We continue our series on addictions with our human condition guru Lyn Worsley by looking at porn addictions. We talk about the damaging effects and its similarities to other addictions. We also hear the personal testimony of a former porn addict.
Pornography addictions has many similarities with drug addiction, in that it concerns dopamine in the brain and produces a pleasing effect that nontheless must be sated with increasing frequency. Lyn quotes a number of shocking statistics, which include 12% of websites being pornographic in nature, and the average age of someone viewing this material is only eleven years old.
As with many habits and addictions, pornography has a physical effect on the brain, causing neural pathways to align themselves in certain ways; in this case, porn creates a periodic dopamine spike that rewires the brain to crave more and more, and with the internet so accessible, constantly feeding this desire is easy. In this way, the constant stimulus of the internet can be more pleasing than an actual partner. This process of reqiring takes approximately 30 days, and since addictions usually last more than this, they can be extremely difficult to break out of, especially with the brain demanding more dopamine.
The nature of pornography is similar to that of watching a horror film; the images are designed to stay inside your head, which leads to fantasizing even when there is no stimulus present. Josh, a former pornography addict, shares his story of how he became addicted, and how this affected his life.
Lyn then shares some practical tips on how we ourselves can deal with the overarching issue of pornography, such as having someone keep us accountable and reminding ourselves that we are loved for who we are. We are also not to judge as if sexual sin is any worse- those addicted to pornography are in need of support, not scorn.
Picture credit: aftab on Flickr