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Start here for an overview of concepts &
science
This article is a short synopsis of some keyconcepts. For the science behind it, please followall the links. Some links go to our articles, which
in turn link to studies. For a more in-depth understanding, watch Adolescent Brain Meets Highspeed Internet Porn [1] and Your Brain on
Porn [2] and read the articles listed at the bottom of this article. For porn-induced ED watch Erectile Dysfunction & Porn [3]. For specific
content explore Porn FAQs [4].
What happens when you drop a male rat into
a cage with a receptive female rat? First, you
see a frenzy of copulation. Then,
progressively, the male tires of that particular
female. Even if she wants more, he has had
enough. However, replace the original
female with a fresh one, and the male
immediately revives and gallantly struggles
to fertilize her.
You can repeat this process with fresh
females until he is completely wiped out.
This is called the Coolidge effect [5]the
automatic response to novel mates. Its what started you down the road to getting hooked [6] on
Internet porn.
Like that lab rat, you have a primitive mechanism [7] in your brain urging you to fertilize [8] the
two-dimensional females, males (or whatever) on your screen. [9] (Note: The Coolidge effect
also occurs in females [10]. Studies show that, when given the opportunity, human females are
just as promiscuous [11]as males.)
Primitive circuits [12] in your brain govern emotions, drives, impulses, and subconscious
decision-making. They do their jobs so efficiently that evolution hasn't seen the need to change
them much [13]since before humans were humans.
More dopamine, please
For you, rats, and all mammals, the desire and motivation [14] to pursue sex arises from a
neurochemical called dopamine [15]. Dopamine amps up the centerpiece of the primitive part of
the brainthe reward circuitry. Its where we experience cravings and pleasure, and where we
get addicted.
The ancient reward circuitry [16] compels you to do things that further your survival and pass on
your genes. At the top of our human reward list are food [17], sex [18], love [19], friendship, and
novelty [20]. These are called natural reinforcers, as contrasted with addictive chemicals.
The evolutionary purpose [21] of dopamine is to motivate you [22] to do what serves your genes.
The bigger the squirt the more you want something. No dopamine and you just ignore it.
Chocolate cake and ice creama big blast. Celerynot so much. Sexual stimulation and
orgasm are the biggest natural blast of dopamine available to your reward circuitry. One of
dopamine's nicknames is the "molecule of addiction [23]."
Although dopamine may be referred to as the "pleasure molecule," this may not be technically
accurate. Dopamine is all about seeking and searching [24] for rewards, the anticipation [25]- it's
our motivation and drive to pursue [26]potential rewards or long term goals [27]. Although
controversial [28], it appears that the final reward or good feelings arises from opioids.
Dopamine is wanting, opioids are liking. [29]
As psychologist Susan Weinschenk explained [30] in a 2009 article, the neurotransmitter
dopamine does not cause people to experience pleasure, but rather causes a seeking
behavior. Dopamine causes us to want, desire, seek out, and search, she wrote. It is the
opioid system that causes one to feel pleasure. Yet, the dopamine system is stronger than the
opioid system, she explained. We seek more than we are satisfied. Addiction may be thought
of as wanting run amok. [31]
Novelty, novelty, more novelty
Dopamine surges for novelty [32]. A new car, just-released movie, the latest gadgetwe are all
hooked on dopamine. As with everything new the thrill fades away as dopamine plummets.
Heres how the Coolidge effect works: [33] The rats reward circuitry is squirting less and less
dopamine with respect to the current female, but produces a big dopamine surge for a new
female. Does that sound familiar?
Not surprisingly, rats and humans aren't that
different when it comes to response to novel
sexual stimuli. For example, when Australian
researchers [34] (graph) displayed the same
erotic film repeatedly, test subjects' penises
and subjective reports both revealed a
progressive decrease in sexual arousal. The
"same old same old" just gets boring.
Habituation indicates declining dopamine.
After 18 viewingsjust as the test subjects
were nodding offresearchers introduced
novel erotica for the 19
th
and 20
th
viewings.
Bingo! The subjects and their penises
sprang to attention. (Yes, women showed similar effects [35].)
