I think the vast majority would disagree with you. With that reasoning, it can be applied to anything, e.g. drugs, alcohol, etc
I can emphatically say that you are incorrect. Drugs, tobacco, etc create a physical dependancy it is true, but by degrees. A dependancy on alcohol for instance can kill a person if they withdraw from it without cutting down first and with medical guidance. Insofar as sexual stimulation is concerned, many would say that it becomes an addiction as you point out, but not because of need, but because of over stimulation. It feeds off itself in the same way as does over eating. The mind and body become accustomed and thus remains unsatiated by normal response. There is no physical addiction, simply that an unnatural level of visual saturation is required to gain a response. And neither is it normal. If you study abnormal adolescent growth through abuses and pornography, it leaves a quite recognisable pathway leading to outcomes, such as disrespect for women, inability in expressing need, lack of empathy and high level of need and dependancy. Thus what is mistaken for a physical dependancy is actually a learnt behaviour. Learnt behaviours can be overcome - the bible has many examples - by reasoning, applied counselling or simply by saying to one’s self, “Enough”, and choosing to take a different way. People today have grown to assume that they are dependant upon others to help them change. In fact, the help, more often that not, simply comes from within. As we used to say in our office: how many social workers does it take to change a light bulb? One, …..but the light bulb has to want to change.
We can agree to disagree on this. Those better qualified than you or I, the experts, would disagree.
This is not correct. Everything we do creates an outcome in the brain and a reaction or chemical response. As for studying these issues, yes, I have done enough study to be certain of the issues. Of course, everyone knows the bodily responses in both male and female to sexual stimulation and I’m surprised you even argue the point, but the “addiction“ is not physical, it’s not even mental in the common understanding of mental Issues, but a learnt behaviour, as I have already explained in another reply above. There is a vast difference. Certainly some “celebrities” have admitted to being “addicted” to sex. How many just go and sit on a deserted island and withdraw? What drugs do they have to take to quell the need for overstimulation? Why do they not give soft porn to sex offenders in jail to help them off the xxx stuff? Why are these ones incapable of just saying “No”. The question to ask is WHY people look at it in the first place? And why they need to look at it. There is no moral reason to start looking at it. That’s where the problem is. Deal with it. It does not make a person dependant on it. Better still, ask an abused child.
Absolutely not. I have spent years working with professionals in the areas of child and adult abuse and am a professionally qualified person in my own right and have argued these issues at law. I will not accept a compromise in this regard. You can compromise all you want. I will not. I stand by what I say. You have offered no more than an opinion. If you do not know what you re talking about, do not get in the ring. There is no mileage in making glib statements about watchtower and their child abuse issues or rationalising porn with addiction in order to make it an “acceptable” excuse. Porn is a choice. It may be difficult for people to give it up, but it’s not an addiction. There is no excuse. Next it will be argued that TV is addictive. Seems like people could benefit greatly from getting addicted to self restraint. Best get addicted to that before the tribulation.
I’m not asking you to argue with me David. I was simply offering some assistance, as clearly it troubles you. It’s called caring. If you do not wish to comment, or regret commenting, maybe this is not the place to make personal comments about yourself. I certainly would not choose to make such comments, but if someone is clearly troubled then I will give them what advice I can to help, even though I do not necessarily want to get involved as can be seen below by those who wish to argue terminology rather an fact. Might I suggest that if you regret posting, then it is wise to first consider what response you may get. You will either get agreement, which gives “permission” or “comfort” or you will get a dispassionate response that you may not want or be seeking. Hence your statement about regret in posting. What were you expecting? Wanting”. Comfort to continue, or advice? I don’t give comfort unless it’s a by-product of what I say. I will give advice if requested, even if indirectly requested as it was. It is caring, though some clearly disagree. If you do not want a reply - say so. May I suggest then that if you are troubled by issues in your life that you seek help from a dispassionate registered provider. Counselling may help you. But please don’t dump on me your regret at posting and reluctance to do so. I offered help and insight, not cricitism.
