We have movies on demand, TV access through our computers and phones, and social media one hand movement away. With all this access to entertainment comes a need for creators to venture into more and more fantasy, to create never before seen material, and a lot of it. These ideas carry over to all types of entertainment, including the pornography. With consumers becoming more intertwined into the false reality of entertainment, real life ideals can tend to blur. It has become more and more important to set the proper boundaries. Without moderation, our brains can slowly change, literally. When it comes to porn’s fantasy of what sex can be, this is where entertainment can really start to ruin someone’s life and future relationships, let alone the susceptibility for a full-out addiction to porn.
According to Gary Wilson, “natural addictions arising from needs like food and sex have essentially the same neurochemical effect on the brain as drug-related addictions by hijacking evolutionarily useful mechanisms.” He goes on to say “It tricked my brain into thinking that I had the opportunity to procreate with limitless new mates, prompting repeated “hits” of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with reward and motivation.”
The continuous stream of possible sexual mates that internet porn presents can override the normal satiation mechanisms for sex, flooding the brain with chemicals saying this is good for survival. This creates the cravings for more porn, and leads to a numbed pleasure response with real life mates. Before the internet and free porn videos became an option, magazines were popular. However, magazines limited the amount of sexual partners your brain could be fooled into thinking it could copulate with. The current access to unlimited amounts of porn is altering our brain’s survival instinct.
There is however, and opposing view on this topic. According to psychology today, “porn is not addictive…this false belief is dangerous, and ultimately not helpful.” The article goes on to talk about porn not being the problem. Instead, it suggest that “you” are the problem. So, is porn just a behavior issue? Either way, there are consequences associated with a person who indulges in too much porn.
The actual content of pornographic videos also presents a problem. These videos are designed to entertain people and give them a glimpse into a fantasy – something that is not real. If someone starts watching these at a young age, this can transform their view on what sex is supposed to be. Porn is not real, but people began to believe that it is how sex should be. Pushing fantasies too far, or being desensitized to a normal sexual encounter, can be a debilitating experience, and ultimately ruin relationships.
At Tree House Recovery, we’re helping men find freedom from addiction. Our treatment programs create sustainable change for sustainable recovery by helping men find their strength in body, mind, and spirit. For information on our Orange County programs, call us today: (855) 202-2138