Internet porn is especially enticing to the reward circuitry [36] because novelty is always just a
click away. It could be a novel mate, unusual scene, strange sexual act, oryou fill in the
blank. With multiple tabs open and clicking for hours, you can experience more novel sex
partners every ten minutes than our hunter-gatherer ancestors experienced in a lifetime.
Internet porn is what scientists call a supernormal stimulus. [37]
Whats a brain to do when it has unlimited access to a super-stimulating reward it never
evolved to handle? Some brains eventually adapt, which can lead to addiction-related brain
changes or sexual conditioning. Research confirms [38] anticipation of reward and novelty
amplify one another to increase excitement and rewire the limbic brain.
I can't emphasize this enough: Internet porn addiction is not a "sex addiction [39]" - it's an Internet
addiction. [40] Although masturbation is often involved, this is an addiction to novel pixels on a
screen.
Drug addictions arent the only addictions [41]
It's common knowledge that dopamine-raising substances, such as alcohol or cocaine, can
create addictions. Yet only about 10-15% of humans or rats that use addictive drugs (except
nicotine) ever become addicts. Does this mean the rest of us are safe from addiction? When it
comes to substance abuse, perhaps yes.
Yet when it comes to unrestricted access to super-stimulating versions of natural rewards,
such as junk food, [42] or even video games [43], the answer is no, although certainly not every
user gets hooked.
The reason highly stimulating versions of food [44] and sex can hook useven if we're not
otherwise susceptible to addictionis that our reward circuitry evolved to drive us toward food
[45] and sex, not drugs. Todays high fat [46]/sugar foods [47] (75% of American adults are
overweight, 35% obese [48]) and Internet porn (youre reading this) have the potential to hook [49]
even more people than do drugs. These supernormal versions [50]of natural rewards can
override our brains satiation mechanisms [51]the Im done feelingbecause concentrated
calories and fertilization opportunities are your genes top priorities.
Addictions share many of the same mechanisms & brain changes
Recent research reveals that behavioral addictions (food addiction [52], [53] pathological
gambling [54], video gaming [55], and Internet addiction [56]) and substance addictions share many
of the same fundamental mechanisms [57] leading to a collection of shared alterations [58] in
brain anatomy and chemistry. These brain changes include:
Desensitization [59] ("A numbed pleasure response"): Among other
changes, dopamine [60] and dopamine (D2) receptors [61] decline in
the brain's reward circuitry, leaving the addict less sensitive to
pleasure [62], and "hungry" for dopamine-raising activities/substances
of all kinds. The addict then tends to neglect interests, stimuli, and
behaviors that were once of high personal relevance.
1.
Sensitization [63] ("A super memory of pleasure"): Rewired nerve connections cause 2.
the reward circuitry to buzz [64] in response to addiction-related cues [65]or thoughts. This
Pavlovian memory makes the addiction more compelling than other activities in the
addict's life.
Hypofrontality [66] ("Willpower erodes"): Alterations [67] in frontal-lobe gray matter [68] and
white matter [69]correlate with reduced impulse control [70] and the weakened ability [71] to
foresee consequences.
3.
Dysfunctional stress circuits [72] - Stress can easily trigger a relapse. 4.
Are these the only brain changes? No. Each of these broad-brush indicators reflects multiple
subtler addiction-related cellular and chemical alterations [57]just as the scan of a cancer
tumor wouldn't show associated subtler cellular/chemical changes.
Most of the subtler changes can't be assessed in human models due to the invasiveness of
the technologies required. However, they have been identified in animal models. For
supporting science, see this review Natural Rewards, Neuroplasticity, and Non-Drug
Addictions (2011) [73]
A common molecular switch for sexual conditioning and addiction: DeltaFosB
[74]
The molecular switch that initiates many of these addiction-related behaviors is the protein
DeltaFosB [75]. Continued over-consumption of natural rewards [76] (sex [77], sugar [76], high-fat [78],
aerobic exercise [79]) or chronic administration of virtually any drug of abuse causes DeltaFosB
to slowly accumulate in the reward circuitry. It's important to understand that addictive drugs
only cause addiction because they magnify or inhibit mechanisms already in place for natural
rewards.
