Your Brain on Porn

 

Video Transcript

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Why is Pornography SO Powerful and Addictive?

In recent years, anonymous surveys and Internet data suggest that nearly 70% of all men and 30% of all women in the U.S. purposely view pornography at least once a month. And a significant percentage of these people view it far more often than that. Why is pornography so powerful? Why is it pulling so many people in and in too many cases trapping them in obsession and addiction? Why is it SO hard to overcome porn addiction?

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Getting "BLHASTed" in the Porn Funnel

What it all comes down to is that pornography has a dramatic effect on the human brain. To see this effect, let’s look at what we call the Porn Funnel. There is always a “trigger” that pushes a person to enter the Porn Funnel. That trigger could be that he or she is feeling "BLHASTed," which is an acronym for: Bored or Burned out; Lonely; Hungry; Angry, Anxious or Afraid; Stressed or Tired. Any of these feelings  can motivate a person to escape to and self-medicate in the Porn Funnel.  

 

Once in the Funnel, the brain begins releasing some super-powerful neurochemicals like: Dopamine, Serotonin, Testosterone, Norepinephrine and Endorphins. These feel-good chemicals produce a rush, a high and a soothing in the brain. These are the same type of brain chemicals released in the use of cocaine, heroin and other street drugs. Pornography use is "substance abuse." These powerful chemicals cause the brain to focus on one thing:  getting to the huge reward of sexual climax!

 

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Porn Blocks Out Everyone and Everything You Care About

The brain radically narrows its focus and shuts out everyone and everything that gets in the way of the ultimate goal of sexual climax. Thoughts of spouse, family, God, goals, future consequences—the neurochemical rush of porn blocks out all of these “distractions.” After the brain reaches climax, it emerges from the top of the Funnel into the bottom, where the feel-good chemicals fade away and the brain returns to its logic and wide perspective.
 

You Can't Think Logically in the Porn Funnel!

The porn user frantically asks, “What in the world was I thinking?” The answer is, “He wasn’t and in fact couldn’t.” In the narrow part of the Funnel, the brain’s ability to think logically was shut down. In the bottom of the Funnel the brain experiences a radically different set of emotions: guilt, shame, regret, frustration, self-loathing, confusion. Sometimes the viewer will go right back into the top of the Funnel to escape and soothe this flood of negative emotions—and the whole cycle starts over again.

 

Our pornified and sexualized culture seeks to focus everyone’s attention on the excitement and rush in the top of the Funnel. But the real focus should be on how the individual feels when they land in the bottom of the Funnel. This is the true test of whether the experience was healthy or destructive.

 

The Porn Funnel is powerful because it can quickly become the brain’s favorite “drug-of-choice” to escape and medicate the stress and pressures of life. Pornography use is literally “substance abuse”!  

 

 

We Can Help You Break Free From the Porn Funnel

If you or someone you love is desperate to overcome pornography addiction, Reclaim Counseling Services can help. As Counselors we’re in successful long-term recovery from our own addiction struggles and over the last 20 years, we’ve assisted many people all over the world in breaking free and living sober, happy, successful lives. Contact us to get started on your journey to freedom.