The Dangers of Pornography Addiction
Why is Pornography So Addictive?
Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social, and spiritual manifestations. Ultimately, addiction is the condition where an individual pursues a certain end to the detriments of all other pursuits.
Porn Addiction is closely related to other types of addictions and a growing body of research suggests that heavy porn use might be a sign of serious addiction. Pornography users show symptoms of addiction, which can include:
Not being able to stay away from it consistently
Problems controlling their behavior
A craving for rewarding experiences
Being unable to see the relationship issues caused by heavy use
Why is Pornography so Problematic?
Often initially viewed so innocently, pornography usage has been shown to have extreme, negative consequences for the user. Biologically, the addictive aspect of pornography consists of dopamine hormone release in the brain. Pornography significantly distorts attitudes and perceptions about the nature of otherwise healthy sexual intercourse. Men who habitually look at pornography have a higher tolerance for behaviors that are not only taboo but also criminal and dangerous. Additionally, those who habitually use pornography have been shown to develop negative attitudes toward women and children.
Pornography affects people’s emotional lives. Married men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their marital sexual relations and less emotionally attached to their wives. Women married to men with a pornography addiction report feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and anger. Pornographic use may lead to infidelity and even divorce. Young or unmarried people who view pornography feel shame, diminished self-confidence, and sexual uncertainty.
Writing for the popular site WebMD, Dr. Smitha Bhandari provides a list of occurrences associated with pornography usage: desensitization, habituation, and boredom, distorted perception of reality, sexual addiction, aggression, and abuse.
Moving Forward
While statistics in this field can be difficult to come by, it is clear that pornography addiction is not something to be trifled with. According to some studies only 5% of those afflicted fully recover. Like so many other addictions, recovery turns into a life long process. This journey is most successful when professional treatment is sought after fully implemented. Treatment providers like A.V.Y. Counseling are able to provide state of the art treatment while maintaining strict confidentiality.
If you feel like you are ready to begin your road to recovery and avoid the pitfalls associated with addiction, give us a call or sign up for one of our classes here.