Wickedjr89 t1_j203u15 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 6:11 PM

There is nothing wrong or shameful about reading erotica. Ignore the elitist stigma. An addiction, from my understanding, requires it to actually affect you in a negative way in your day to day life. Is it negatively affecting your relationships? Your work? Stuff you have to do? If it's not negatively affecting anything like that, I wouldn't call it an addiction.

If it is though or you're just feeling like you need some more balance, look at the books that are not erotica that you enjoy and find some more books like them and just try and find a better balance. I know that can be easier said than done. Good luck with finding your answer.

SquigglyHamster t1_j20dhji wrote on December 28, 2022 at 7:15 PM

It's pretty clear OP is feeling negatively because of their reading habits. They say they "can't seem to quit", and that's pretty alarming for any type of hobby or consumption.

Wickedjr89 t1_j20em4u wrote on December 28, 2022 at 7:22 PM

Yea :( that makes me sad. There is nothing wrong or shameful about reading erotica. That's why I mentioned that first, but then others had mentioned balance and I didn't want to assume that it was all about feeling ashamed.

But it's a shame there is such stigma around reading erotica. Hell anything deemed "feminine" is often looked down upon and most people reading erotica, are women. Of course there is nothing wrong with a man or nonbinary person reading erotica, but seeing as it's mostly women, it gets looked down on, because sexism.