The accumulation of DeltaFosB and the molecular changes it generates are nearly identical for
both sexual conditioning and drugs of abuse [74]. In other words, DeltaFosB evolved to rewire
the brain to sexual stimuli, yet drugs hijack this very same mechanism. In fact,
methamphetamine activates the exact same nerve cells [80] in the reward center as do
sexual rewards. In contrast, there's only a small percentage [81] of nerve-cell activation overlap
between meth and food or water (other natural rewards).
Put simply, addictive drugs like meth are compelling because they hijack the precise nerve
cells and mechanisms, which evolved to make sex compelling. Most other pleasures do not.
Thus, the familiar "talking point" that "Everything raises dopamine. Golf or laughing are certainly
not addictive, and how different can they be from internet porn in terms of dopamine
increases?" falls apart.
The important take-away concept is that drugs can activate the "sex" neurons and trigger a buzz
without actual sex. So can internet porn. Golf and laughing cannot. For that matter, nor can good
old rock & roll.
DeltaFosB's evolutionary purpose is to motivate [82] us to "get it while the getting is good!" It's a
binge mechanism for food [83] and reproduction [84], which worked well in other times and
environments. With the advent of super-normal versions of natural rewards, it makes
addictions to junk food [85] and Internet porn as easy as 1-2-3. This commonality for all
addictions is why the American Society of Addiction Medicine (3,000 addiction MDs and
researchers) unambiguously states [86] that food and sex addictions are true addictions (see
below).
Your hijacked binge mechanism: Dopamine activates DeltaFosB
A "binge mechanism" [87] is an evolutionary advantage in situations where survival is furthered
by overriding normal satiety. Think of wolves, which need to stow away up to twenty pounds of a
single kill at one go. Or our ancestors, who needed to store high-quality calories as a few extra
pounds for easy transport to survive hard times. Or mating season, when there's a harem to
impregnate. In the past, such opportunities were rare and passed quickly.
Our environments have drastically changed. The Internet offers endless mating opportunities,
which your primitive brain perceives as real because you find them so arousing. As any good
mammal would, you automatically attempt to spread your genes far and wide, but theres no
end to your mating season.
Click, click, click, masturbate, click, click, click, masturbate, click, click, click. Day in and day out,
never taking a break. This can kick your binge mechanism into overdrive. Evolution never
prepared your primitive brain [51] for this kind of nonstop stimulation.
Excess consumption (food or sex) is the signal [88] to your
primitive brain that you have hit the evolutionary jackpot [89]. With
continued daily over-consumption, dopamine triggers [90] the
accumulation of DeltaFosb, which initiates several brain
changes, including sensitization [91].
Overconsumption dopamine DeltaFosB addiction-
related changes
The obvious question is: "How much is too much?" The answer is simple: "Whatever amount
of stimulation causes the accumulation of DeltafosB and the corresponding brain changes."
This is why posing such questions as "What is the definition porn?" or "How much porn use
constitutes an addiction?" are misleading and irrelevant. The former is like asking whether it's
slot machines or blackjack that leads to a gambling addiction. The latter is like asking a food
addict how many minutes she spends eating.
The reward circuitry doesn't know what porn is. It only registers levels of stimulation through
dopamine spikes [92]. This is physiology, not morality or sexual politics.
Sensitization: A Pavlovian super-memory is formed
Learning, memory, and habits can be summed up in the old, but true, saying - "Nerve cells that
fire together, wire together [93]."
The rewiring behind addiction [94] arises partly from overproduction of natural chemicals
(DeltaFosB) [95], and the strengthening of connections between nerve cells, making it easier for
them to communicate. This is what happens in all learning. Its called neuroplasticity [96]. The
more intense the experience, the stronger the connections [97]. The stronger the connections,
the easier it is for electrical impulses to travel along this new pathway.
If habitual porn viewing has caused addiction-related brain changes, you have forged a rut in
your brain [98]. Just as water flows through the path of least resistance, so do impulses, and
thus thoughts. As with any skill, the more you practice the easier it is do. Soon it becomes
automatic [99], without any conscious thought. You've formed a deep pornography rut in your
brain: a sensitized neural pathway.
