How porn addiction can change the ‘chemistry’ of the brain and create a ‘highly unrealistic view of sex’

Dr Andrew D Huberman, American neuroscientist and tenured associate professor in the department of neurobiology and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine also voiced a similar behaviourial concern in a podcast with Chris Williamson, adding that there is ample evidence in the form of studies to suggest that since the brain continues to learn, if it learns to be aroused by watching other people have sex, it is not necessarily going to be carried over to one’s private space when they are one-on-one with someone else. “Young people who are consuming a lot of porn may face challenges in sexual interaction with a real partner,” he said in the YouTube video.

Stressing that the concern is beyond the objective idea of whether pornography is good or bad, Dr Huberman noted that in its availabilty and its extreme forms, it is an important stimulus which can pique dopamine levels — the higher the peak, the greater is the fall afterwards. “So, these things are not good or bad but they have to be controlled in a way,” he added.

Also, according to a 2019-study published by the National Library of Medicine, about three to six per cent of people have an addiction to pornography. In this backdrop of such experiences and commentaries, we decided to dig deep into what is porn addiction, what causes it, the extremes, and why is it a concern.

What is pornography?

Simply put, pornography or porn is the consumption of content for sexual excitement through books, films, videos and the like. According to Britannica.com, the word pornography, derived from the Greek words porni (‘prostitute’) and graphein (‘to write’), was originally defined as any work of art or literature depicting the life of prostitutes. “Because the very definition of pornography is subjective, a history of pornography is nearly impossible to conceive; imagery that might be considered erotic or even religious in one society may be condemned as pornographic in another,” it notes on its website.

Access to pornography

Since pornography has become increasingly accessible, with the internet providing a seemingly endless supply of sexually explicit material, it has led “to an increase in the number of people who are addicted to porn and the number of people who are suffering from the consequences of porn addiction”, said Vaishnavi Roy, author and a mental health advocate. Experts also suggest that the triple-A impact of porn’s accessibility, affordability, and anonymity makes it easy for users to consume its content compulsively.

Porn users may become habitual to its use which can affect relationships (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

What is porn addiction like?

When someone becomes addicted to porn, they spend an excessive amount of time focusing on sexual stimulation and fantasy. This can lead to an inability to focus on daily tasks and responsibilities, experts say. “Additionally, people who are addicted to porn often use it as a way to cope with negative emotions, such as loneliness or depression. This can lead to a vicious cycle, as the person becomes further addicted to porn. People who are addicted to porn often neglect their health, leading to fatigue, insomnia, headaches, and other physical ailments,” Roy said.

When does it become a concern?

Excessive watching of pornographic videos can have an impact on your brain and the way you think about sex or feel about your partner. According to Dr Sonal Anand, Psychiatrist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, habitual porn users naturally seek their phones and computers when the desire strikes rather than resorting to a love partner for sexual enjoyment or fulfilment. “Additionally, abnormally powerful bursts of reward and pleasure cause abnormally powerful levels of habituation in the brain,” added Dr Anand.

Vidhi Agarwal, counselling psychologist, founder- Aantarik describes sex as a creative, (preferably and importantly) mutually joyful activity of self-expression for all partners involved. “Pornography reduces sex to a bare mechanistic act of intercourse where penetration is the be-all and the end-all,” she expressed.

Drisha Dey, consultant psychologist, Kolkata explained that engaging in anything that adversely affects one’s life, especially with the knowledge that it is a negative influence, is “almost always a self-sabotaging behaviour” where some need is being fulfilled, but in a contorted fashion. “It causes a surge in dopamine, but with time you need to consume greater amounts to get the same dopamine hit. Consuming porn becomes something you plan your schedule around, your primary focus is to fulfill that craving. Inevitably, the ability to prioritise healthily suffers,” Dey told indianexpress.com.

Roy also spoke about how porn addiction can cause a range of “mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship problems, and even suicidal thoughts”. “When someone is addicted to pornography, their brain chemistry changes. This leads to an increase in dopamine and other hormones that make the user feel good. They become addicted to the feeling of pleasure that porn provides and begin to spend more and more time viewing pornographic material. As this continues, their mental health begins to suffer. They may feel anxious or depressed, and their relationships with family and friends can become strained. They may also become more isolated, as they prefer to spend their time viewing pornography instead of engaging in social activities,” said Roy.

Porn addiction can lead to loneliness (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Adding, Agarwal stressed how porn creates a “highly unrealistic view of sex”. “The issue with pornography is that it is usually violent, unrealistic and unidimensional. It does not capture mutual consent or respect between partners. Moreover, porn runs the risk of dehumanising the receiving partner, (usually the female) if we talk of heterosexual pornography. Research has indicated that the average age of viewership of porn is as young as 13 years,” she elucidated.

In addition, women may start to believe that their body is inadequate, or that sex should look a certain way and that it should involve certain behaviours. “This distorted view can lead to feelings of inadequacy and a lack of confidence in their sexual relationships,” said Roy. Agreed Agarwal and noted how it teaches “boys and men extremely skewed ideas of being macho wherein men are the ‘go-getters’, the conquerors while women are reduced to being conquests”.

What can be done?

As of 2021, porn addiction is not officially recognised by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) or the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders as a mental health disorder or problem like a substance use disorder but experts suggest the need for counselling, and behaviour modification, along with medication-assisted therapies.

Normalising conversations regarding human anatomies, sex education, and creating awareness that images on any screen are very rarely accurate representations of how good people look can help, Dey suggested.

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