DSM and Porn - Free Essay Sample

Introduction

Addiction to online porn is related to high-stress levels and other factors such as alcoholism.This essay is an analysis of a case involving Frank a father of two. His wife Beth, is worried about the husband's addiction to alcoholism and online porn. The paper explains the addiction, using the DSM-5 criteria, the negative impacts of the behavior on the future of the family, and the remedy to the situation.

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Definition

Under the DSM-5 criteria of addiction, Frank is addicted to online porn. The criteria are based on the definition of sexual addiction. It recognizes the fact that people can get addicted to activities, just like they get addicted to substances. The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize the diagnosis of sexual addiction but recognizes it as a disorder (Kamaruddin.etal, 2019). The criteria list long hours watching pornography as one of the criteria of knowing if an individual is addicted. The enlisted behaviors associated with porn addiction are the occurrence of impulsive behaviors, attempts to control the behavior without success, preoccupation action with the activity, an increased need to engage in the activity, developed tolerance, and Withdrawal signs. According to Beth, Frank spends several hours locked inside the home office, drinking while watching pornographic materials. There is an instance where he has been reported to pass out in the office late at night. Change in the emotional patters regarding sexuality is also viewed as a sign of addiction. Frank is detached from his family. He is isolated inside his home office for long hours and no longer has sexual feelings for her wife. He reportedly became violent towards her, a behavior, he never exhibited before. The criteria recognize that denial of the activity and its effects on the victims can indicate a serious problem of addiction. The use of other drugs such as alcohol are factors associated with online porn addiction and make the victim, sacrifice, sleep, and other important activities. Frank is an addict, online porn, according to the criteria.

Addiction

Frank’s addiction to pornographic materials is a risk factor because it is set to ruin both the family and his personal life. Addiction to pornography is affecting how Frank's mind functions. According to the authors of the DSM -5 criteria, porn addiction works just the way addiction to drugs work. Activities tend to be addictive because the chemical chemistry of the brain gets altered and dopamine is released. Dopamine is a hormone responsible for pleasure. It increases excitement and is often released by the brain during, a sexual activity, or even when eating (Kamaruddin.etal,2019). Frank spends three to eight hours a day hunting for the most exciting graphic images to satisfy his new brain chemistry. He no longer cares if this activity has many negative impacts, outweighing the positives. Frank is becoming aggressive because the altered brain functioning, no longer, accommodates the joy that his healthy sexual life gave him. There is a need for the situation to be changed.

Contributing Factors

The contributing factors to the destruction of Beth’s and Frank’s relationship are the diverse elements of sexual addiction that leads to the diminishing intimacy between the two. Frank might be involved in behaviors considered as enjoyable.Frank might be getting pleasure by seeing sexual dominance and control and abuse of partners in porn sites as better than his real-life relationship. Frank might be in isolation because he is engaged in solo activities such as masturbation, to pornography. These activities are causing anxiety and fantasy that are hard to be experienced when in a real-life relationship. The records that Frank makes it difficult for him to have a fulfilling sexual activity with his wife. Frank is not spending enough time with his family. This has made the family slowly feel left out and lonely. Frank is a husband and a father of two children and is required to be responsible and show constant availability for the family. Alcoholism is another major factor affecting the relationship in the family. According to Beth, Frank is a heavy consumer of Alcohol, consuming 26oz bottle gin every night and some bottles of beer. Extreme alcoholism is likely to affect the sleeping patterns leading to violence and anger.

Future Problems

There are several future problems related to this activity that would affect the family. The ultimate health problem of this activity will be the inability of Frank to maintain an erection or achieve an orgasm with his wife. Another potential risk is the inability of Frank to control a sexual urge which might result in him going out to pick multiple partners, making him prone to contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The situation is likely to continue because sexual addiction and porn are intense pleasures that are short-lived and leaves the user engaging in the pursuit after a while. This short-lived impulse is categorized in other forms of addiction, including drug addiction (Sniewski.etal,2018). The trends involving sexual fantasies lead to compulsion and tensions that can only be relieved by engaging in the activity over and over. The family is likely to have an absentee father, who shall always be self-isolated. Beth is likely to file for a divorce in fear for her life due to violence and the security of the children.

Strategies

As a professional in the field, I would help Beth and Frank using two major strategies. The first strategy is having them attend a counseling session where the two shall have a talk and acknowledge the problem and the impacts that the behavior is causing to the family. Frank is likely to comply because he had stopped consuming alcohol after the wife complained in the past. The counseling session would be a platform for Beth to express her concerns and learn how to approach the issue compassionately and lovingly towards his spouse. The counseling session would be useful in making Frank understand that Porn addiction can happen to anybody, because of stress and other external factors that can be solved. Frank would view the DSM-5 criteria and clearly understand his addiction status. Beth would understand the upbringing of Frank and the childhood experiences that might have been slowly affecting Frank's mental health. Understanding the mental issues would help the family build trust and tolerance for each other again. The second strategy I would use to help Beth and Frank would be refereeing Frank to a help group. There is a self-help group, of people that fought the addiction and are in the recovery process. Frank would get to share his experiences and listen to his peers speak about the problems that the addiction had on their lives. This stage is useful after the counseling and therapy sessions because Frank would not be tempted to easily revert to his behavior. He would receive useful tips on recovery. The final strategy I would use would be the recommendation of medications. There are possibilities of co-existing disorders that Frank is experiencing. There is a possibility that Frank fell into depression and OCD and is battling them (Sniewski.etal,2018). Untreated compulsive disorders are likely to recur in the future destroying the romantic relationship. The medication would ensure that Frank restores his relationship, self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction. Several centers can be recommended to Frank. These community centers are useful in the rehabilitation of an individual suffering from Porn addiction. The centers are equipped to treat other side effects of the activity and underlying conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression. The centers can help Beth talk with Frank on the importance of seeking treatment for the condition. The centers for porn addiction are built on Christian values and are possibly the best recovery centers. The other community centers offer rehabilitation, where Frank can be accommodated for moths for full treatment before he can join his family.

Conclusion

Frank is experiencing, online porn addiction, according to the DSM-5 criteria. He is spending a lot of time hunting for pornographic images. He is isolated in his home office and has less time for the family. There are possibilities that the family relationship would be completely diminished due to the absence of intimacy. Frank is suddenly becoming violent and arrogant. There are several solutions including, therapy and medications to restore Frank and Beth’s relationship.

Reference

Kamaruddin, N., Wahab, A., & Rozaidi, Y. (2019). Neuro-physiological porn addiction detection using a machine learning approach. Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 16(2), 964-971. http://irep.iium.edu.my/79741/1/79741_Neuro-Physiological%20porn%20addiction.pdf

Sniewski, L., Farvid, P., & Carter, P. (2018). The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review. Addictive Behaviors, 77, 217-224. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460317303817