It is a large area of debate, Barnaby. It's not as clean cut as you make it appear. here are some studies that explore both perspectives on the debate surrounding pornography addiction:
The Green Day guy needs to learn to duck because he constantly has black eyes. I guess someone doesn’t appreciate his music.
Why else would he walk alone?
Proverbs 24:16: “For the righteous one may fall seven times, and he will get up again, But the wicked will be made to stumble by calamity.”
Great scripture! I know I've fallen many times to various addictions. I understand Barnaby's point, and I know 100% he isn't throwing shade on anyone. My only point in referring to such an issue as an addiction is because I too struggled for years to get those desires under control. Arguing over which words we should use misses the point. When you are under that spell it most certainly acts like an addiction. It hits dopamine just like any physical drug would. I sympathize with anyone struggling over this. It is especially difficult nowadays. It is very challenging to overcome something you can get with a couple clicks. You aren't alone, David.
That scripture is really life saving because none of us can be perfect although we desire to be. So, we must accept that we will fall but what determines whether we are righteous or wicked is whether we continue to try, to pray and to rely on Jehovah, Jesus’ sacrifice and his promises, aka faith.
Yo no me casé con alguien que tenía fe en mi Dios. No conocía Dios alguno y era reacio a las iglesias, no tenia fe en el hombre, ni politicamente hablando ni de en lo que a credos se refiere. Y ese fue un buen comienzo en cierta forma, pues no había que desaprender nada. Siempre escucho y respetó mi fe. Y con los años, con los sucesos, con las diversas experiencias que vivimos, terminó mirándome y diciéndome, ok, cuéntame todo lo que sepas de Jehová, de esas profecías que lees del americano Robert y quiero entenderlo, así que paciencia conmigo, que no se nada de la Biblia. Es curioso cuando alguien aprende las verdades verdaderas. El lo ve todo tan claro ahora. Predica que no veas!! Nunca se sabe @Jahrule, Jehová siempre tiene planes para atraer a los que le pertenecen. Siempre le hablé de mi Dios hermoso, desde el principio, con todo mi corazón le hablé de mi Dios y de su mano protectora.
Aprecio mucho tus palabras, pero al mismo tiempo tengo la sensación de que mi destino último podría llevarme por un camino diferente. Aunque me gustaría tener una familia, es posible que no esté destinado a seguir esa ruta. Todavía es posible, dejo abierta esa posibilidad, pero sospecho que pueda tener un destino diferente. Es todo lo que puedo decir al respecto en este momento, ya que no estoy seguro.Yo no me casé con alguien que tenía fe en mi Dios. No conocía Dios alguno y era reacio a las iglesias, no tenia fe en el hombre, ni politicamente hablando ni de en lo que a credos se refiere. Y ese fue un buen comienzo en cierta forma, pues no había que desaprender nada. Siempre escucho y respetó mi fe. Y con los años, con los sucesos, con las diversas experiencias que vivimos, terminó mirándome y diciéndome, ok, cuéntame todo lo que sepas de Jehová, de esas profecías que lees del americano Robert y quiero entenderlo, así que paciencia conmigo, que no se nada de la Biblia. Es curioso cuando alguien aprende las verdades verdaderas. El lo ve todo tan claro ahora. Predica que no veas!! Nunca se sabe @Jahrule, Jehová siempre tiene planes para atraer a los que le pertenecen. Siempre le hablé de mi Dios hermoso, desde el principio, con todo mi corazón le hablé de mi Dios y de su mano protectora.
Ahora quitas hielo de los raíles...y nunca sabes quién se sube al tren!!
Por favor, Dios, que no haya más días de hielo o nieve. Estoy tan cansado de limpiar esas vías desviadoras y las "ranas" de la nieve. Pasé todo el fin de semana trabajando. Si eso es lo que se necesita para tener una cita, entonces me quedaré soltero.Ahora quitas hielo de los raíles...y nunca sabes quién se sube al tren!!
