The Wages of Sexual-Addiction Politics

Did addiction politics leave us stranded on a slippery slope? Ever wonder why the brains of pathological gamblers, food addicts and video-game addicts have been studied, yet no one has studied the brains of porn addicts? We’ve certainly wondered—especially as one often hears the claim that the absence of studies is “proof” that porn addiction/sex … Read more

Are You Hooked on Porn? Ask ASAM

Last month, 3000 doctors of the American Society for Addiction Medicine released a public statement bringing the definition of addiction into line with decades of addiction research. “[Addiction] is about brains…. It’s about underlying neurology, not outward actions,” explains ASAM’s Dr. Michael Miller. ASAM’s definition captures the key elements of addiction described by NIDA head … Read more

Ominous News for Porn Users: Internet Addiction Atrophies Brains

Here’s some headline news for anyone who has been trained that Internet porn use is harmless: Physical evidence of addiction processes is showing up in the brains of avid Internet video-gamers. What’s more, use of online erotica has greater potential for becoming compulsive than online gaming according to Dutch researchers. According to NIDA head Nora … Read more

Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction Is A Growing Problem

High-speed Internet pornography users in their twenties are increasingly developing sexual performance problems (erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation). Said one young man, “Lots of guys, 20s or so, can’t get it up anymore with a real girl, and they all relate having a serious porn/masturbation habit. Guys will never openly discuss this with friends or co-workers, … Read more

“Day 64: Successful, great, normal sex”

This guy, who could no longer use a condom successfully due to porn-induced ED, applied the recent scientific findings about how superstimuli can numb the pleasure response of the brain to his use of today’s hyperstimulating porn. He decided to allow his brain to “reboot.” Although each person’s rebooting experience is different (recoveries range from … Read more

DSM-5 Attempts to Sweep Porn Addiction Under the Rug

"Sweeping porn addiction under the rug"

The Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders work group for the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is currently discussing whether to demote the proposed “Hypersexual Disorder” (which addresses compulsive porn use, among other behaviors) from Sexual Dysfunctions to the appendix. Further, a member of the work group advises that “Hypersexual Disorder” may … Read more

The End of The Porn Debate?

The debate about widespread use of Internet porn tends to revolve around social concerns and conflicting surveys. Is today’s porn improving marriages? Causing erectile dysfunction leading to unsafe sex? Simply enabling people to meet normal sexual needs more conveniently? Inflating cravings for novelty and extreme sexual behaviors? Only a problem of disapproving mates? Decreasing youthful viewers attraction … Read more

Forbidden Sex Research: The Orgasm Cycle

Brain scan“Financiers take too many risks; scientists do not take enough.” -Seth Roberts

When your appetite changes, your perception changes. Think about how uninviting that fifth slice of pizza is compared with that delectable first slice. Recent brain research is revealing a disturbing phenomenon: intense natural stimuli can interfere with our brain’s normal appetite satiation mechanism. By numbing the pleasure response of the brain, such stimuli can make pleasures less satisfying. The effects linger for weeks. The result is less overall enjoyment and contentment, even though the superstimili continue to register as especially “valuable.”

Read more