Romance novels can be as addictive as pornography

[Bateluer]

http://www.outinthelight.com/news/2116/romance-novels-can-be-as-addictive-as-pornography

The site is run by fundamentalist Mormons.

SALT LAKE CITY — Romance novels are a booming business. Analysts believe book sales are increasing because romance novels provide a perfect escape during tough times.

Romance novels revenue topped $1.36 billion last year, while religious, self-help and inspirational books combined sold only $770 million. Romance novels accounted for 55 percent of all the popular mass-market fiction sold.

This seemingly harmless pastime, however, is not as harmless as it may seem.
“In fact, some marriage therapists caution that women can become as dangerously unbalanced by these books’ entrancing but distorted messages as men can be by the distorted messages of pornography,” said best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn, who studies the differences between men and women.

According to psychologist Dr. Juli Slattery, author of “Finding the Hero in your Husband”, there are similarities between what happens to a man when he views pornography and what happens to a woman when she reads a romance novel.

“There is a neurochemical element with men and visual porn, but an emotional element with women and these novels,” she wrote.

Men are very visual, and viewing pornography produces a euphoric drug in the body. This drug is the reason pornography becomes addictive. When the natural high wears off, a man will crash and feel depressed (as happens with any drug) and crave another hit.

Women are more stimulated by romance than sex, so when they read romantic stories (and they don’t have to be explicit to work) they can experience the same addicting chemical release as men do.

For many women, these romance novels may be more than a necessity; they may be an addiction — and Slattery said she is seeing more and more women who are clinically addicted to romantic books.

Many women do not see their love for reading romantic books as a problem, while others are admitting dissatisfaction in their marriages that may stem from reading these types of books.

“For many women, these novels really do promote dissatisfaction with their real relationships,” Slattery wrote.

Women may find their standard for intimacy begins to change over time because may not be able to get as satisfied with their partners as they can reading a book.

Pornography addiction counselor Vickie Burress said reading romance novels or viewing pornography may eventually lead to an affair for some women.

“Women involved in pornography have a hard time keeping their family together,” she said.

Help fighting the addiction

If romance novels are a problem for you, there are things you can do.

First, commit to stop reading any books that are contributing to this problem. Recognizing you have a problem and making a firm commitment to quit is the most important step.

Then, commit to working on your real relationship, if you are in one. Spend alone time with your partner on a regular basis. Invest in help to make that time more enjoyable. Read self-help books together or contact a relationship professional or coach, who can help you to rekindle the flame in your marriage.

If you are not in a real relationship, you may want to focus on finding one. Are you spending time reading instead of getting out there making new friends and meeting people? There are many kinds of social groups you could join.

Find a hobby or other activity you could do instead of reading romantic books. Get some exercise, take up a sport, learn to paint or play a musical instrument.

If you love to read, just choose a different type of book. There are many interesting choices that do not include arousing scenes. Try some books on creating healthy relationships or self-improvement.

There is a wonderful real world out there to explore. Get out there and invest in your real life.

 

[shortylickens]

For a second I was gonna request your man card.

 

[mmntech]

Are romance novels addictive and harmful? Gee, I don't know fundamentalist Mormons. Is marrying multiple women, and marrying off teenage girls psychologically harmful?

 

[Locut0s]

http://www.outinthelight.com/news/2116/romance-novels-can-be-as-addictive-as-pornography

The site is run by fundamentalist Mormons.

/Thread. No further reading necessary.

 

[Zedtom]

Return with us now to those glorious days of yesteryear where women wore bonnets to shield their view from any unpleasantness.

 

[Bateluer]

http://www.outinthelight.com/news/2065/pornography-how-to-lose-your-humanity

Pornography: How to Lose your Humanity.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Find a hobby or other activity you could do instead of reading romantic books. Get some exercise, take up a sport, learn to paint or play a musical instrument.

,.. marry multiple young women barely past the age of 16. And, prepare for when you will be sent to another planet to spread the word of God,... like Jesus was sent to our planet.

 

[illusion88]

+1 for Utah county!

 

[BrokenVisage]

What a bunch of Mormons. /pokerface

 

[SlitheryDee]

Romance novels probably do all that, but no worse than chick flicks or a thousand other types of fiction. It isn't surprising that a religious group is so concerned about controlling what goes on people's minds though.

 

[nanette1985]

That was hilarious, thanks for posting.

 

[jbt52]

I read this study (or a similar one) a while ago and couldn't help but laugh. Everything enjoyable is addictive/bad for you/etc. Duh. LOL

 

[ShawnD1]

For a second I was gonna request your man card.

Not being a man but still having a penis is a great way to start your porn career :thumbsup:

 

[DrPizza]

I read studies quite a few years ago about how pornographic images are to men as romance stories are to women as far as stimulation. I recall pointing out that allowing female coworkers to read romance novels while on break at work was the equivalent of allowing male workers to read playboy while on break.

 

[Farmer]

Have you ever read any of the romance novels? Like, at the supermarket. It's pretty much porn, in words.

So, article might as well be named "Humans enjoy sex" or "Journalist makes a living by stating the obvious."

 

[ShawnD1]

I read studies quite a few years ago about how pornographic images are to men as romance stories are to women as far as stimulation. I recall pointing out that allowing female coworkers to read romance novels while on break at work was the equivalent of allowing male workers to read playboy while on break.

Bring one of them to work and read it out loud

that south park clip where mr garrison is writing a romance novel is about 99% accurate. I don't think I should look for a clip or quote while I'm at work

 

[DestinyKnight]

Actually, the site is owned by Deseret Media Companies, a for-profit arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), aka, mainstream Mormons. Fundamentalist Mormons are members of the FLDS church, a sect that split away after the main church banned the practice of polygamy in 1890. The FLDS have nothing to do with this site or Deseret Media Companies.

 

[Bateluer]

allowing male workers to read playboy while on break.

People do this?

 

[SlitheryDee]

People do this?

Well they sure aren't looking at the pictures.

 

[ShawnD1]

Well they sure aren't looking at the pictures.

What pictures? Half the pages are ads and the other half are articles. Playboy stopped doing porn like 50 years ago.

 

[Anubis]

porn is addictive?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Shens. Mormons don't read. I worked a summer in a National Forrest in Arizona near a small town of pop. 12,000, 90% Mormon. There was exactly one Mormon and one non Mormon book store for a hundred miles. The Mormon bookstore didn't carry any fiction and the non Mormon bookstore only carried about 2 dozen authors and about 200 volumes (no joke). I thought I'd stepped through a time portal when I wasn't looking.

 

[yhelothar]

Women are more stimulated by romance than sex, so when they read romantic stories (and they don’t have to be explicit to work) they can experience the same addicting chemical release as men do.

Proof that this article is retarded. Just because it activates the same reinforcement pathways of the brain, it doesn't make it the same. Every single enjoyable activity that you get urges to do activates the same part of the brain, whether it be exercise, playing sports, video games, browsing ATOT/4chan, reading the bible, fapping, watching ghey pr0n, smoking crystal meth, eating ice cream, finishing building the next greatest invention....

Just because it activates it, it doesn't mean that OMG crystal meth activates that part of the brain, thus anything else that activates it is as bad as doing crystal meth!

I see this kind of argument being brought up ALL the time.

That's the same kind of reasoning used by that dihydrogen monoxide spoof.