The Brain on Porn: Desensitization and Porn
The Brain on Porn: Desensitization and Porn
Addiction is becoming more widespread nowadays than ever. Take pornography addiction as an example; it has become more common as it’s a lot easier now to have access to pornographic content on the internet. The harmful consequences of porn addiction are in fact alarming, and not many people are aware of it. In this article you’ll understand what makes pornography dangerous and harmful to your life and your brain health, in fact porn has no one single benefit but to harm those who depend on it and in various ways.
Porn increases the brain secretions of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is secreted in the brain when a person does something rewarding and during pleasurable situations, e.g. getting enough sleep, socializing, exercising or getting work done. However, such activities increase dopamine secretions but up to the normal levels, unlike pornographic content which floods the brain with high levels of dopamine. This flooding overwhelms the brain and on the long run, it can cause a phenomenon called desensitization.
But how does this process of desensitization happen? It happens when the brain is repeatedly exposed to high levels of dopamine, eventually the brain will become desensitized to those high levels and it will require greater stimulation to experience the same “feel-good experience” or “high” again. This high level of stimulation cannot be fulfilled by normal activities and later on they will no longer excite the brain. By then your brain will need a stronger stimulus (AKA super-stimulus) in order to release dopamine. That’s why addicts, as time goes by, they start finding normally rewarding experiences less stimulating and less interesting. They then resort to their super-stimulus (in that case it’s pornography) in order for dopamine to hit their brain again, nothing else will compensate for addictive behaviour in that case and you will realize yourself becoming an porn addict!
Not to mention its negative effects on sexual health, for example it can cause sexual dysfunction in men and also other problems.
Addiction doesn’t always manifest itself in a substance, addictions can manifest in behaviours too. Porn addiction is one example, there’s also internet addiction, sex addiction, gambling addiction and several others. Behavioural addictions are no less harmful than substance-related addictions, you should seek treatment if you find yourself being dependent on something that is causing you more harm than good. And if you cannot seek therapy, detox is usually the first step. Detox by eliminating undesired behaviours and replacing them with healthier activities.. for example you can meditate, exercise or maybe take a dance class, connect with friends and family or educate yourself on a subject that you love. Seek habits which you find entertaining and enjoyable.
