Online porn may have contributed to Dal scandal: psychotherapist
Posted Jan 2, 2015 11:02:02 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Halifax psychotherapist thinks the prevalence of online pornography could have contributed to Dalhousie dentistry scandal.
Counsellor Peter Goodman told The Rick Howe Show internet porn changes is the way the brain works, leading to an addiction that is spreading like a virus through our communities
“The brain is helpless in the kind of chemical infusion of dopamine and other neurotransmitters that get triggered as a result of sitting in front of this kind of stimulus,” said Goodman
Goodman said he’s seen a drastic increase in the number of young men reporting they can’t feel close to their female partners, a condition he said didn’t exist 20-years ago.
He added some even have difficultly experiencing sexual arousal without graphic pornographic images.
He said restorative justice is a good start in dealing with the matter, as it brings the parties together and can result in emotional healing, but if internet porn is a factor, more is needed.
“Any addictive process is going to require individual therapy,” said Goodman. “It’s going to take a year or longer of dedicated work on the part of the individual to unlearn these neural pathways and relearn positive pathways.”
Goodman also wants to see a community aspect, where once reformed, the offenders speak to university and high school students about their experiences with online pornography.
In December, sexually violent posts made to a private Facebook site by male dentistry students about the women in their program were made public.
Dalhousie president Richard Florizone released a statement that said, “Quite simply, the language and conversation on the Facebook page in question is entirely unacceptable and deeply disturbing” and added that the school has a responsibility to ensure it is free of harassment.