Sensitized pathways [100] can be thought of as Pavlovian conditioning [101] on
turbos. When activated by thoughts or triggers [102], sensitized pathways
blast the reward circuit, firing up hard-to-ignore cravings. The only brain
study of compulsive porn users assessed sensitization, and it found the
same brain response as seen in alcoholics and drug addicts (see - Cambridge University:
Brain scans find porn addiction) [103].
More pleasure leads to less pleasure (desensitization [59])
As sensitization and cravings compel you to use porn, overstimulation of the reward circuitry
leads to a localized rebellion. The nerve cells bombarded by dopamine say "enough is
enough." If someone continues to scream, you cover your ears. When dopamine-sending
nerve cells keep pumping out dopamine, the receiving nerve cells cover their "ears" by reducing
dopamine (D2) receptors [104].
The cycle of desensitization mimics other addictions:
bingeing cravings numbed pleasure response cravings bingeing escalates further
decline in dopamine & dopamine receptors further desensitization...
And soon you are hooked on porn, because nothing else is anywhere near as interesting to
your brain. From your genes' perspective, it's the perfect designto keep you fertilizing
franticallybefore this "valuable mating opportunity" slips away.
Desensitization numbs you [62] to everyday pleasures, while sensitization makes your
brain hyper-reactive to anything associated with your porn addiction. Over time, this dual-edged
mechanism can have your reward circuitry buzzing at the hint of porn use, but less than
enthused [91]when presented with the real deal. Desensitization is not "damage." Your cells
could rebuild lost dopamine receptors rapidly. Rather, desensitization represents a negative
feedback system [105] in overdrive.
If these two neuroplastic changes could speak, desensitization would be moaning, "I can't get
no satisfaction" (low dopamine signaling), while sensitization would be poking you in the ribs
and saying, "Hey buddy, I got just what you need," which happens to be the very thing that
caused the desensitization.
A numbed pleasure response (desensitization), combined with a deep pathway leading to
short-term relief (sensitization), is the basis of all addictions.
Escalation and rewiring
Developing tolerance [106] (numbed pleasure response) means an addict needs more of
his/her "drug" to get the same effect. Heavy porn users sometimes notice that as tolerance
builds for their earlier tastes, they move in new directions [107] in their search for intense
arousal. Many seek out what shocks [108] themperhaps because "forbidden" [109] and "fear-
producing [110]," plus sexual arousal, offer a bigger brain-chemical kick...at least for a time.
So, it's not unusual to start out your porn career with an image of a
famous hottie's fine buttand months later find you have "progressed"
to girls with goats or violent rape scenes. Keep in mind that that when
an addict escalates to new genres [111] or logs more hours of use in
search of satisfaction, he is driven by desensitization. His fundamental
sexual orientation has not changed.
The more intense the associated events [112] (orgasm + video), or the
more they are repeated, the stronger the wiring. Each experience wires the new tastes [113] into
the brain. If your sexual tastes have changed [114] so has your brain.
Definition of addiction?
Many still believe that only chemicals, not behaviors [115] such as Internet porn [116], can cause
addiction. However, neuroscientists who study the effects of addiction on the brain know
differently [117]. Experts in the field define addiction in many ways. A simple model for
understanding addiction is to apply the four Cs:
Compulsion to use 1.
Continued use in spite of adverse consequences 2.
Inability to Control use 3.
Craving - psychological or physical 4.
Addiction may be accompanied by physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Many
heavy porn users are surprised by the severity of their withdrawal symptoms [118], which overlap
with those experienced by cocaine addicts and alcoholics. [119] (Take this quiz [120] to see if the
addiction process is taking hold in your brain.)
Note that The American Society for Addiction Medicine [86] emphasized this simple concept
based on decades of research: Exhibiting the signs, symptoms and behaviors associated with
addiction indicates the underlying brain changes [121] have occurred.
Science moves on
At this time, only two studies have examined the brains of compulsive porn users:
Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated With Pornography Consumption
(2014) [122] - Which found 3 significant addiction-related brain changes
1.
Cambridge University: Brain scans find porn addiction [103]. This soon to be published
study found the same brain response as seen in drug addicts and alcoholics.
2.
