Overlap of physical dependence on pornography, and physical dependence on psychotropics

[Franco12]

Preface. I thought I'd ask outside of my introduction and updates forum because it's a question that goes beyond the limits of drug administration suggestions. Here in particular I have no uncertainty about what move to make regarding the medication to gradually wean myself off, here the problem is the overlap of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome and physical dependence on pornography. I also did not transfer the question to any previously existing forum because I did not find any closely related. If any administrator eventually considers it appropriate to move the question to a pre-existing forum, and dissolve the entry, no problem.

 

Hello everyone!! ⭐

 

I have to resolve a dilemma. Unfortunately, during the last four - five years I was establishing a strong habit of pornography consumption (in retrospect, I see that the consumption arose precisely after the first attempt to discontinue medication. I was probably suffering from a discontinuation syndrome, which due to the negligence of my psychiatrist was identified as an episode of accentuation of the "underlying illness", to use pseudo-descriptive psychiatric jargon). In the month of February I resolved to begin a permanent separation from pornography. I had a single fall a few days later. I completed a period of practically three months of abstinence from any form of pornography (including deleting social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.).

 

Now, I had a fall the week after surgery, on June 10th (week of increased stress, decreased concentration, loss of verbal ability, etc.). After surgery, a two-week period with occasional pornography consumption.

 

The question is this: can I abandon a habit that generates physical dependence (porn consumption) while I am undergoing a discontinuation syndrome due to rapid medication reduction? I'm afraid that porn withdrawal could trigger discontinuation symptoms, aggressively shaking an already obviously fragile nervous system.

 

What would happen to a person firmly addicted to cigarettes? Should that person first address discontinuing psychotropics, and then consider discontinuing smoking? Naturally the comparison is due to the physical dependence that smoking also generates.

 

Apparently dependence on pornography can generate a gigantic physical dependence. Many users even experience Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome

 

«Internet addiction research has reported that Internet addicts can suffer a form of cold turkey when they stop using the web – just like people coming off drugs» / 

«Some guys experience withdrawal symptoms off and on for months: Does post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) occur with porn addiction?»

 

Source: Your brain on porn. 

 

I understand that both alternatives have their risks. Remaining a porn consumer is intrinsically bad for cognition, increasing baseline stress levels, erosion of concentration, etc. However, immediately discontinuing pornography can hit a fragile nervous system hard, and perhaps lose all the improvements I've had since the surgery relapse, the most acute phase of rapid antidepressant tapering discontinuation syndrome.

 

Additionally, watching pornography is in deep contradiction with my values. Therefore turning to pornography to mitigate the intensity of destabilization is demoralizing and demotivating.

 

Can anyone recommend any forum threads on Survivingantidepressants that can provide me with guidance? Are there any discussions on the overlap of physical dependence on antidepressants and physical dependence on pornographic content and what is the most safe strategy to mitigate both?

 

It is also true that the discontinuation syndrome of a habit like pornography consumption should not generate stress in the same order of magnitude as surgery, or antibiotic treatment, or psychotropic medication. However, I am certainly afraid of making an erratic decision and putting a negative spin on my scenario.

 

PS: I am currently about twenty days into abstinence from any form of pornographic content, and I certainly have no sympathy - desire to consume again. I suppose the concern is whether it is necessary to use pornography as a mechanism to prevent discontinuation syndrome of pornography, in the same way that I have no sympathy for taking antidepressants, but I use them regularly to prevent severe forms of  SSRI discontinuation syndromes, not because of conviction or belief that these drugs have benign properties for the body (on the contrary, I am certain that they are harmful in the vast majority of cases).  Same situation with pornography.

 

PS2: Another alternative was to wait for the acute phase of the SSRI reduction discontinuation syndrome to end, and then begin discontinuing pornography. However, I do not know if my mind can enter recovery while I am consuming pornography, since it is a strongly negative influence in neurophysiological terms

 

PS3: Under simplify. I have no concern about the fact of addiction, since I can perfectly control giving up pornography. Again, the problem with antidepressants is not addiction either, I can throw all the tablets in the basket immediately. The problem is physical dependence on pornography.

 

 

My regards to everyone 🌟

[Franco12]

More information about physical dependence associated with this habit of adult content consumption 

Source: Your brain on porn. 

Common withdrawal symptoms include

• Insomnia and other sleep difficulties
• Anxiety, stress and other forms of fear
• Headaches and pains and stiffness in muscles, joints, teeth, jaw, genitals and other parts of the body
• Fatigue and weakness
• Depression, despair and other forms of sadness
• Agitation
• Lack of Focus / attention / concentration (brain fog)
• Mood Swings
• Frustration, irritability, annoyance, short-temperedness and other forms of anger
• Flu, nausea, fever and other forms of sickness
• Little or no libido, flatline (Can take days to manifest, and last a long time)
• Pornographic flashbacks and sexual dreams
• Horniness, sexual cravings, sexual thoughts and urges to use porn and/or masturbate
• Desire to avoid socializing

 

[Franco12]

More information about alterations at a neurophysiological level in regular users of adult content.

 

 

 «This fMRI study from the Max Planck Institute found less gray matter in the reward system (dorsal striatum) which correlates with the amount of porn consumed. He also found that greater pornography use correlated with less activation of the reward circuit while briefly viewing sexual photos. The researchers believe their findings indicated desensitization and possibly tolerance, which is the need for greater stimulation to achieve the same level of arousal.»

 

English is not my primary language, but I understand that the translation of the information is of good quality. On that page they have dozens of studies on the neurobiology of addiction, but that one in particular was one of the most illuminating to me.

 

 

 

 

 

[Franco12]

«Many recognize that several behaviors potentially affecting the reward circuitry in human brains lead to a loss of control and other symptoms of addiction in at least some individuals. Regarding Internet addiction, neuroscientific research supports the assumption that underlying neural processes are similar to substance addiction… Within this review, we give a summary of the concepts proposed underlying addiction and give an overview about neuroscientific studies on Internet addiction and Internet gaming disorder. Moreover, we reviewed available neuroscientific literature on Internet pornography addiction and connect the results to the addiction model. The review leads to the conclusion that Internet pornography addiction fits into the addiction framework and shares similar basic mechanisms with substance addiction»

 

More information about the imitation of symptoms triggered by the recurrent consumption of adult content with symptoms of other mainly addictive substances.