As an academic, I’d be interested in just what studies you’re talking about. I’ve yet to come across one in a respected scientific journal. And you don’t get to change the definition of addiction to suit yourself. “Somatic” (as you seemed to miss that) means “of the body”. Just because you think you are having withdrawals doesn’t mean you are. That the difference between heroin, cocaine, and alcohol addiction and food, gambling, and porn “addiction”. The latter lack two of the three requirements for the definition (except in tortured anecdotal senses). For more on this topic, I suggest “The Myth of Sex Addiction”, which draws several parallels to porn. Many of the HL partners on this sub have been accused of being sex addicts just for prioritizing sexual pleasure. And while some people use both sex and porn compulsively, David Ley’s work argues conclusively that neither are addictions in any real sense. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZRFSWQ/ref=KC_GS_GB_US_nodl
Not all researchers agree though. Dr David Ley and Dr Nicole Prause has written various papers as well as written a book on the The myth of sex addiction.
I had a lot of abuse as a child and into my mid to late teens. I too identified as a "sex addict" as I was acting out in all kinds of self destructive ways. Anon sex, unprotected sex, you name it I was probably doing it.
I've been in therapy steadily for 5 years. I inadvertently found a "sex friendly" therapist and after 20 years of the stigma, I no longer identify as a sex addict. I'm processing my traumas, setting boundaries and letting go of the people in my life who I find detrimental to my mental health. My therapist recommended this book and it's changed my life and how I view and identify with myself.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZRFSWQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I can tell you this, the only way out is through. Undealt with trauma will, without question run the rest of your life. It will affect EVERY relationship you get into. Business, personal, interpersonal, the whole thing. You will also quite likely attract those who will abuse you, sad but true, been there done that.
The silence of our stories is what keeps us sick. I kept my story largely to myself until a year or two ago. As I feel I'm finally coming out the other side of my mess, if you need a voice of experience, please feel free to dm me and all the best to you on your journey, it's fucking hard and it's worth and so are you.
> It seems that the most high quality academic sources would indicate that there is limited evidence that consuming pornography is harmful unless it becomes a compulsive behaviour
This is correct. You could look at research by some sex researchers who take a scientific approach. Some examples are Nicole Prause, David Ley, and Justin Lehmiller. I would be very wary of any sources that are funded by fundamentalist religious groups (for example, anything involving Gary Wilson).
>That being said, I wonder if I would experience more sexual satisfaction with my wife if I just stopped watching porn altogether, or limited it to when we watch together.
If you're curious, then try an experiment. Stop watching porn and/or masturbating for a month or whatever and see what happens. I have seen a variety of responses in men who have tried this. Some have found that their sexual interest in their partner dwindles, some have found that their desire increases, and others have seen no change. Nobody can tell how it will affect you, so give it a go and report back.
Sex addiction theory is pushed by Patric Carnes, who is downstream of Mary Koss. It is NOT in the DSM5 or ICD10. It's also been debunked. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007ZRFSWQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Koss erased me as a male victim of female perpetrated sexual abuse. She is directly linked to me suicidally eating for 30 years as I internalised the highly toxic Dworkin/Mackinnon/Koss "you are an evil subhuman rapemonster because penis - and you weren't raped" alongside my abuse in 1984. I have no time for her.
A radio interview from 2015 - https://www.reddit.com/r/FeMRADebates/comments/36b736/no_mans_land_male_rape_radio_program_which/
I almost died in 2011 - it took till 2013 to decouple the eating...
As a virgin, I can hardly be a sex addict.
One book that did help me was one on sexual anorexia (Patric Carnes- early 2000s) - the only problem was that support was only available through sex ADDICT groups... it was set up in a similar manner to how Duluth erases male victims of female perpetrators - and forces the male victim to parrot a lie - "I am a male abuser". Int he same manner of a Vietcong prisoner having to parrot "I am a Yankee imperialist oppressor" in a show trial.