For political reasons [123], brain research isolating Internet porn addicts from plain old Internet
addicts has been missing. In addition to the Cambridge study, numerous brain studies on
"Internet addicts" [124] have been published since this article was initially written, and all have
found the same fundamental brain changes as seen in drug addicts. The studies did not
assess what percentage of research subjects were addicted to Internet porn. However, it would
be illogical to conclude that high levels of Internet porn use cannot change the brain, when junk
food, video games, gambling, and "the Internet [125]" have already been proven to do so (see
Recent Internet Addiction Studies Include Porn [40]).
The American Society of Addiction Medicine [126] (ASAM) hammered the final nail in the porn
debate coffin in August, 2011, ten months after this intro article appeared. Americas top
addiction experts at ASAM released their sweeping new definition of addiction [41]. The new
definition echoes the major points [127] made on this website. Foremost, behavioral addictions
affect the brain in the same fundamental ways as drugs do. In other words, addiction is one
disease (condition), not many. For all practical purposes, this new definition ends the debate
[128] over whether sex and porn addictions are "real addictions [129]." ASAM explicitly states that
sexual behavior addictions exist [86] and must be caused by the same major brain changes
found in substance addictions. In fact, a newly created behavioral addiction category [130] will
appear in the revised DSM-5 [131], and, in time, Internet addictions will have to be added to bring
the DSM into alignment with addiction research (see - National Institue of Mental Health: DSM
is flawed and outdated [132].)
Here's a excellent peer-reviewed journal article of where addiction neuroscience is with respect
to porn addiction: Pornography addiction a supranormal stimulus considered in the context of
neuroplasticity (2013) [133].
Those who shout "pseudoscience [134]" at the mention of Internet porn addiction either have a
political agenda or are unaware of recent advances in addiction neuroscience.
To summarize the current state of addiction neuroscience:
Extensive research on behavioral addictions reveals the same fundamental brain
changes that occur with chemical addictions.
Those with addiction-related behaviors and symptoms [120] have a specific set of
measurable brain alterations.
The brain changes found in all addictions include sensitization, desensitization,
hypofrontality, altered stress responses, and abnormal white matter.
Addiction-related brain changes (both behavioral and chemical) are triggered by
accumulation of DeltaFosB [135]. There's one molecular switch, whether drug, gambling,
food, or Internet porn addiction is at work.
The brain research [136] done thus far on Internet addiction [56] (which includes porn use)
reveals all the aforementioned brain changes.
Evidence from two recent [136] Internet addiction studies shows that in control groups of
former Internet addicts, the harmful brain changes had already begun to reverse
themselves.
Evidence that Internet addiction appears to cause depression [137] and multiple other
symptoms [138] has come out in recent studies.
The DSM-5 field studi [139]es conclude [139] that hypersexual disorder exists. [140] (However,
"hypersexual" is a misleading term, which denies the behavioral addiction research
findings.)
"Pseudoscience" is:
Ignoring all anecdotal [141], clinical [142], and research [143] evidence that points to Internet
porn addiction as a true addiction [144].
Ignoring the only brain scan studies on porn users (link1 [122], link2 [103]).
Ignoring multiple brain studies on Internet addiction disorder [124].
Believing (without scientific basis) that the signs, symptoms and behaviors of Internet
porn addiction must arise from unidentified mechanisms other than addiction.
Replacing the word addiction with compulsion, yet providing no research or hypothesis as
to what makes a "compulsion to use X" different from "an addiction to X."
Ignoring the medical doctors and addiction neuroscientists of ASAM who clearly state that
sexual behavior addictions [145] exist.
Suggesting that porn has been around forever, and that staring at cave drawings is no
different than watching 20 tabs of hard-core while clicking from scene to scene.
Ignoring neuroscience on the adolescent brain [146], which shows it is far more vulnerable
to sexual conditioning [1]and addiction than the adult brain. (See - Children becoming
addicted to porn. [147])
Suggesting that Internet porn addiction must be the one and only exception to the
behavioral-addiction rule - an addiction that is somehow not an addiction.
What makes Internet porn unique? [148]
It's evident that today's porn is easy to access, available 24/7, free and private. The way it's
used keeps dopamine elevated [149]for abnormally long periods, making Internet porn uniquely
compelling, and potentially addictive. (Note: We don't speak to the psychological impact of
young people [150] watching hard-core porn of every type imaginable and unimaginable.)
