Your Brain on Porn
What exactly is porn addiction?
In today’s society, it is nearly impossible to go more than a day without seeing some sort of explicit image pop up on your screen, or on a poster, or on an ad.
For some, they may be able to click by and try not to give it a second thought. For others, especially males, this explicit content becomes the first temptation in a long series of temptations, which will eventually lead them down a pretty deep rabbit hole. It leads to what we would call a pornography addiction.
How does it happen?
Pornography is most commonly introduced to people through Internet searches. The organization Fight the New Drug (FND) a secular organization that aims to educate the public on the harmful effects of pornography, stated that 70% of kids reported accidentally encountering porn while conducting searches for school projects.
Many are also introduced through friends at a young age; the average age to first be introduced to porn is 11 years old. Even if it does not become an addiction, peers may still reintroduce videos throughout one’s life. Seductive photos of models on magazine covers and sex scenes in TV shows or movies can also contribute greatly to the rising issue of pornography addictions.
Is it really that big of a deal?
The answer is yes. FND noted that “In 2017 alone, Pornhub got 28.5 billion visits. In other words, 1,000 visits a second, or 78.1 million a day—way more than the population of the entire United Kingdom. That number has since jumped to 33.5 billion site visits in 2018.”
Doctors at the United States’ National Institute of Drug Abuse actually believe porn is easier to get addicted to than any other online entertainment. Psychology Today noted that men specifically are likely to develop an addiction, and the statistics they found were scary:
98% of men and 73% of women aged 18-35 reported watching porn in the past 6 months
40 million Americans regularly visit porn sites
70% of men 18-24 visit a site at least once a month
1/3 of porn users are women
It’s definitely a bigger deal than we make of it.
What happens to me when I watch porn?
When one watches porn, the brain’s reward center releases extremely high levels of dopamine and other chemicals. Eventually, the chemicals released when a person watches porn will become associated with the consumption, and he or she will not be able to feel pleasure until they get another chance to watch it.
The brain realizes what’s going on and will try to protect itself by releasing cyclic adenosine monophosphate, or CREB, which tries to disconnect the pleasure center from the consumption. However, many with a developing addiction will begin to watch more porn in order to override the production of CREB.
As a person becomes more and more consumed by their addiction to porn, they will eventually find themselves unsatisfied by a human partner or struggle to maintain healthy relationships and friendships. The neuronal pathways are altered so that the images are burned into their minds and lead to external issues as well as issues of the mind.
This can eventually lead to sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, low libido, or altered sense of reality. It can destroy relationships and leave them feeling less satisfied with their partner. Some may turn violent toward their partner after watching specific content.
Where can I get help?
Pornography addictions are difficult to break. They require patience, intent, and drive, and that can be difficult to do alone when you’re stuck in one of these cycles. Thankfully, there are so many people yearning to help those struggling with porn addictions, including our own SoulMedics at RemedyLIVE. Text in to our 24/7 chatline at 494949, or look into one of these resources below:
Written by Madi Turpin
