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Rahodeb

Rahodeb

Los Angeles, CA
March 2006

OCT 07, 2007 03:58 PM



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.

In 1998, she said, the computer security firm N2H2 documented 14 million porn pages on the Internet. By 2003, the number had jumped to 260 million, and by 2005 it stood at 372 million.

In August 2005 alone, she said, almost 82 million people visited adult Web sites, and about 30 percent of them were women.

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.

"Sex addiction is a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the person's life," she said. "They are willing to sacrifice what they cherish most in order to preserve and continue their unhealthy behavior.

"We have patients spending six to eight hours a day on the Internet," she said. "It's not about sex. It's about escape and medication."

Carnes cited several characteristics that indicate sexual addiction:

  • Addicts engage in cyber-sex to escape emotional problems.
  • They become irritable when they can't access the Internet.
  • They make repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop or curb their Internet sex activities.
  • Internet sex visits increase in frequency or risk.
  • They have become dishonest with family and friends to hide their Internet use.

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?

starblood

starblood

Horsham, PA
March 2006

OCT 07, 2007 04:18 PM

Ruins them...or makes them BETTER?

bairdduvessa

bairdduvessa

Centerville, MA
April 2005

OCT 07, 2007 04:22 PM

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

xazapdmytinu

xazapdmytinu

Fort Collins, CO
July 2007

OCT 07, 2007 04:34 PM

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

photoline

photoline

Edmonton, AB
January 2005

OCT 07, 2007 04:40 PM

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

wink84

wink84

Fulton, MO
October 2007

OCT 07, 2007 05:13 PM

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

aaronthere

aaronthere

San Francisco, CA
September 2003

OCT 07, 2007 05:18 PM

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

wink84

wink84

Fulton, MO
October 2007

OCT 07, 2007 05:21 PM

aaronthere said:
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.

Varuka_Salt

Varuka_Salt

I'm lost
October 2006

OCT 07, 2007 06:03 PM

wink84 said:

aaronthere said:
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.

Formus

Formus

Milwaukee, WI
May 2007

OCT 07, 2007 06:37 PM

varukasalt said:

wink84 said:

aaronthere said:
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.

Synthiviper

Synthiviper

Chicago, IL
June 2004

OCT 07, 2007 06:58 PM

starblood said:
Ruins them...or makes them BETTER?



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

SivaDelFuego

SivaDelFuego

Minneapolis, MN
January 2003

OCT 07, 2007 07:04 PM

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.

Tigerwong

Tigerwong

Baltimore, MD
February 2005

OCT 07, 2007 07:18 PM

Too much Internet porn can kill you. FYI.

jermhawk

jermhawk

Tidioute, PA
December 2004

OCT 07, 2007 07:24 PM

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

Tallboy66

Tallboy66

Chicago, IL
January 2005

OCT 07, 2007 07:26 PM



They become irritable when they can't access the Internet.



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.



"We have patients spending six to eight hours a day on the Internet," she said. "It's not about sex. It's about escape and medication."



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.

AmbientLight

AmbientLight

I'm lost
March 2005

OCT 07, 2007 07:46 PM

372 million porn pages?

So much porn... so little time.

eeek blush wink

malkav11

malkav11

Saint Paul, MN
July 2003

OCT 07, 2007 09:15 PM

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.

XamaX_is_Dead

XamaX_is_Dead

La Mesa, CA
March 2007

OCT 07, 2007 09:44 PM

zoom image

mr wiggles says it best...

fireblueeyes

fireblueeyes

Oceanside, CA
October 2007

OCT 07, 2007 10:03 PM

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.

mydogfarted

mydogfarted

Oakland, NJ
June 2003

OCT 07, 2007 10:23 PM

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. wink

Gringo

Gringo

Spokane, WA
May 2006

OCT 08, 2007 12:12 AM

Carnes cited several characteristics that indicate sexual addiction:

* Addicts engage in cyber-sex to escape emotional problems.

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.

* They become irritable when they can't access the Internet.

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

* They make repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop or curb their Internet sex activities.

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

* Internet sex visits increase in frequency or risk.

Especially after you pay for a membership.

* They have become dishonest with family and friends to hide their Internet use.

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'.

Rush

Rush

Brooklyn, NY
June 2005

OCT 08, 2007 06:02 AM

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


Veloxmortis

Veloxmortis

USA
February 2006

OCT 08, 2007 11:17 AM

The Internet is for Porn. So says the song.

bairdduvessa

bairdduvessa

Centerville, MA
April 2005

OCT 09, 2007 04:38 PM

Rush said:

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




ha

Tallboy66

Tallboy66

Chicago, IL
January 2005

OCT 09, 2007 06:49 PM

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

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