Pornography Consumption and Cognitive-Affective Distress

Abstract

According to recent studies, the growing consumption of Internet pornography mainly in male population becomes an increasing problem, which is closely linked to compulsive sexual behavior. Some findings also suggest that Internet pornography consumption might represent a defense mechanism against excessive stress, which enables to cope with stressful events, helps in mood regulation, and decreases depression and anxiety. Users of online pornography involved in these activities also reported that their self-exposition to pornographic material may create guilty feelings and internal conflict in themselves with respect to their own “involuntary” sexual behavior, which suggest that psychosocial stress and possibly traumatic experiences may play a significant role in Internet pornography addiction. Taken together, these findings show that stressful experiences, anxiety, and depression are strongly related to pornography consumption. In addition, conflicting emotional experiences as well as identity problems significantly increase vulnerability to addictive sexual behavior and pornography consumption.

Sexual development in ADHD and internet pornography consumption

“…In this context of the treatment of ADHD individuals it is important to take into account that their PPU related problems may be related to their "reward deficiency" and "increased sensitivity" (49,54,71,76,144,145). Mainly because there is evidence that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is overactive in people with ADHD (8,15,146) that is related to attention deficits, which may cause a selfregulatory attempts (called as "self-medication" behavior) manifesting as increased needs to experience sexual desire (6,32,76,78,147). From these perspectives PPU and other addictive forms of sexual behavior in ADHD individuals represent significant epidemiological problem which requires further clinical research mainly focused on underlying psychophysiological mechanisms, clinical diagnostics and treatment options.…”

“…In this context, other studies documenting PPU epidemiology indicate that PPU is mainly related to symptoms of anxiety and depression (41, 76, 89, 115-120), and also to obsessivecompulsive symptoms (6,47,121). This severity of PPU as a mental health problem is documented by recent research which indicates that more than 80% of people seeking treatment for a compulsive sexual behavior disorder reported an inability to control their use of pornography, despite negative consequences (41,78,(122)(123)(124)(125)(126). Typical negative consequences of PPU may lead to various psychological and physiological deficits and symptoms, as for example depressive symptoms, guilty feelings, anxiety symptoms, various negative consequences related to forming of sexual identity, body image problems, decreased ability to create relationships with potentional partners, emotional numbness, tendencies to social isolation, increased aggression and violent behavior, and may also negatively affect sexual functioning such as hypersexuality, erectile dysfunctions and also some sexual dysfunctions in women such as decreased sexual desire or anorgasmia (6,78).…”

“…According to recent findings hypersexuality is frequently related to compulsive form of sexual behavior (CSB) usually characterized by unsuccessful effort to control excessive sexual behavior that may lead to various psychopathological symptoms and negatively affect close relationships and partnership, and significantly decrease quality of life (1,3,4,6,47,61,62,66,(73)(74)(75)(76)(77). A highly prevalent form of compulsive sexual behavior in ADHD individuals is "problematic internet pornography use" (PPU) (6,7,13,47,59,60,(76)(77)(78)(79).…”

“…In addition some findings suggest that hypersexuality and PPU might be related to anxiety due to difficulties in forming a secure attachment during individual psychological development (100)(101)(102). Due to this deficit people with anxious insecure attachment may be more vulnerable and tend to seek sexual relationships without appropriate emotional intimacy (6,47,77,78,(103)(104)(105). These developmental attachment deficits seem be confirmed by findings that anxiety disorders represent significant comorbid conditions of ADHD (15,106,107) and these anxiety symptoms are related to pornography consumption (6,(108)(109)(110)(111)(112)(113)(114).…”