How Watching Pornography Changes The Brain
By Mohamed Ghilan, UVic Neuroscience
It is now recognized in neuroscience that the brain is malleable. It changes with our experience and forms pathways and connections that correlate with what we watch, listen to, and learn. From the active engagement in a philosophical discussion in class to the learning of directions in the new city you moved into; even the seemingly passive sitting down to listen to music or watch television results in a constant formation of new connections in the brain that eventually make us who we are as individuals. A huge problem, albeit a silent one, that has reached epidemic proportions is the viewing of pornography, which affects men more so than it does women.
The great majority of articles on the problematic nature of this subject typically speak about it from a psychological and/or social perspective. This article, however, will shed light on the effects of viewing pornography from a neuroscience perspective.
The current model explaining how we learn and remember things at the brain level uses synaptic plasticity as the basis. Synaptic plasticity is the ability of the brain to change the strength in connections between the neurons (brain cells) in response to experience. This involves changing the amount and types of receptors expressed, as well as the amount of neurotransmitters (communication molecules) being released.
A vital neurotransmitter in the brain is dopamine. It has many important roles that it serves in functions such as voluntary movement, motivation, reward, punishment, and learning. Dopamine has been implicated in children with ADHD, cognitive decline due to aging, and depression. Most of the public’s knowledge about dopamine is about famous individuals with Parkinson’s disease such as Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox, who have dopamine dysfunction pathology.
A vital role for dopamine is in pleasure experience, reward, and learning. Drugs such as cocaine target the dopaminergic system to release great amounts of dopamine which results in experiencing a “high,” often leading to addiction. A number of studies have implicated dopamine in either the anticipation or the direct experience of pleasure. Depending on the brain area, dopamine can be released either prior to or during the moments of heightened pleasure. When released, dopamine strengthens and reinforces the new connections that are being made in the brain while an activity is undertaken. This in turn acts to encourage the individual to repeat the activity again so they can feel that pleasure once more.
How is this relevant to pornography? As the images are displayed on the screen, an arousal takes place and the dopaminergic system is triggered just like it would be by drugs such as cocaine. The newly formed connections in the brain from watching pornographic images become greatly reinforced by the massive amounts of dopamine being released. Rather than going into short term memory, where these images can be forgotten after the screen is turned off, the dopamine reinforcement ensures they’re moved into the long-term memory stores where they can be stuck in replay mode in the person’s mind. The troublesome fact about this is that the more something is recalled, the more it solidifies it in the brain. Think back to your school days when you studied for an exam – you repeated the statements you needed to memorize over and over until they stuck.
Pornography is fantasy. Different scenes present with different women give the illusion of the watcher having a relationship with a new person every time. These “stars” subject themselves to different demeaning sexual practices by the men in the scenes. The acts in their totality are detestable to most mentally healthy people. However, the design of the act in a pornographic scene is to link one or two normally arousing and familiar elements with others that are not. This is how the viewer acquires new tastes in sexual practice. Electromagnetic waves are emitted from the screen with a fantasy that triggers a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing dopamine. The result is a feeling of a real, yet delusional, state of pleasure and satisfaction. The dopamine reinforces the new connections with newly acquired sexual tastes, and the next thing taking place is the man asking his wife to engage in a sexual fantasy that was downloaded into his subconscious.
The sequence of events in the brain is quite disturbingly simple. Synaptic plasticity works to form new connections as a result of watching pornography, and newly learned memories are stored. Since the experience is an arousing one, dopamine release results in very strong reinforcement of those new connections. Now that the scenes are in long-term memory, two consequences take place: 1) since the very same system stimulated by cocaine is being triggered by pornography, addiction is developed; and 2) the man will often attempt to create his own re-enactments with his wife, which leads to a great disappointment. The re-enactments do not live up to expectations because instead of many different women, it’s now only one. Worse yet, this only one woman doesn’t sound, act, or look the same as the ones downloaded into his mind. Although the first couple of re-enactments might be exciting, soon reality will strike and dopamine will no longer be released because pleasure is no longer derived.
Sadly, that’s not the end of it. After such a disappointment in the actual experience due to the unrealistic fantasy-based expectations, the brain not only refrains from releasing dopamine; it actually dips below baseline levels. It goes into a depression response that results in disappointment, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness in the marriage since the wife is “not up to what he expected”. Despite the efforts by many women to “spice things up” and even subject themselves to the demeaning acts that have been artificially downloaded into their husbands’ brains, the pornography-addicted husbands will only enjoy themselves for a very short while before losing interest. Meanwhile, the wife feels unattractive and emotionally abandoned despite her best efforts, not knowing that she couldn’t compete with the dopamine buzz offered by pornography.
What’s alarming about this information is that the brain acts as a whole entity; its plasticity is global. Change in one area affects other regions. It is a literal rewiring of overall neural connections as a result of pornography viewing. The extent of influence on other parts of the brain and cognition is an area of research requiring attention.
While neuroscience paints a very disturbing picture for those affected by watching pornography, it’s not all bad news. Although the same system for cocaine addiction is targeted by it, the substance is not the same. A cocaine addict must go through a regimented program to detoxify his system or otherwise he’ll be placing his life at risk. On the other hand, many men that have learned about the real stark effects of watching pornography are able to quit immediately without experiencing negative physiological consequences. It does take a lot of willpower and requires the person to busy themselves with other activities. Initially, tormenting replays of pornographic scenes watched over the past months or years will test the person’s drive and strength to give it up. Luckily, the same brain that went through a rewiring due to viewing pornography can also be rewired again. It is an extremely efficient organ that gets rid of unused connections. The longer a person can go without restimulating his pornographic connections, the more likely he makes it for his brain to discard them. Engaging in new experiences and occupying the brain with other PG-rated matters will be bound to force it to prune others away. It just needs time to do its work and it needs to be given the choice; it will always choose what the person activates more often.
