Pornography and masturbation .

A thread .

This is a very sensitive topic . It is a hot topic from the religious angle and also very popular when you explore it from both the psychological and biological angle . I will try to do Justice to this .

Let’s define the two terms . Pornography and masturbation .

Pornography simply means any content that has the capacity to elicit a sexual response from viewers . It can be a picture or video . So far it is sexual then it is porn .

There are two types of porn . There is soft porn and then hard porn . In soft porn what you see is sexual activities being mimicked or nudity being portrayed . There is no actual sex being showed but the intent is to stimulate that response in the viewer .

In hard porn what is displayed is actual sex . Two people come together in front of a camera and have sex for the specific purpose of people consuming it visually. The porn industry is one of the richest in the world . It is also one of the most wicked .

Now what is masturbation ? It is that act of self -pleasure . This is achieved by an individual manipulating their genital organs in order to achieve pleasure . It is not a new act . It is as old as mankind . It is also common amongst both male and female .

Now as you can imagine pornography and masturbation would go hand in hand . For if one content stimulates a sexual response and another satisfies that response without another party then the two actions would go together .

Now about masturbation .

There are times that the human body biologically programs an “auto-ejaculation “ what people call “wet-dreams “ . This is normal and not weird neither is it a spiritual attack . This in itself shows that ejaculation is a biological response .

So if my body auto-ejaculates does this make masturbation alright ?

Let me describe what happens when you masturbate and view porn so you can answer that question . We discuss it logically .

There is a part of your brain which is called the “pleasure Centre or the dopamine Centre “ . When you engage in anything pleasurable like having sex , drinking , smoking etc There is a rush of dopamine from this Centre . That rush is the “high” you feel .

The first time you have this rush of dopamine your body recognizes the response but it’s new to it . By body I mean your brain . The next time that release occurs your brain begins to make adjustments and begins to assume that this “rush” is the new normal .

So before you know it your brain begins to “ask” for the “rush” via cravings or what you call “an itch “ . Now remember that this “high” you experienced came via two things . It came by viewing “porn “ and then masturbating . The high is tied to those actions .

Your brain has connected the huge release of dopamine to those two actions and “prompts” you to engage because it wants to “swim” in dope .

Porn addiction is actually then a mental health issue . It is neurological.

Studies have shown that the wiring of the brain of the person who is addicted to porn is remarkably different from that of the normal person . The brain of the addict “lights” up in a different way to the non-addict .

I don’t know about you but anything that makes you an addict isn’t good . Do you know activities that release same levels of dopamine like porn addiction ? Well, addiction to hard drugs like amphetamines and cocaine .

Sadly, porn addiction starts out as curiosity and a way to satisfy legitimate sexual urges but ends in not being satisfied with actual sex until there is digital sex . Porn addicts usually tend not to be easily satisfied by there partners because of unreal expectations.

Due to the advent of fast speed internet , sexually provocative materials are easy to find . This has led to a high demand and consumption of porn in different forms . From hard porn on sites and on social media to soft porn with women twerking on IG .

The result is a retinue or highly sexualized brains that don’t respond correctly when exposed to sex or sexual images .

This affects normal male to female relationships as many would often want to imitate what they have watched which is not real .

So if addicted to porn , how do you break free .

There are two ways to break free .

The first is by a miracle . Gods supernatural hand of deliverance causing a healing of your brain function . This is possible. Your brain reverts to normal function per-porn .

The second way is slower . This is through behavioral modification. It would involve therapy through professionals or if you are a believer in Christ , renewing your mind through the word of God . This renewal of the mind has to be intentional and active !

You may need to block all known sites , handles or platforms that bring the visual triggers to you . This is because all that is needed for the brain to start firing (craving) is a trigger . You need to know what triggers you and avoid it .

I must add that though porn addiction may be destructive you must not slip into self- hate or condemnation because of it . Assure yourself of Gods love but exercise yourself in the word to walk free of it .

Be open about your challenges with that habit and share freely . Bad habits thrive in secrecy but die in the light . Bring it to the light and get help !

I hope this helps ?

End of thread .