Pornography addiction

[LilyRose]

Hello I am just wondering what medications would be most useful for helping treat my addiction to porn.

I have heard Naltrexone and N acetyl-l-cyysteine are useful but I am not sure if this is true.

This addiction is ruining my life and has been going on for about 8 years now.


Also I am not sure what SSRI/SNRI would be most useful for the addiction. They presumably work by blocking the feelings of pleasure- but what SSRI has the best pharmacological profile/ has best anti-addiction properties is beyond me.
(There are so many ssri's/snri's to chose from, citalopram,sertraline,venlafaxine, duloxetine, ext..)

I am a male (22 years old) and have just had a first episode of psychosis and also i am not sure if an ssri would send me psychotic again or not.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I am sorry about your addiction.

Great thread, but I am not that knowledgable about this specific topic.

I am no doctor - this is my relatively uneducated opinion - but I have no idea why anyone would mention narcan or NAC for porn addiction. Naltrexone in general is often touted as a solution to several drug/alcohol addictions... when in reality it's simply a potent opioid antagonist and the science is VERY questionable. I love NAC (acytylcysteine) but that is really just a drug that's very healthy at regenerating your liver to help it eliminate toxins. Odd anyone would mention those in regards to porn addiction.

I think SSRIs could be very useful in this scenario. They may not help with the psychological addiction but they definitely reduce pleasure and can make it nearly impossible to have an orgasm. Which might help a lot, or not much, I'm not that sure.

Was the psychosis drug related? Was it severe? A lot of us here including myself have experienced severe psychosis and schizophrenia so don't feel ashamed to talk about that

SSRIs can make psychosis worse in some people, and in me, they make my schizo symptoms much worse.

Are you on any recreational drugs right now?

 

[Jabberwocky]

The science says that behavioural therapies are most helpful for porn addiction but that SSRI’s are a potential but unproven aid to therapy. SSRI’s do have a record for treating other hypersexual activity. Sertaline, Fluoxitine and Citalopram have some early evidence of being helpf But some, like Paroxitine, have a record of making compulsive sexual activity worse.

CBT, Hypnosis, and Group Therapy have studies showing their efficacy.

Porn Addiction is not recognised as a mental disorder which may explain the lack of work on drug therapies. But it is hypothesised that other conditions such as depression and OCD can trigger it and that treatment should target those conditions.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Porn Addiction is not recognised as a mental disorder

Huh, seriously?

Sex addiction is a real disorder but not porn addiction?

 

[LilyRose]

I am sorry about your addiction.

Great thread, but I am not that knowledgable about this specific topic.

I am no doctor - this is my relatively uneducated opinion - but I have no idea why anyone would mention narcan or NAC for porn addiction. Naltrexone in general is often touted as a solution to several drug/alcohol addictions... when in reality it's simply a potent opioid antagonist and the science is VERY questionable. I love NAC (acytylcysteine) but that is really just a drug that's very healthy at regenerating your liver to help it eliminate toxins. Odd anyone would mention those in regards to porn addiction.

I think SSRIs could be very useful in this scenario. They may not help with the psychological addiction but they definitely reduce pleasure and can make it nearly impossible to have an orgasm. Which might help a lot, or not much, I'm not that sure.

Was the psychosis drug related? Was it severe? A lot of us here including myself have experienced severe psychosis and schizophrenia so don't feel ashamed to talk about that

SSRIs can make psychosis worse in some people, and in me, they make my schizo symptoms much worse.

Are you on any recreational drugs right now?

I was given aripiprazole for 3 weeks when they sectioned me. It wasn't severe- but they did section me. I thought the country was decaying into a fascist state and it was making me anxious. I also thought my family were foreign agents. I was neglecting myself too.

Actually- something more interesting- MI6 ran a mind control program on me at University and one of the wardens turned into a lizard person in front of me. Sort of similar to what Cathy O'Brien says happened to her with George Bush.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Huh, seriously?

Sex addiction is a real disorder but not porn addiction?

