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."
Sounds like you're on to something there, Guru!
Hehehe, that reminds me of what Voltaire said to his doctor on his death bed with utter desperation, "I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life. Then I shall go to hell and you will go with me, oh, Christ, oh, Jesus Christ!"
Credit to: world net daily
I kept clicking but the trailer wouldn't play....
you ain't gettin' no $9.95 from me.....
chick does look familiar.....can't place her.....
Agreed, but these were Republican Congresses and they should have made it law. They wouldn't be shutting down sites, just relegating them to one part of cyberspace. It's no different than cities zoning areas for residential, business, commercial, and even adult businesses.
It may be that his wife left because she was worried that some day he would be viewing the porn film she made.
You know what is really sad? It is the fathers that look at porn thinking their precious little daughters don't know. You know what? They see. They see it all. Children are not idiots. You know what else, they precious little girls grow up to be slut monsters. You know why? Because that is what daddy told them is sexy, not in words, but in actions. You want a slut for a daughter. Keep looking at you porn.
Sure. And, Ford makes cars. But, in the ensuing years, people decide how and where they are driven once they leave the showroom floor.
My son-in-law, sitting across the table from me, told me that they saw fat women and pregnant women wearing bikinis on the beach! Not a pretty sight, for sure.
Even more pathetic, and I really mean sad, are women who degrade themselves through porn.
Heck, who needs therapy or 12 step meetings for a porn addiction when they can just look at your post #10. That will cure any porn addiction forever! It may even turn men asexual altogether!
He may very well be right. Human nature, IMO, is drawn to what's "forbidden". It becomes more enticing, more attractive, more exciting to many of us.
Hard to believe that figure.
Unlike those enlightened Europeans, for example, where some groups actively pursue sex with children, and have the gall to try to call it normal. Where marriage is at an all-time low. Where a judge in the Netherlands allowed a threesome to marry. Where prostitutes aren't prostitutes, they are "sex workers". Or how about Africa, where a common belief is that having sex with a child will sure AIDS? How about Thailand, where "sex work" is about the only work going on? Where children are regularly forced into sex slavery?
Yeah, I suppose Americans have a different view on sex than other countries...
Is there a LOWER form of humanity that someone who smokes?
Abortion is protected by law, divorce gets the okay, homosexuals can adopt children, unwed mothers are entitled to our tax dollars and government can dip it's thieving hands into our pockets at will.
Yet the pariahs of society are those despicable smokers. Insane? Looks like it to me!
Yes, she is, and, since we do judge people, she deserves the criticism she gets.
Maybe you're right. If she were a nicer person, her ugliness (your word) would disappear.
Obviously, Helen is not well-liked by conservatives, and as one of them, she sure doesn't do anything for me.
Out of a sense of decency, I thought we should focus on her polital opinions rather than her personal appearance.
google porn profits and USA; the figure seems accurate.
I worked in a topless bar back in the 80's; the money going through there was incredible. Guys would drop $200 a night for dances and flirtations.
My tips (as DJ) were wonderful....a fool and his money, you know. I've got to write a book about that some day; the stories I have. Maybe I could put it together with my old sky diving stories.....sport death!
It should be possible to restrict the web sites, programs and files that a company's computers will allow past the firewall.
In addition to pornography, there is gambling, chatting and just plain surfing that eats up time.
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