...when they can see Janine?
Posted on 02/03/2007 10:22:53 PM PST by freedomdefender
Pornography is a "dirty little secret" and people are logging on to look at it, more than ever. They're doing it at home and at work. For some, it's an obsession.
"It felt like a high. It felt like, just an uncontrollable urge," said Justin VanAntwerp.
On the outside, Justin Van Antwerp "appeared" to have great life. He was a minister, who had a wife and two little girls. No one knew he was addicted to porn. It all started when he looked a playboy magazine when he was a teenager. "Then, that wouldn't satisfy. Then I found a whole new world of videos and webcams and all those sorts of things," said Antwerp. “I never got caught. I got really good at covering things up."
Justin is among the growing number of men and women who are dealing with pornography addiction. You used to have to go to an adult video store to get it. Now, you can see it all online.
Pornography on the internet is a 57-billion dollar industry. It's larger than all professional sports. There are 4.2 million pornographic websites. Those who view it are 72% male.
Justin was looking at pornography at home and at work.
Looking at pornography while at work isn't all that uncommon. Computer company Trivalent says they've investigated cases of pornography use at work, most are kept private, but in the case of the Cutlerville Fire department, where pornographic images were found on computers, the case ended up catching the media's attention. Trivalent says businesses need to take a pro-active approach.
"What can we do to stop that from happening to begin with? We implement things like content filtering." Richard Reiffer, Chief Technical Officer for Trivalent.
Dr. Paul Critelli sees patients who have all kinds of addictions. He's not surprised that pornography addiction is becoming more common. He says Americans have a different view of sex and nudity compared to people in other countries. American beliefs that nudity and sex should be kept out of view, create an addictive urge for some to get their eyes on it.
Psychologists say viewing porn at work is a sign that you have a problem. Other questions to ask include: Frequency - Are you logging on more often? Intensity - Are the pictures becoming more graphic? Duration - Are the sessions online becoming longer?
"If those things are increasing by jumps or rather steadily, I would say you have a problem. Those attributes are a good measure of any kind of problem behavior," said Critelli.
Critelli believes there are cases where people can view porn and not have a problem. He doesn't think small amounts are morally wrong or necessarily dangerous for a relationship, but psychologist Tom Karel disagrees.
"It creates unrealistic expectations and unrealistic ideas to what normal really looks like," said Karel.
In Justin's case, pornography ruined his relationship with his wife. He says he hit rock bottom when he picked up a female hitchhiker. " Nothing happened, but had the opportunity arisen, I would have cheated on my wife that day. That was a scary place to be."
A few months later, Justin told his wife about his addiction.
“She was devastated, and she left the following weekend. The next morning, I met with the elders of the church and resigned my position."
Justin went into therapy and is now involved with a local anti-pornography group called XXX Church. Justin hopes, by coming out about his problem, he can show others, that they can overcome their addiction.
“By God's grace, people lifting me up, I've been able to get a hold on it."
It is when you calculate that, morality aside, porn sites are the most dangerous to visit.
When a computer is infected with trojan loaders and other malware, what ads are the ones that pop up? What programs load more and more other programs, until the computer becomes unusable?
Porn sources pay more for hits than any other product.
And because so many cannot resist porn or free music, etc., we have botnets of millions of machines that are rented to spammers.
Totalling all the costs, that may be a modest figure.
That's what amazes me about the Porn industry--its sheer size and scope. The number of people are actually making these products is disconcerting.
Do you have annual rates?
Porn = Child Molestation???
Umm, no, that doesnt compute.
...when they can see Janine?
That should be a 'binge and purge' website for those wanting to develop eating disorders, LOL!
By these standards, I wonder how many people are addicted to Free Republic.
Her next husband will turn out to be gay
"In Justin's case, pornography ruined his relationship with his wife. He says he hit rock bottom when he picked up a female hitchhiker. " Nothing happened, but had the opportunity arisen, I would have cheated on my wife that day. That was a scary place to be."
Mr. VanAntwerp, don't you know that you can't have your Kate and Edith too?
That's a good point.
Like her husband...
It is where I work.
I work in IT, and some of the stuff I have seen on the computers is pretty nasty. I have had to track down who did it (sometimes possible) and let them know the consequences. I don't see many repeat offenders.
But, it is also true the stuff get sent directly in email.
"Hi. My name is rlmorel. I'm a Freepaholic."
The sad thing is that nobody tells us that pornography can be as addictive and as hard to stop as cocaine addiction. The media has prevented any ban on any kind of porn, and therefore the MSM will never do reports on pornography addiction as they do on tobacco addiction. Meantime pornography continues to destroy families and people's lives.
There. I fixed it.
BUMP
I wonder what flavor of church he attends, 'cause his wife sure left fast.
________________________________________________________
Maybe it was her porn.
I just think the article's assumption that Americans are especially obsessed with sex and nudity was naive.
How did I know that was gonna be Helen Thomas? :-P
(Slings, thanks, I'm cured! :-P)
It's still browsing around... :-P
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