NEWS: Internet Porn Ruins Lives

CULTURE: Internet Porn Ruins Lives

Have you heard of Foundations Associates? They call themselves "the premier dual diagnosis treatment and rehabilitation program provider in the United States." Whether or not that's true, I don't know. Organizations like that--the kind that promise to fix your life, or that market and sell "intervention services"--always raise red flags for me. Anyone here a Landmark fan? I've never tried it, but I've heard stories from both sides--the glassy-eyed believers, and the ones who have walked out. What about the Dinner Party thing? Any women here have a run-in with that one? It's unfortunate, because Foundations Associates may very well be a legit rehab organization, but their image and marketing makes it sound like an enormous scam.

Take their recent Moment of Change Conference, where participants got together to take in lectures such as "The Intervention Business: Practical realities of marketing, selling, and delivering intervention services" and "The Casualties of Wall Street: Strategic clinical interventions for treating the walking wounded." Another lecture of note at the "Moment of Change" conference this past week was "Cybersex and Sex Addiction" presented by Dr. Stefanie Carnes, who spoke on the "explosive growth" (ahem) of the industry.

Carnes admits that "a lot of people view pornography recreationally and never become addicts," but also cites the difference between simple pleasures and life-ruining addictions.

I become irritable when I can't access the Internet, but that's the only one that applies to me. Just saying. Anyway, it seems like a lot of pretty basic, "a ten-year old could figure that out" kind of science. "Some people get addicted, some people don't." Yeah, duh. And then there's the whole chicken and egg thing. Did the six to eight hours a day that I spend on SuicideGirls ruin my life, or was my life ruined already?

Ruins them...or makes them BETTER?

is it sad that i work with duel diagnosis clients and never heard of this company?

that's some double plus good double speak right there.

Why are sex researchers so argumentative? Because they're master debaters.

I wouldn't really consider SGs "porn". That's way I like it. Don't ruin it for me!

who is open about their use of internet porn? " I only have one glass of internet porn a day with dinner. "

Some have said that interent porn, in moderation, has been known to prevent heart disease.

And reduce the use of potentially harmful drugs, like Viagra.

The commercials have now evolved further, giving us the actual name of the Four-Hour Erection condition - priapism. Which would be an excellent band name.

Thread over. Most air-tight defense possible. You couldn't possibly improve upon it. Cease trying.

Between 1997 and 1999, I did Landmark - lots of it. It's hard to say, man. I walked away from it all. There were glassy-eyed people there, but there were also people there who were totally on top of their game and really exciting to be around. I think Landmark is transformational or cult-like depending less upon Landmark and more upon the customer. There are three people for whom I have recommended Landmark this year alone. I think it can be helpful. But, unlike this sort of stuff, Landmark doesn't do interventions or argue that you need help. They argue that you could really use help to break through your own limitations. I wouldn't be too hard on them. Some of their volunteers can be nuts, though.

Porn. How do you know when that's a problem? The worst it ever got was when I wasn't getting laid by the love of my life, so I turned to porn to get my rocks off. She caught me flirting with some of the Suicide Girls. I was mortified. But that wasn't really an addicition... I turned my public account to private. But she was always jealous. It still hurts to think about, but I don't think it would have been an issue if she and I were more on the same sexual wavelength.

Too much Internet porn can kill you. FYI.

What is this porn you speak of? And where do i get it?

Come visit my town, listen to the radio stations,see the vacant downtown and since I'm also not a farmer you'll understand why I spend so much time online.

If Chicago wasn't 2 hours away I'd be a lot worse.

True. The escape from the fact that I can cover 8-10 miles on my bike and interact with 3 people, that's if I go out to eat or to a bar.

Now only if I had gotten married when I was 24, had 2.3 kids, a mini van, SUV, live in a ranch on a cul-de-sac then my life would be complete.

Imagine the joy of going out to eat on a Sunday after church with people I have nothing in common with.

372 million porn pages?

So much porn... so little time.

My mom did the Landmark Forum, and convinced me to do it also, on her dime, back when I was a teenager. It seems to have done more for her than it ultimately did for me, but I found it fairly enjoyable. Their message isn't anything special (it's basically repackaged existentialism, so you can save yourself $300 or so by reading an introduction to philosophy textbook), but you do get to spend several weeks talking about your life and problems with other people who're unlikely to be very judgmental (they're there for similar reasons, after all.) And I fought less with my mom after that.

mr wiggles says it best...

it's been my experience that people who like designate what ruins other people lives, usually have alot to hide and ironically have a tendency to ruin people's lives.

My wife's life was ruined by internet porn.
I met someone on here who made me realize that my wife was treating me like shit, so I left her.

So none of them engage in cyber-sex to....oh, I don't know....get off? Does this apply to any masturbation experience? Maybe when a guy buys a bottle of lube or lotion, it's really a cry for help.

I think this applies to everyone - even those who don't access adult sites.

Maybe that's just because porn is just that damned good.

Especially after you pay for a membership.

Because saying, "Hey, guess what I did on the Internet today?" is common dialog for friends and family? I didn't realize this was an acceptable topic for discussion. But then again, I really don't want to know what my mom's sexual fantasies are. Or my friends'.

The Internet is for Porn. So says the song.

ha

But yet they have no groups for working 60 hours a week.