Understanding Why Pornography Addiction is a Brain Disease

“One ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.” -J.R.R. Until the general public becomes more informed about the reality of how pornography impacts the human brain it will continue to be looked upon as a moral weakness or a form of mere entertainment. Pornography addiction is the most difficult addiction to treat because it hits at the very core of our humanity. Throughout my professional carrier I have spent countless hours treating those with chemical dependency addictions such as with alcohol, heroin/opiates, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana etc. Our brains are made up of tiny chemicals called neurotransmitters. The physical/chemical brain has a tremendous capacity to gain control of the mind. In essence, the only difference between a heroin or cocaine addict is the way the drug enters the system. “I am sick to my core by virtue of my indulgence in pornography.

The neuroscientific study of hallucinogens Recently, an important and landmark paper was published in PLoS ONE (hooray open access!) titled, "Investigating the Mechanisms of Hallucinogen-Induced Visions Using 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA): A Randomized Controlled Trial in Humans". It sounds daunting, but trust me, it's a very cool, approachable study. Now, in the spirit of full-disclosure, the lead author Dr. Matthew Baggott (hereafter referred to as "Matt"), is a friend of mine from grad school and he's been kind enough to grant me a very thorough interview for this post. At the bottom of this post you will also find an hour-long YouTube interview with Matt about his research as part of "Dr. That said, my real-life association with Matt is not biasing my opening statement; his paper is truly landmark for many reasons. [T]here is a staggering diversity of hallucinogens out there: hundreds of compounds, each affecting different combinations of binding sites in the brain. I think you hit the nail on the head.

Falling in love is 'more scientific than you think,' according to new study by SU professor Falling in love is 'more scientific than you think,' according to new study by SU professor October 18, 2010 Donna Adamo(315) 443-5172 A new meta-analysis study conducted by Syracuse University Professor Stephanie Ortigue is getting attention around the world. Ortigue is an assistant professor of psychology and an adjunct assistant professor of neurology, both in The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. Results from Ortigue’s team revealed when a person falls in love, 12 areas of the brain work in tandem to release euphoria-inducing chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline and vasopression. The findings beg the question, “Does the heart fall in love, or the brain?” “That’s a tricky question always,” says Ortigue. Other researchers also found blood levels of nerve growth factor, or NGF, also increased. The study also shows different parts of the brain fall for love.

ADDICTION AND YOUR BRAIN Addiction "Hijacks" Your Brain According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine addiction has now been officially classified as a Brain Disease...While some of us are more vulnerable to it than others, addiction is not just about people behaving badly. All of us have the potential to acquire this disease. Your brain has a built in Reward System referred to as your "Pleasure Pathway" that is activated by behavior that makes you feel good. It's designed to promote positive behavior connected to the survival of the species, such as food and sex, but it responds equally to less productive behavior such as drugs and alcohol. Sending the wrong signals to this area of your brain is very dangerous. We can become addicted to almost anything and we may have no idea what's really taking place until we try to stop. Addiction is far more involved than its symptoms describe---It's more than just the highs, the cravings and the things people do to achieve one or avoid the other.

Psychopharmacology Institute