ABSTRACT
A large number of men who come into our clinic for treatment are addicted to internet pornography. This is not about occasional use but rather an extensive and time-involved pattern. The sense of self is lost in sexual behavior. In order to understand the particularly strong allure of internet pornography, the concept of 'supernormal stimuli' is introduced. Men with pornography addiction often withdraw sexually from their partners. The supernormal stimulus is preferred over the reality of the woman. On the internet, the sexual genre that we prefer matches our predetermined sexual template. Some men with exhibitionist tendencies will prefer mock exhibitionist pornography. Other men, more interested in the 'build up' to sexual behaviour, will spend their time accessing sex worker sites, researching and planning or fantasising about sexual contact. One gay patient who was interested in fat men would spend hours searching the internet to see sexual pictures of fat, older men involved in sexual activity.