Recovery sites often stress that the addictiveness of Internet porn is due to masturbation and
orgasm becoming linked to exciting or shocking visuals. Certainly both play a role, but what
sets Internet porn apart is:
It affords extreme novelty [151]hundreds of new sexual "partners" per session. Novelty is
highly stimulating. Today's porn is not Dads static, finite Playboy. Users often report that
"real sex" grows boring by comparison to today's parade of erotica-at-a-click.
1.
Unlike food and drugs, for which there is a limit to consumption, there are no physical
limitations to Internet porn consumption. The brains natural satiation mechanisms are
not activated, unless one climaxes. Even then, the user can click to something more
exciting to become aroused again.
2.
With food and drugs one can only escalate (a marker of an addiction process) by
consuming more. With Internet porn one can escalate both with more novel "partners"
and by viewing new and unusual genres. Its quite common for a user to move to ever
more extreme porn.
3.
Unlike drugs and food, Internet porn doesn't eventually activate the brains natural
aversion system. Aversion is when you dont like how a drug or too many mashed
potatoes make you feel.
4.
The age users start [152] watching porn. A teen's brain [146] is at its peak of dopamine
production and neuroplasticity [153], making it highly vulnerable to addiction [154] and
rewiring [113]. Adolescent animals produce higher levels of DeltaFosB in response to
5.
drugs and natural rewards.
Internet porn addiction is not sex addiction [39]
Sex addiction requires real people; porn addiction requires a screen and an Internet
connection. The majority of guys we see started on Internet porn long before any sexual
contact: young guys who rewired their adolescent sexuality to clicking, searching, multiple tabs,
HD streaming hardcore - long before their first kiss. Does this sound like a Tiger Woods-esque
addiction?
Any debates on porn addiction should therefore exclude all mention of sex addiction or how
"normal male behavior" is being pathologized. When did normal sexual behavior evolve into
staring at a screen, masturbating with your non-dominant hand, while clicking through scene
after scene, searching for "the one" to finish off?
Can masturbation play a role in this addiction?
Of course, but masturbation is not required. That said, frequent ejaculation in animals leads to
several brain changes [155] that inhibit dopamine, and thus libido, for several days [156]. Under
normal circumstances, sexual satiety (defined differently for each species) leads to males
taking a time out from sexual activity. Sexually satiated porn users may override these inhibitory
mechanisms by escalating to extreme porn, or spending more time watching. Both goose
dopamine. Pushing past "I'm done" signals can lead to the accumulation of DeltaFosB.
Certainly, eating to obesity causes the accumulation of DeltaFosB. However, without the lure of
Internet porn, how many guys would just give it a rest? Most all. For more, see Does Frequent
Ejaculation Cause A Hangover? [51]
Note: Many threads link to YBOP. Most debates about porn addiction (existence or effects)
devolve into debates about masturbation. This is nonsensical and completely muddies the
discussion. YBOP is only concerned with Internet porn use, not the pros, cons, or frequency of
masturbation.
Many symptoms, one cause:
People arrive here with lots of different symptoms, which they're not
always sure are due to their heavy porn use. Confusion is
understandable because the symptoms look so different:
Distress about escalation to more extreme porn [106]
Delayed ejaculation [157]
Copulatory impotence [158] (can get it up for porn, but not partners
[91])
Frequent masturbation, little satisfaction [159]
Uncharacteristic, worsening social anxiety [160] or lack of confidence [161]
Growing erectile dysfunction [142], even with extreme porn. [111]
Morphing porn tastes that don't match sexual orientation [108] (such as HOCD [111])
Inability to concentrate [162], extreme restlessness [163]
Depression, anxiety, brain fog [164]
There's good reason to believe these symptoms arise from addiction-related brain changes,
as the reward circuit contains structures that influence emotions, moods, cognitive
function, stress response, the autonomic nervous system, and the endocrine system. For
example, many of the above complaints such as social anxiety [165], depression [166], low
motivation [167], ED [168], and concentration problems [169], have been linked to low dopamine and
low or altered D2 receptors [170]. For the neurobiology of the many benefits ex-porn users
experience, see Porn, Masturbation and Mojo: A Neuroscience Perspective [171].
