Net Compulsives

Could the widespread availability and consumption of pornography in recent years actually be rewiring the male brain?

It is hard to ignore how many highly visible men in recent years (indeed, months) have behaved in sexually self-destructive ways. Some powerful men have long been sexually voracious; unlike today, though, they were far more discreet and generally used much better judgment in order to cover their tracks. Of course, the heightened technological ability nowadays to expose private behavior is part of the reason for this change. But that is precisely the point: so many of the men caught up in sex-tinged scandals of late have exposed themselves - sometimes literally - through their own willing embrace of text messages, Twitter, and other indiscreet media. What is driving this weirdly disinhibited decision-making? Could the widespread availability and consumption of pornography in recent years actually be rewiring the male brain, affecting men's judgment about sex and causing them to have more difficulty controlling their impulses? There is an increasing body of scientific evidence to support this idea. Six years ago, I wrote an essay called "The Porn Myth," which pointed out that therapists and sexual counselors were anecdotally connecting the rise in pornography consumption among young men with an increase in impotence and premature ejaculation among the same population. These were healthy young men who had no organic or psychological pathology that would disrupt normal sexual function. The hypothesis among the experts was that pornography was progressively desensitising these men sexually. Indeed, hardcore pornography's effectiveness in achieving rapid desensitisation in subjects has led to its frequent use in training doctors and military teams to deal with very shocking or sensitive situations. Given the desensitisation effect on most male subjects, researchers found that they quickly required higher levels of stimulation to achieve the same level of arousal. The experts I interviewed at the time were speculating that porn use was desensitising healthy young men to the erotic appeal of their own partners. Since then, a great deal of data on the brain's reward system has accumulated to explain this rewiring more concretely. We now know that porn delivers rewards to the male brain in the form of a short-term dopamine boost, which, for an hour or two afterwards, lifts men's mood and makes them feel good in general. The neural circuitry is identical to that for other addictive triggers, such as gambling or cocaine. The addictive potential is also identical: just as gamblers and cocaine users can become compulsive, needing to gamble or snort more and more to get the same dopamine boost, so can men consuming pornography become hooked. As with these other reward triggers, after the dopamine burst wears off, the consumer feels a letdown - irritable, anxious, and longing for the next fix. (There is some new evidence, uncovered by Jim Pfaus at Concordia University in Canada, that desensitisation may be affecting women consumers of pornography as well.) This dopamine effect explains why pornography tends to become more and more extreme over time: ordinary sexual images eventually lose their power, leading consumers to need images that break other taboos in other kinds of ways, in order to feel as good. Moreover, some men (and women) have a "dopamine hole" - their brains' reward systems are less efficient - making them more likely to become addicted to more extreme porn more easily. As with any addiction, it is very difficult, for neurochemical reasons, for an addict to stop doing things - even very self-destructive things - that enable him to get that next hit of dopamine. Could this be why men who in the past could take time-delayed steps to conduct affairs behind closed doors now can't resist the impulse to send a self-incriminating text message? If so, such men might not be demons or moral ciphers, but rather addicts who are no longer entirely in control of themselves. This is not to say that they are not responsible for their behavior. But I would argue that it is a different kind of responsibility: the responsibility to understand the powerfully addictive potential of pornography use, and to seek counseling and medication if the addiction starts to affect one's spouse, family, professional life, or judgment. By now, there is an effective and detailed model for weaning porn-addicted men and restoring them to a more balanced mental state, one less at the mercy of their compulsions. Understanding how pornography affects the brain and wreaks havoc on male virility permits people to make better-informed choices - rather than engage in pointless self-loathing or reactive collective judgments - in a world that has become more and more addictively hardcore<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/2011630143536779660.html">.</a>

Could the widespread availability and consumption of pornography in recent years actually be rewiring the male brain?

It is hard to ignore how many highly visible men in recent years (indeed, months) have behaved in sexually self-destructive ways. Some power...

18 million people are considered sex addicts, with behaviors that have taken on new dimensions with the explosion of the Internet.

Addiction to sex is much like other addictions, experts say. As many as 18 million people are sex addicts, according to estimates by the Mayo Clinic. While experts say the Internet isn't creating sex addicts, it's making the addiction more secretive and accessible. Ex-lawmaker Anthony Weiner, Tiger Woods and Charlie Sheen have lots of company. As many as 18 million people are considered sex addicts, with behaviors that have taken on new dimensions with the explosion of the Internet. Cindy Beall and her husband and pastor Chris Beall. He is a recovered addict. They live in Edmond and he is the Oklahoma City campus pastor of lifechurch.tv, 178th and Pennsylvania Provided Sex addicts find ready enabler in the Internet Almost 60 percent of online sexual compulsive behavior results exclusively from Internet use, according to Netaddiction.com. And while the Internet can't be blamed for creating more sex addicts, Oklahoma City counselor Angie Ridings says it likely does contribute. “I think it's certainly accelerated the problem. It's so easily accessible, a lot of it is free and children can find it. And if they run across something as a child, they are more likely to become addicted,” said Ridings. Only about 3 percent of commercial porn sites on the Internet require adult verification, adding to the vulnerability of the 12- to 17-year-olds who make up the largest group of Internet porn viewers, studies show. Brain chemistry Regardless of the age of the participant, the images or the sexual messages shared through text messaging tend to charge up the brain chemistry, according to one theory. “They are getting these constant little bursts of dopamine in their brain throughout the day. By not having the right brain chemistry, this is the way they are self-medicating,” said Stacey Dean, an Oklahoma City licensed professional counselor who treats sex addicts. It's really no surprise that the ranks of self-medicators include hyper-focused celebrities who jump into the headlines every few weeks because of their sexual behavior. “The things that make people good at certain things, like talented golfers or celebrities with great talent, also make them prone to do things that sex addicts do,” Dean said. But why do these with exceptional focus, looks, skills and talents — people who are always in the public eye — risk it all to act out sexual fantasies? “I'm sure Bill Clinton, Schwarzenegger, Weiner and all the rest knew the risks they were undertaking,” said Dr. Lance Dodes, author and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and analyst with the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. “People with addictions aren't any stupider than anyone else, so they know the consequences.” And, the celebrity addicts are actually much like people who are addicted to gambling, shopping, alcohol or drugs. Help is out there Therapists generally seem to agree on one thing: the reason addicts don't just stop is because they can't. But that doesn't mean sex addicts can't be helped. The sex addict can break free of those texted inappropriate photos, sex chat rooms and online pornography sites, experts say. Carnes and his followers recommends finding a support group, becoming accountable to others and, when needed, seeking professional therapy. Dean said she does sex therapy with couples while working closely with psychiatrists who delve into underlying issues such as bi-polar disorder or anxiety. She said once these patients are treated and managing the disease, they often better manage their tendency to act out sexually. Dodes takes a different approach to treatment. He suggests sex addicts talk to a good psychiatric therapist. “People should have more hope than they do about addiction treatment,” he said.

18 million people are considered sex addicts, with behaviors that have taken on new dimensions with the explosion of the Internet.

Addiction to sex is much like other addictions, experts say. As many as 18 million people are sex addicts, according to estimates by the May...