Some ways in which pornography might have affected you

Emotional Damping:

Consistent use of pornography has been known for some people to affect their ability to connect with emotions. They feel numb. Why would this happen? One reason could be that pornography has been used in order to escape emotions that someone did not know what to do with. Pornography is great for emotion-avoidance. They swapped feelings they didn’t want for ones they did, that were ultimately unsatisfying and left them feeling sated in one way but empty in another. Some men I have worked with have not cried for decades, then, when they ceased to view pornography and masturbate, they could feel emotional correspondence to people and events more strongly, increasing their connectedness. For those who look at imagery containing violence, the bizarre or unnatural, it can only be guessed at what the effect is of suspending one’s response to seeing someone in such situations.

 

I recall a man telling me that he had been on a walk, and appreciated birdsong and the beauty of trees. Nothing unusual in that, you might think…but he had not been able to experience that for a long, long time. Some people find that a meal out, or spending time with others, has lost its appeal. This will all make sense, when we think of a reward system that has had to protect itself against being overloaded, and tolerance has developed to things that would have subtler effects on pleasure and motivation.

 

When you step away from pornography, or anything to which you have become addicted or overly tied to, you can appreciate beautiful things in life more. Step outside, look at clouds. I do know it is cheesy, but have a listen, a taste, a sense of what God has created for our enjoyment.