Porn: stress reliever or an addiction?

Whether we examine carved images of naked women in caves or Michaelangelo's naked figures in the Sistine Chapel, we come to find that sexuality is all around us all the time.

It is in books, on television, in art and even sports. The sexual world always seems to find a hold of us and there is no way of dodging it. However, it is when we go out of our way to look for it through pornographic mediums that pose a problem within ourselves and society.
 

"As a student, I believe that people can be addicted to porn because porn is a fantasy and pleasure that can help you escape reality," said DeAngelo Freeman, junior electronic media major.

"People can get excited about it and want to know more, so they experience more of it to keep the excitement going and it becomes like a drug addiction."

Porn addiction can be one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. Many times it is something that is stumbled upon during puberty, and because there is easy access to it, it can become a continuous and difficult habit for the person to let go of.

"This is something that even children are exposed to on a daily basis, and when you think about how much sex is on TV right now, it becomes obvious that porn addiction can develop because of it," said Brian Sneed, who has a doctorate in psychology.

Sneed believes that parent-child communication is needed to help manage and even prevent any addiction that may develop due to exposure of pornography.

"I think it's one of the only ways that this addiction can be managed," Sneed said.
Every generation exposed to pornography becomes younger and younger. With this exposure, you find younger children knowing more about sex and exposing it to others.

"Sex is such a big issue now because some parents think it is taboo and they won't talk to their children about it," Freeman said. "If kids don't learn about it at home, they will find out about it somewhere else."

According to www.cbsnews.com, pornography had developed into a $10 billion industry. It's no wonder, that younger children these days are coming across pornographic content with the industry filming and producing over 260 new adult videos that go online daily, according to techcrunch.com.

"There is no way to stop the porn industry," Freeman said. "It's like a disease without a cure, because sex sells."

Even though the porn industry plays a huge role in influencing porn addiction, Edward Castañeda, chair of the Psychology Department said there are other explanations to porn addictions.

"Addictions in general come from needs that haven't been met in life, so it is a way to seek comfort," Castañeda said.

Castañeda said that every addiction depends on every individual's case.
"Every person is born with a genetic hardwiring that can go awry," Castañeda said. "But there is a lot of molding that takes place to this genetic hardwiring that is based on experiences."

Porn addiction is not always just about the sex. For many, it can become an outlet to feel better and a means to relieve stress. The more it becomes effective, the more people may turn to it when they are bored, anxious or lonely.

"Recovery has to start with the person first," Freeman said. "They have to be comfortable with confronting it and talking about it, or else they're going to lie through their teeth."
Confronting the situation can become a challenge for those addicted because of the shame that is associated with it.

"Depending on what your morals and values are, a lot of the difficulty with overcoming addiction is connected with overcoming the shame," Sneed said. "Another thing that is very difficult is taking responsibility."

Because it is a very private and personal subject, some people do not want to speak about their sex life for fear of other's judgment and control over them.

"Friends and family need to be patient, encouraging and recognize that it is not something that is going to be overcome quickly and will take time," Sneed said. "In addition, outside counseling or support groups like Sex Addicts Anonymous are great tools as well."
 

Lucia Murguia can be reached at prospector@utep.edu.