Due to the nature of this subject, the following article is being divided into a three-part series.

Back in 1998, when I got started in the Male Enhancement field, the Internet was still, for most, a relative novelty. While even then there were men who were addicted to Internet pornography, the numbers and intensity of those anomalies were still relatively low – statistically speaking. Fast forward to 2013.

A whole new generation of men have grown up with free, ubiquitous access to Internet porn.

A New Generation of Porn

A whole new generation of men have grown up with free, ubiquitous access to online porn, and the addiction levels, as well as their negative effects, have skyrocketed! (Numerous news reports and studies have been done on the harmful effects of porn addiction.}) While it would be easy to attribute this to some kind of generational gap, the truth is there really is no historical baseline to compare this phenomenon to.

Less talked about are the conditional side effects of online porn addiction. Many men have become so addicted to porn that they are unable to function in real sexual scenarios. The issue is compounded when you consider the physical and psychological “conditioning” (detraining) that occurs when stimulating themselves to porn. The effects of detraining are usually an inability to perform outside of having porn as a stimulus, coupled with premature ejaculations (as many men masturbate to porn in a furtive, hurried manner).

It should be noted masturbating in the form just described can still result in negative adaptations, even if no porn is used. In some cases, the negative conditioning from masturbating to porn can become so thorough some men have actually reported becoming aroused and/or unconsciously touching themselves as they get ready to sit down at their computers!

“Hypersexualization” can occur when a person becomes addicted to porn.

Psychological Effects of Porn Addiction

Few things can be as devastating to a person’s psyche and sexual well-being than porn addiction. While the physical effects will be covered in detail in upcoming parts of this article, here we’ll review the psychological side effects of this particular type of addiction. Through studies (as well as widespread anecdotal evidence), it’s been shown that a form of “hypersexualization” can take place when a person becomes addicted to porn.

This hypersexualization is not only due to the “on demand” stimulus that comes from having ready access to a computer, but it also skews the perceptions of those who become addicted. Addicted men can come to view the scenarios in porn as “normal.” This not only applies to their expectations of what to expect from a woman (or potential partner) sexually but also in their perceptions of what to expect from themselves.

In most porn movies, camera angles, splicing edits, and choreography add a degree of surreality that can make men envious – and perhaps a bit insecure about their own size and performance. The effect has not been lost on women – more of whom are expected to behave like “porn stars”- both inside and outside of the bedroom. This sexualization, without taking into account other very important EMOTIONAL aspects of what normally constitutes a healthy relationship, can cause an extremely warped and harmful view of reality. This contributes to a “fast food” or even “disposable” mentality when it comes to relationships.

Given the above, it should be no surprise to learn that men who have little to no sexual instruction outside of viewing porn often find themselves in situations where they experience very high levels of performance anxiety. This is further compounded by the detraining effect, as these men find their partners may not be as “fluent” in the activities they’ve accustomed themselves to seeing in porn.

Unfortunately, a very common end result of negatively experienced sexual encounters is that some men will voluntarily resign themselves to eschewing any “live”encounters. They come to believe that porn is a “safe” alternative to actually having to perform, as there are no expectations and no emotional risks to their virtual encounters.

Men have been able to kick their porn habits and reverse the damage it has done.

While the above paints a depressing view of this phenomenon, there are also numerous cases of men kicking their porn habits AND reversing their physical/psychological issues caused by their detraining/addiction.**

 Up Next in the Detraining Effect Series

The next article in this series: “Porn Addiction? First Step” will cover some methods that may be used to help reverse this negative conditioning.

DISCLAIMER – The information in this series of articles is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is highly recommended that you seek professional medical advice if you suspect that you require treatment for any addiction or illness.

References

*References to porn addiction studies can be found at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_addiction

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10382404.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23612589

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23578375

**Links to anecdotal evidence of men reversing their detraining/addiction, as well as some recommended techniques:

http://www.pegym.com/forums/gym/3849-porn-detox-join.html

http://www.pegym.com/forums/erectile-dysfunction-forum/10182-can-porn-really-lead-ed.html

http://www.pegym.com/forums/premature-ejaculation-forum/24994-porn-pe-cause-95%25-time.html

http://www.pegym.com/forums/erectile-dysfunction-forum/23350-testimony-those-whove-quit-porn.html