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Porn addiction
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May 11, 2012, 4:06:43 PM5/11/12
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Study exposes secret world of porn addiction
May 10th, 2012 in Addiction
(Medical Xpress) -- A major study from the University of Sydney has
shed light on the secret world of excessive porn viewing and the
devastating effect it has on users and their families.
Dr Gomathi Sitharthan of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor
Raj Sitharthan from the Department of Psychiatry of the University of
Sydney conducted an online study of 800 people who watch porn to gain
an unprecedented insight into who suffers from porn addiction and how
their addiction affects them.
Preliminary results from the study have revealed that 43 percent of
those surveyed started to view porn between the ages of 11 and 13, 47
percent spend between 30 minutes and three hours a day watching porn.
More than half of porn users surveyed were married or in de-facto
relationships and 85 percent were male.
The researchers found excessive users had severe social and
relationship problems and had often lost their jobs or been in trouble
with the law as a result of their addiction. Some users escalated
their viewing to more extreme and often illegal material.
"We all know what porn is, but until now we haven't known much about
its impact," says Dr Gomathi Sitharthan.
"Gone are the days when you had to go to a shop, pay for the
merchandise, and come out with a magazine in a brown paper bag. You
can now download anything, anytime, anywhere - at home, in your
bedroom, in your office, in the car, in the park, on the way to work."
The survey also shed light on extreme cases. For example, about 20
percent of participants said that they preferred the excitement of
watching porn to being sexually intimate with their partner. About 14
percent had formed a relationship with other online users, 30 percent
acknowledged that their work performance suffered due to excessive
viewing, and about 18 percent were preoccupied with fantasising when
they were not online.
"The reality is that porn is here to stay. What we need is a balanced
view of the potential dangers of porn addiction, supported by good
evidence," says Professor Raj Sitharthan. In the last five years, he
has seen an increase in people presenting with problems associated
with excessive porn viewing in his clinical practice.
Tellingly, 88 percent of those surveyed reported they were willing to
seek professional help, but would prefer to seek it online. Dr Gomathi
Sitharthan and Professor Raj Sitharthan are currently preparing a
treatment program that can be offered online.
"Watching porn is a learned behaviour and we believe it can be
unlearned. We are finding that people do understand that their
excessive porn viewing is impacting on their lives and they want to
change," Dr Sitharthan says.
Provided by University of Sydney
"Study exposes secret world of porn addiction." May 10th, 2012.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-exposes-secret-world-porn-addiction.html
May 10th, 2012 in Addiction
(Medical Xpress) -- A major study from the University of Sydney has
shed light on the secret world of excessive porn viewing and the
devastating effect it has on users and their families.
Dr Gomathi Sitharthan of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor
Raj Sitharthan from the Department of Psychiatry of the University of
Sydney conducted an online study of 800 people who watch porn to gain
an unprecedented insight into who suffers from porn addiction and how
their addiction affects them.
Preliminary results from the study have revealed that 43 percent of
those surveyed started to view porn between the ages of 11 and 13, 47
percent spend between 30 minutes and three hours a day watching porn.
More than half of porn users surveyed were married or in de-facto
relationships and 85 percent were male.
The researchers found excessive users had severe social and
relationship problems and had often lost their jobs or been in trouble
with the law as a result of their addiction. Some users escalated
their viewing to more extreme and often illegal material.
"We all know what porn is, but until now we haven't known much about
its impact," says Dr Gomathi Sitharthan.
"Gone are the days when you had to go to a shop, pay for the
merchandise, and come out with a magazine in a brown paper bag. You
can now download anything, anytime, anywhere - at home, in your
bedroom, in your office, in the car, in the park, on the way to work."
The survey also shed light on extreme cases. For example, about 20
percent of participants said that they preferred the excitement of
watching porn to being sexually intimate with their partner. About 14
percent had formed a relationship with other online users, 30 percent
acknowledged that their work performance suffered due to excessive
viewing, and about 18 percent were preoccupied with fantasising when
they were not online.
"The reality is that porn is here to stay. What we need is a balanced
view of the potential dangers of porn addiction, supported by good
evidence," says Professor Raj Sitharthan. In the last five years, he
has seen an increase in people presenting with problems associated
with excessive porn viewing in his clinical practice.
Tellingly, 88 percent of those surveyed reported they were willing to
seek professional help, but would prefer to seek it online. Dr Gomathi
Sitharthan and Professor Raj Sitharthan are currently preparing a
treatment program that can be offered online.
"Watching porn is a learned behaviour and we believe it can be
unlearned. We are finding that people do understand that their
excessive porn viewing is impacting on their lives and they want to
change," Dr Sitharthan says.
Provided by University of Sydney
"Study exposes secret world of porn addiction." May 10th, 2012.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-exposes-secret-world-porn-addiction.html
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