Not in the DSM - unless it’s been updated recently. That’s as far as psychiatry goes but psychologists and other therapists regard it as a real condition and offer treatment accordingly. Paychiatrists tend to see it as a symptom of something else.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I was given aripiprazole for 3 weeks when they sectioned me.

Hypersexuality is a well known side effect of ariprazole/abilify.

 

[Jabberwocky]

block that hypersensitive dopamine 3 receptors you will need an antipsychotic.

Ropinirole - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

so dopamine 3 antagonist like antipsychotic will decrease sexual desire

I’m sure your science and logic is correct, but it seems taking an antagonist antipsychotic to counter the effects of an agonist stimulant or other drug is exactly what a lazy psychiatrist like mine would do. Just keep adding drugs to counter the side effects of the prior drugs.

Which doesn’t really make sense (or seem ethical) when therapy is the proven best practice for the condition. Seem much lower risk to go get some therapy before taking powerful neuroleptic drugs.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Hypersexuality is a well known side effect of ariprazole/abilify.

wow seriously? I am very misinformed. Thought the opposite.

 

[Jabberwocky]

wow seriously? I am very misinformed. Thought the opposite.

Yep. There are even cases in the literature of it changing people’s sexual orientation as well as making them hypersexual. It’s the one drug actually demonstrated to make someone gay.

 

[telepathetic]

I was given aripiprazole for 3 weeks when they sectioned me. It wasn't severe- but they did section me. I thought the country was decaying into a fascist state and it was making me anxious. I also thought my family were foreign agents. I was neglecting myself too.

Actually- something more interesting- MI6 ran a mind control program on me at University and one of the wardens turned into a lizard person in front of me. Sort of similar to what Cathy O'Brien says happened to her with George Bush.

The country is decaying into a fascists state.

Feel free not to answer but just wondering what porn addiction looks like and how it could ruin your life ?

 

[LilyRose]

Yep. There are even cases in the literature of it changing people’s sexual orientation as well as making them hypersexual. It’s the one drug actually demonstrated to make someone gay.

Ahh interesting you point that out. I do not think the meds make me hypersexual whatsoever.

I used to be "super straight" so to speak (attracted to women that is) but shortly being being admitted I developed feelings for a guy at uni and I had gender dysphoria that rapidly cycled between man and woman.
When I was admitted to the psych ward they came to me once every week to give me 2 pills instead of one (they usually ask me to go to the nurse to receive my meds) and they claimed it was 5mg and 10 mg as they had run out of the 15 mg.
But it was only on these occasions I felt like a women after taking them and then not too long after it gave me a really deep voice. I do believe they drugged me without my knowledge as 1) You would have to believe that they mysteriously ran out of meds once a week but happened to have them every day before, between and after. 2) They temporarily changed what gender I felt like.

I still feel attracted to men somewhat but don't feel like a women anymore.

 

[LilyRose]

The country is decaying into a fascists state.

Feel free not to answer but just wondering what porn addiction looks like and how it could ruin your life ?

I feel my intelligence is lower -my potential in life has gone and It has made me depressed.

 

[VerbalTruist]

Hey guys, friendly reminder to keep this thread on track, let's leave politics out of the discussion. Please.

Regarding your issue with pornography... You said that you're 22 and it's been 8 years, so you started when you were 14. I am curious what the negative ramifications have been for you. What is your experience with it? Is it a moral issue? Is it inter-personal? A friend from my undergrad was highly ashamed of his "pornography addiction" because of his religious upbringing. Turns out that he was watching porn once or twice a week and jerking off. It took SEVERAL friends and a therapist to tell him that there wasn't anything wrong with that. I have spoken to people on the other side of that spectrum who truly were effected because they watched porn all the time, masturbated at work, etc. I am really just trying to understand where you're at with your habit.

As far as medication goes, ANY SSRI should help kill your libido. I found that Prozac made it so that I had no sex drive what so ever.

Reading your posts in this thread... It sounds like you should talk with a therapist, a doctor, and get stable on medication. Are you doing that? What caused you to be admitted into a psych ward?

