Sobering study links p*rnography use to depression and “psychological distress”

The study found that pornography addiction to be “robustly associated with psychological distress over time”

Photo by franco alva on Unsplash

A medical study examining the addictive features of pornography use demonstrates a shocking and reliable link between habitually viewing X-rated media and serious psychological issues.

“Problematic pornography use (PPU) has been positively associated with psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression) in numerous cross-sectional studies. In the present study, we examined the trajectory of PPU and its association with psychological distress over time,” the authors wrote in their abstract for the medical journal Addictive Behaviors.

The study, titled “Problematic pornography use and psychological distress: A longitudinal study in a large US sample” sought to examine the trajectory of PPU’s impact on psychological distress over time, citing a need among research literature on addiction psychology.

“The purpose of this study was to examine the consistency of PPU and its association with psychological distress over 12 months,” a summary of the study states. “Therefore, we conducted a three-wave-one-year longitudinal study and examined changes in clinical PPU thresholds, bivariate correlations, and demographic-adjusted autoregressive and cross-lagged paths of both variables. Overall, we found that PPU and PD were relatively stable constructs by themselves. They also appear to be positively and stably related to each other.”

The most sobering aspect of the study appears to be the consistent nature of PPU and positive associations with psychological distress. Study subjects, both who exhibited PPU and those who did not, appear to all have roughly remained in their group showing know change of habits relating to pornography.

This study puts scientific language to something we wouldn’t need a scientific study to figure out: pornography use is detrimental to the human psyche, heart, and spirit.

The medium inherent exploits the most sacred and private aspects of human nature and commodifies them for the sake of cheap, fake thrills. This is a form of “entertainment” that clearly gets a stranglehold grip on its victims, in the exact same way powerful, physically addictive drugs do, and for the same reason.

Not only does pornography use harm its subjects, it harms those who use it as well. And no wonder, it is an abomination to the human body.

Lost, hurting people are seeking love and fulfillment in things that ultimately harm them. It’s no wonder porn leaves people depressed and anxious. It reneges on all its promises and leaves nothing but guilt, shame, and aching loneliness in its place.

This is a spiritual battle – one in which we can engage ourselves in prayer for those held captive by the grip of this addictive medium. Amen?