Pathological porn compulsion?

There’s a vast overlap between internet addiction and porn addiction. Most porn addicts show signs of internet addiction, and porn preoccupation features heavily in internet addiction. It’s a complex relationship and you can tie yourself up in mental knots trying to figure out which addiction came first. Fortunately, a good recovery plan addresses both sides of the problem. Mine certainly does (yep, another shameless plug).

A debate rages about how we define both disorders too. Can we really call them addictions? Can we call them disorders? Dr. Jerald Block, a respected psychiatrist from the US, has recently been writing about internet addiction, or to use his phrase, pathological computer use:

“I avoid the use of the word ‘addiction.’ It is just too explosive, political, and packed with other meanings. I prefer to think of this as a compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder, much like compulsive eating, gambling, pyromania, and trichotillomania.”

I would certainly agree; the term porn addiction is far from ideal too, and for the very same reasons. So why do I use it so much? Why isn’t the tagline of this site ‘Break out of compulsive-impulsive porn stimulation’ or ‘Pathological porn use recovery’…? Whether it’s scientifically accurate or not, porn addiction is the term that we all grasp and can relate to. The very same applies to internet addiction, and that’s why Dr. Block continues to use it too.

So yes, there are issues over applying the term addiction here, and plenty of writers will remind us of the fact. But in many ways, this is one of those debates where everyone ends up right. Mike Masnick, a critic of the addiction label, concludes:

“… and almost every story of internet addiction really tends to be about deeper issues that resulted in someone seeking an outlet on the internet (from depression, bad family situations, alcoholism, etc.). Focusing on the “internet” part tends to have people trying to treat a symptom, not the disease.”

Now that’s something we can all agree on. When it comes to porn addiction, that is why a successful recovery plan extends much further than clamping down on surfing porn. It’s a voyage of self-discovery and acceptance. It addresses issues of craving, withdrawal and compulsive behaviour; the common components of addiction.