum. I have read many discussions about the negative effects of porn and masturbation on forums with a religious slant. But this discussion is purely from a non-religious practical focus: you guys are connecting a (excessive) porn/masturbation habit with ED symptoms. And most of you are fairly young. I have had a problem with this myself for the last couple years, but I am in my late 40s. My urologist told me my ED problem was most likely in my head and gave me a prescription for Levitra. I think the connection between too much porn/masturbation and ED is legit. You rarely read about that in literature about ED, they just cite "stress" or "emotional factors". But here on this thread there are over 70 replies, most of them saying the same thing---it seems to contribute to the problem. The thing is, nobody is going to talk about this face to face with other guys they know.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Mens-Health/22-with-porn-induced-erectile-dysfunction/show/469209?page=1

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someone sent me a link to the thread of hundreds of men from high teens, thru out 20's into 40's, discussing ED issues that they associate with porn use and unable to have sex with real women. one of the most common things stated in these posts were young guys going to doctors to see if they had a physical problem contributing to their issue. they were told they were healthy. the medical community did not address porn. doing search on the net for ED problems did not suggest porn. and these young guys and men were relieved to find this site, that discussed use of porn being an issue.

[Little Star]

1. Holy Crap! That thought never crossed my mind...

I wonder if Dr's even give this a thought when treating ED?

[Trillo]

2. Seems it might be a factor in lowering the birth rate.

Just a guess. If porn does lower the birthrate, that would seem to be a good thing, given that environmental poisoning of various kinds seems to be human-population driven. With 7 billion+ people in the world, it also doesn't seem like we're in any danger of extinction right now.

Anthony Damato (PDF file) has correlated 25 years of greater porn access to lower incidence of rape.

[BainsBane]

4. We already have a negative birth are in the US

And in the industrialized West. Immigration is the only reason the US population isn't declining.

[BainsBane]

3. Interesting

Another effect is that it makes ordinary sex seem boring to them and can sometimes lead to increased correlation between a dependence on violence for sexual arousal.

[Trillo]

5. That seems somewhat the opposite of what Damato

observed in the stats, at least in regards to rape.

[BainsBane]

6. Rape is not the only manifestation of violence

Last edited Fri Jan 18, 2013, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

BDSM, for example, which is what I was thinking of.

In regard to rape, there is a difference between correlation and casualty. The linked piece is sparse. For his argument to be valid, he would need to show that those who watched porn were less likely to rape than those who didn't. His argument is far from convincing, particularly since it hinges on the relationship between Internet access and criminal reports of rape rather than any evidence of pornography consumption. The author has carried out no primary research himself. I find it a weak piece. I'm not saying the argument is out of the question, but he doesn't provide convincing evidence to support it.

[seabeyond]

7. not to mention a number of times it has been pointed out, across the nation, police force downgrade

or flat out are not reporting rape cases.

i have provided so many articles. police forces all over. police officers discussing, the downgrading of rape to ensure better numbers.

i am not even buying the basis to the argument.

[BainsBane]

8. I don't either

In fact it's counter intuitive.

[ismnotwasm]

9. Sad

I wonder if there is an actual correlation? I didn't look through all the videos so I didn't see if there were stats.
It would explain why there is so much 'extreme' porn, the stuff that focuses less on the erotic and mostly on shock value. In fact, it would explain the general lack of eroticism in porn. A quick brain fix, the difference between happy meal sex instead of the riches of a full course dinner.

[Dash87]

10. This article seems like a stretch, imo.

Not buying this article. A direct link between ED and porn?

The men in the articles are probably extremes - people so addicted to porn that it's a compulsion. I could see the point - some men might go off the deep end and get addicted, but how many men does that actually happen to? The article makes it sound like this is the natural result from porn use.

[seabeyond]

11. if you go into the second link, it is showing working on 500 posts have men discussing this issue.

and most all are relieved to hear from others. having an issue with ED and no info on the net to address there concerns.

[seabeyond]

12. kickin cause i need to get back to this later... nt

[geek tragedy]

13. Interesting, though teasing out the causality might be tough

i.e. are consumers of this stuff self-selecting, etc.

I wouldn't say it desensitizes as it re-orients sensation and the frame of mind. Sure, it makes them desensitized to visuals, but what it really does is train them to respond to a certain depiction, a certain mentality etc.

Which, if the material showed scenarios where men were caring, sensitive partners and how that got their partners going, would be one thing. Instead, we get hair pulling, lovely concepts like "A2M" that men then ask their wives and girlfriends to re-enact, etc.

It trains the man to be interested in using a woman to enact a masturbatory fantasy rather than engaing in intercourse, even though technically that is what's physically going on.

[seabeyond]

14. it re-orients sensation and the frame of mind.

respond to a certain depiction, a certain mentality etc

i like what you are saying. i have been paying attention to this. effecting so many of us, and seeing it effect people i know in RL, causing real problems, i have to wonder people pretending it has no effect on us as individuals and a society.

really, it is just the last couple years that doctors and others are really able to look at those effects and what is manifested.

another poster sent me an interesting article yesterday that i think i will put up.

thanks.

[geek tragedy]

15. The human brain is disturbingly prone to manipulation like this.

Put words and thoughts in a person's ears and eyes long enough and frequently enough, and pretty soon they'll come out of that person's mouth.

Not because they believe them, just because.

Seen this in political campaigns--the campaigns hammer on a certain word or phrase, and when they do surveys those same words get repeated verbatim in open-ended responses.

[seabeyond]

16. t deny it is just plain stupid. we do it in ads. as you say,

we see it with fox and all campaigns getting that sound bite. we see the repercussions and evidence the effect. and YET...

when it comes to our love of porn, we pretend, blindly, that it has no effect. no, really. it doesnt. lol

[geek tragedy]

17. porn has the added bonus of being addictive nt

[seabeyond]

18. yes. but another thing we ignore. i think anyone being honest would recognize.

hubby and i were older when married. we had played with porn younger. before i started paying attention to this shit we had a conversation. both recognizing, acknowledging, stating there was an addictive quality to porn. we did not know we were saying something wrong. seemed obvious to us. meh... now it is like pretend and pretend hard it is not.

i cannot believe hubby and i are so very different.

or all the people who are losing everything... because of the shit. lol.

i watched a divorce. solely on the porn the man could not do without. crying to me about losing wife and children. yet..... he couldnt walk away.

it took a couple years for the wife to get to the place of feeling bad enough, that she had to leave.

[Sheldon Cooper]

19. Modern porn is repulsive, and it's hard to see how anyone can find it arousing.

The porn of the 70s was as cheesy as could be, but at least they tried to make it seem loving and consensual. The horny woman actually looked like a woman, with real boobs and pubic hair and everything, and the pizza delivery guy was one lucky bastard to find himself bringing a pie to her door.

On the internet, today's porn is all about fake boobs, shaved pubes, and forced encounters with nothing even remotely resembling affection or a desire to please the woman. It's all slapping, hair pulling, the A2M that someone mentioned, and in general as much coercion, violence, and degredation as can be worked into the scenes.

I'm not sure how this changes the brain chemistry, that is a scary thought actually. But I can certainly see how addiction to it could make plain old sex with your long-term wife/partner harder to accomplish - how could she possibly match up to the women in the garbage you're used to seeing?