Problematic pornography use (PPU) has been extensively studied in terms of its negative implications for various life domains. The empirical literature reveals measured outcomes of interpersonal and intrapersonal dysfunction in participants’ everyday living, supporting its classification as a disorder. The increasing number of complaints around PPU opens the door to the creation of online self-help rebooting communities. This qualitative study aimed to provide a better understanding of this behavior by investigating potential etiological pathways contributing to the onset of PPU, as they were expressed by members of the online NoFap/PornFree self-help communities with self-perceived PPU. The critical narrative analysis reveals a complex web of mutually informing causal connections. The dialectical relationship between situational resources, material conditions, and an embodied spectator gives rise to an online persona with motivations of self-exploration, experimentation, and socializing. A sense of vulnerability rendered the use of pornography as a means of escape and validation. Furthermore, commitment to abstinence, framed by the notions of recovery and relapse, was found to be a major factor for maintaining distress. The study highlighted the need for a thorough understanding of the etiological pathways of PPU for a more effective and targeted intervention. Moving beyond biomedical conceptualizations suggests an intervention whereby PPU is placed in a context of a crisis of meaning.

有问题的色情使用（PPU）在其对各种生活领域的负面影响方面已被广泛研究。实证文献揭示了参与者日常生活中人际交往和内省功能障碍的测量结果，支持将其归类为障碍。越来越多的关于 PPU 的投诉为创建在线自助戒色社区打开了大门。这项定性研究旨在通过调查导致 PPU 发作的潜在病因途径来更好地了解这种行为，正如具有自我认知 PPU 的在线 NoFap/PornFree 自助社区成员所表达的那样。批判性叙事分析揭示了一个相互通知的因果关系的复杂网络。情境资源之间的辩证关系，物质条件和具体的旁观者产生了具有自我探索、实验和社交动机的在线角色。一种脆弱感使色情内容成为逃避和验证的手段。此外，发现以康复和复发的概念为框架的禁欲是维持痛苦的主要因素。该研究强调需要彻底了解 PPU 的病因途径，以便进行更有效和有针对性的干预。超越生物医学概念表明了一种干预，即 PPU 被置于意义危机的背景下。一种脆弱感使色情内容成为逃避和验证的手段。此外，发现以康复和复发的概念为框架的禁欲是维持痛苦的主要因素。该研究强调需要彻底了解 PPU 的病因途径，以便进行更有效和有针对性的干预。超越生物医学概念表明了一种干预，即 PPU 被置于意义危机的背景下。一种脆弱感使色情内容成为逃避和验证的手段。此外，发现以康复和复发的概念为框架的禁欲是维持痛苦的主要因素。该研究强调需要彻底了解 PPU 的病因途径，以便进行更有效和有针对性的干预。超越生物医学概念表明了一种干预，即 PPU 被置于意义危机的背景下。