No brother. I've been in such counselling for few months. It was useless, since it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The only purpose of the "meds" were to make me drowsy so I couldn't do anything, which if anything worsened it. Since it was in a hospital I talked to few such nurses and doctors and it wasn't anything out of ordinary. The only purpose of registered psychiatric professions are to have someone to talk to, that's it.
Trust me, dude. If anyone had this addiction it was me. Some people won't understand, but I do 100%. If I can do it, you can too. Just because you backslide doesn't mean you've failed. One of the excuses I used to tell myself is using animated material was okay because it wasn't real. I don't care if Rule34 isn't real. It still ended up leading to regular content.
I watch Legion of Men channel with Bo Refec regularly. He shies away from mentioning God, even though he points out it is an important factor. However, his channels are what got me to switch from having cereal in the morning(actually a bad food) to fruit/nut/protein smoothie and exercising more. While I don't participate in the discord channel as they are filled with people in denial and those of worldly advice, as wise as it might sound, at least Bo is level-headed enough.
I agree very much with what Jahrule says in his comment to you. I agree with your opinion of psychiatry - though correct, it is not the point of psychiatry or counselling for that matter to cure, but to open up pathways of “cure” - perhaps to “desist” is a better choice of word, or to make a change in one‘s life, that breaks a cycle. It is that, the reasoning behind it by the one suffering that provides relief. That way, though occasional relapse may occur, any
It's not my intention to upset you either. Between the differences in personalities and even moods during the day can create a big difference and friction between each other.It’s not my intention. Why are we here? To talk, or to care? Support, or leave to struggle? Which ever path one chooses it is rarely seen as anything other than interference.
Yes I understand these arguments Jahrule. I can refer you to the issue of neuroplasticity as this best illustrates my stand on what constitutes “addiction”. In short, the brain essentially restructures its pathways to accommodate a continuous stimuli. Frequently this occurs following an accident affecting the brain and it reteaches itself according to stimuli. This is not an addiction as addiction is understood, but a learnt response to a given situation. The fact that the brain can accomplish this is pure majesty of design on Jehovah’s part but it is the perceived need of the individual that chooses it. The brain does not think for itself per se, in its choice of contemplation does it? No. It contemplates the hearts desire. Therein is the argument for addiction. Drug addiction is an entirely different issue that affects the functioning of the brain chemically. If you put aside the issue of pornography for a moment and replace it with, for instance, a high stress level life, you can also see the brain adapt to that, and other organs suffer - heart, liver, pancreas etc etc, as well as harmful cholesterol levels - all done by the brain. So yes, we get accustomed to that, or our body adjusts to it, but the solution is to change one‘s habits is it not? This is why the issue of “addiction” needs to be argued. Sometimes we just need to address the cause of our discomfort for our body to follow suit. Though I am sure I appear arrogant in my thinking it is not my intent. If I cared about popularity it would make me rather shallow. I prefer instead to at least try to assist where there is hope, rather than bid someone to “go well fed”, as the bible terms it. I am not wishing to put anyone down. This world provides a maze of dead end alleys that leave people without hope - it grants infant children to change their gender before their brain even knows what sex means - the world excuses all sorts of sexual contradictions, permits and pushes drugs, praises materialism ad infinitum, ad nauseam. It is no small wonder that people are confused in what “sufficiency” and normalcy means. With your experience and the addictions you listed, why not speak with David and befriend him and give him the benefit of your experience. Whether any of us are addicted to whatever, is not really the point. It does not matter whether what we do is addictive or not, it is the WHY we do certain things and who can help us to reason our way out of it. Being addicted is not a reason or a permit to continue in that pathway is it? Clearly, we recognise it is not good for us to continue that way, and that we seek Jehovah whilst He still may be found. Don’t hold your light under a bushel.