 

[LilyRose]

Hey guys, friendly reminder to keep this thread on track, let's leave politics out of the discussion. Please.

Regarding your issue with pornography... You said that you're 22 and it's been 8 years, so you started when you were 14. I am curious what the negative ramifications have been for you. What is your experience with it? Is it a moral issue? Is it inter-personal? A friend from my undergrad was highly ashamed of his "pornography addiction" because of his religious upbringing. Turns out that he was watching porn once or twice a week and jerking off. It took SEVERAL friends and a therapist to tell him that there wasn't anything wrong with that. I have spoken to people on the other side of that spectrum who truly were effected because they watched porn all the time, masturbated at work, etc. I am really just trying to understand where you're at with your habit.

As far as medication goes, ANY SSRI should help kill your libido. I found that Prozac made it so that I had no sex drive what so ever.

Reading your posts in this thread... It sounds like you should talk with a therapist, a doctor, and get stable on medication. Are you doing that? What caused you to be admitted into a psych ward?

An addiction is an addiction. I usually watch porn a few times every 2 days. I have already mentioned why I was admitted. I took a legal high 5 years ago, it got to my head, my autism cured itself and I was having a psychotic episode.

 

[VerbalTruist]

Addiction is addiction and I'm not discounting that. To me what I am reading is: that you are in a transformative portion of your life and having a hard time navigating it. That's why I asked for more specifics. Whatever you chose to share is up to you. Are you talking to medical professionals or someone in your life regularly about what you're experiencing? Do you have the resources to do that? Outside of your addiction, what is your day to day life like? Do you go to school? Have a job? Are you trying to move forward in your self or is your addiction causing you to stagnate?

 

[LilyRose]

Addiction is addiction and I'm not discounting that. To me what I am reading is: that you are in a transformative portion of your life and having a hard time navigating it. That's why I asked for more specifics. Whatever you chose to share is up to you. Are you talking to medical professionals or someone in your life regularly about what you're experiencing? Do you have the resources to do that? Outside of your addiction, what is your day to day life like? Do you go to school? Have a job? Are you trying to move forward in your self or is your addiction causing you to stagnate?

Addiction setting me back and causing me to stagnate. I am not in work or school.

 

[VerbalTruist]

What are you doing to address it besides seeking out medication?

 

[LilyRose]

What are you doing to address it besides seeking out medication?

I have an addiction app on my phone that tracks abstinence time. But I don't think it is very useful.
I may hit the gym to get myself back into the swing of things again.

I actually really like the activity manager that works there but I don't think I will ever be with her because a relationship would be inappropriate and I have no way of contacting her.
The idea of being with her used to motivate me to lose weight because I am currently a tad obese.

On a separate note I also developed an alternate personality temporarily a week after I left the ward. (She is called Lily btw)

 

[VerbalTruist]

I have an addiction app on my phone that tracks abstinence time. But I don't think it is very useful.
I may hit the gym to get myself back into the swing of things again.

I actually really like the activity manager that works there but I don't think I will ever be with her because a relationship would be inappropriate and I have no way of contacting her.
The idea of being with her used to motivate me to lose weight because I am currently a tad obese.

On a separate note I also developed an alternate personality temporarily a week after I left the ward. (She is called Lily btw)

Okay, this is the last time I am going to say this. If you are not talking to a mental health professional, you need to be. It sounds like you're going through a transformative period in your life and you're having a hard time navigating it. There are resources out there for you, you have to reach out.

As far as the alternate personality. curing your autism bc you took an over the counter high, and being admitted to a psych ward... All of these things scream to me that you need consistent, stable, and coordinated mental health care. For me, that would mean seeing a therapist, talking to my doctor, and getting in to see a psychologist. I would open my records to all of them so that they could coordinate your care and help you to the best of your ability. Additionally. if it were me, I would find something to do because having a bunch of spare time isn't usually healthy. There are a ton of jobs out there right now. Pick one up and maybe you'll meet a co-worker that you can be friends with, Again, if it were me, I would be doing more than using an app and maybe hitting the gym. Make the gym your life if you want to...