Rebalancing the brain
If this phenomenon is underlying your symptoms, you need to restore the sensitivity of your
reward circuit, weaken sensitized addiction pathways, and strengthen executive control. We call
this process "rebooting [172]." The best way to reboot is to give your brain a rest from all intense
artificial sexual stimulationincluding porn, fantasizing about porn [173], chat rooms, erotic
stories, surfing for picturesuntil it bounces back to normal responsiveness.
Those addicted to porn often find the rebooting process easier and faster when they drastically
reduce or eliminate masturbation. This abstinence from masturbation and orgasm isn't a
lifestyle; it's a temporary method for deepening recovery and reducing relapses into
porn. Obviously, this process is initially very difficult [174]. The brain can no longer rely on the
artificially intense "fix" of dopamine (and other neurochemicals) associated with heavy porn
use.
In addition to desensitization, porn use strengthens nerve connections linking the short-term
relief of Internet porn with any trigger your brain associates with porn (sensitization) [175].
Triggers such as being home alone, sexy images, or stress and anxiety, can activate your
brain's porn rut [176]. The only way to weaken these subconscious links is to stop using
(reinforcing) that brain pathway, and seek your mood medicine elsewhere [177]. Eliminating porn
and porn fantasy leads to "un-wiring" and eventual weakening [91] of sensitized pathways and
cravings.
The other half of the rewiring process involves strengthening your executive control, which
resides in your frontal cortex [178] (behind your forehead). Assessing risk, making long-range
plans, and controlling impulses are under the control of the frontal cortex. The
term hypofrontality [43] is often used when describing how addictions weaken and inhibit
[179]these self-control circuits. It takes time, and consistency, to return these circuits to full
working order.
Remember: Your freedom lies in rebalancing your brain. Then you can choose whether you will
activate your porn-arousal pathway or some pathway that yields results you prefer. Needless to
say, rebooting doesn't guarantee you can safely use Internet porn in the future. The human
brain remains vulnerable to a downward spiral from too much of any intense stimulus, and
your brain has a sensitized porn pathway, which can always be reactivated.
Many have stopped using porn and recovered their lives [164]. So can you.
For a more in-depth understanding of the science behind Internet porn addiction, read these
articles in sequence (follow the embedded links for citations):
Intoxicating Behaviors: 300 Vaginas = A Lot of Dopamine [36]: We are easily hooked by
supernormal versions of natural rewards
Porn, Novelty and the Coolidge Effect [5]: Without the Coolidge Effect there would be no
Internet porn
Porn Then and Now: Welcome to Brain Training [148]: "Are we the first generation to
masturbate left-handed?"
What happens when you ejaculate too much?: [51] Overriding sexual satiation
mechanisms may have consequences.
Why Shouldn't Johnny Watch Porn If He Likes? [146]: Sexual brain training matters
especially during adolescence
Why Do I Find Porn More Exciting Than A Partner? [91]: Neuroscience reveals how Internet
porn can trump real sex
Are Sexual Tastes Immutable?: [180] It's time to distinguish 'sexual orientation' from
reversible 'sexual tastes'
Can You Trust Your Johnson? [111]: Is Internet porn making male sexuality more plastic?
Recent Internet Addiction Brain Studies Include Porn: [40] Brain research on Internet
addiction points in only one direction
Porn, Pseudoscience and FosB [135]: Can you spot these 5 familiar myths about porn
addiction?
The Other Porn Experiment [181]: What can informal control groups of former porn users
show us?
Porn, Masturbation and Mojo: A Neuroscience Perspective [171]: Ex-porn users usually get
their mojo back. Why?
Young Porn Users Need Longer To Recover Their Mojo [182]: Is high-speed porn use
rewiring adolescent sexuality?
Porn Addiction is Not Sex Addiction--And Why It Matters [39]
Toss Your Textbooks: Docs Redefine Sexual Behavior Addictions [86]: American Society of
Addiction Medicine releases their sweeping new definition of addiction [126] and FAQ's. [128]
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