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I would just like to say a little bit about this amazing discussion I stumbled upon. First a little about myself. Im 24 years old and I have to children with my girlfriend of seven years. For as long as I can remember I have felt as if everything in this world is unnatural . Im what i would consider un educated. I’ve always naturally opposed direction from the rest of the world. I have always and still live my life instinctively. breaking everything including my thoughts down as much as possible in order to try and understand better the things of this world.Now i am shocked to find such an article being discussed by Muslims. In my many dead end quests for any real knowledge in life i have come to a few conclusions. 1st there is definitely some form of higher power. sciences unsolved mysteries led me to that. 2nd is that all that is bad is man. everything else is a naturally occuring event that has a positive impact on something else. I’ve always respected the muslim religion because of its number of followers that pursue knowledge in sciences and history. I was wondering if someone could tell me why all religions that believe in a “creator” all base their lives around a book that even if it had originally been passed on directly from the”creator”, has been in the control of flawed mankind since? I truly mean no disrespect. I am only instinctively following my train of thought led by this very valid discussion. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for straying from the topic but i had a feeling that this could be a good opportunity to collect some thoughts and opinions on a question that troubled my mind repeatedly.
P.S .. I believe the article has very valid points. what we see and hear effects us directly. Also the comparison between sex addiction and drug addiction was a very spot on call. and truly in my opinion the advice to overcome both addictions mentally is logical . Your mind controls the body so control it. Its hard, yes. is that not the meaning of temptation? And as long as you continue fighting a battle not yet won is still a battle not yet lost. surely ppl that believe in a creator should have faith that they would not be put in a situation that can’t be won. trials and temptations force one to strengthen their beliefs and their physical being as well.
Dear Mike
Great to read your comments. Hopefully those with more knowledge will pick up on your question, but for now, here are my humble thoughts:
It’s an interesting point that you make with regards to human imperfection. This world is finite and everyone will die – we all know that. The Muslim doctrine holds that this world is imperfect because it is not the destination we should be striving for; it is merely an intermediary to test us on where our ultimate destination will be in the next, eternal world. Understanding this is the basis of what I am about to discuss.
In Islam, our belief is that the Quran has been and will continue to be preserved by God. It is unchanged and comes as His direct speech to us. The consequence of this is that we believe the faith is also perfectly designed to last till the end of time. How else would man be accountable if the message of the final prophet ﷺ has been corrupted?
Now, to answer your question; why entrust this faith to man? Our belief is that the Qur’anic scripture is preserved by God designed to last till the end of time. Previous divine scriptures were revealed and lost when they were entrusted to man who changed it to suit their own worldly needs. The Qur’an and the core tenants of the Islamic faith will remain preserved and unchanged until the final days on earth. What has been entrusted to man is the implementation of this faith on this earth, largely as a test from our creator to see whether we acknowledge or reject His guidance. This is the basis by which we are judged – how well can we uphold the teachings of God upon this earth.
This world is temporary and its imperfection enables us to realise its true purpose. All our joys and sorrows are given to us to humbly recognise it all comes by the grace of God and to realise that human beings are helpless without Him. The imperfection of this world is in fact its perfection because it precisely serves the purpose it was created for; to guide us to the best outcome in the next world and lead us back to our creator.
I hope that helps answer your question and pray that you are guided to the truth wherever you find it to be.
Talha
Mike…
The reason we muslims have ‘stuck’ with the Qu’ran for 1400 years is because it has remained unchanged since the moment it was revealed. The Qu’ran itself is a miracle. When it was revealed, it was done so in such a way that it is memorable. Even in this day and age, kids aged 5 have memorised the whole Qu’ran, and this is down to the way God has revealed it. It is poetic and the greatest form of literature on earth (in the eyes of a muslim, and even in non muslims) and guides humans to how they should live.
Do some more research on the Qu’ran and islam, you will be shocked.
Dear Mike…You have raised some interesting insights that may never be fully understood. I am touched by your honesty. The capacity for what you call simplicity is a sign of a great mind. I have often contemplated the reason for flawed humans. It seems to me that any interest we have from a Divine Creator who resides far beyond our understanding mind, is quite miraculous. I have often read that this is the world where things get fixed. If God were revealed and we were perfect, then there would be no opportunity for change…and change is the very nature of life itself.
Dear Mike,
I came on this website for the article about how porn can rewire your brain. As one who tries to follow the Christian faith, I logged on to get an understanding about why it’s been so difficult for me to break this habit that really goes against my faith. I came away witht he conviction that I it much more pernicious than I thought, but that it’s also beatable. So, I must dig in deeper. Even as I sit now and type this note, my thoughts floated momentarily to going on a porn site.
In terms of your comment about your concern that some holy books which have been written by men but have been claimed to be God’s holy word without any human interpretation, I believe that all men can receive guidance from the Holy Spirit, whose only mission is to guide each one of us. Some people call it the rhema word or revelation knowledge.knowledge. I subscribe to the explanation below from the Holy Bible. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Timothy 1:20-21. Another application of the Holy Spirit is as guide or counselor. Some secular people call it intuition, or a gut feeling or a hunch. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17 I’ll stop here and hope that this has been helpful to you.
To All,
I realized later that this was a Muslim website and it was too late to remove my posting. I do not wish, nor meant, any disrespect by my posting. I am not proselytizing nor evangelizing. I just thought that Mike’s posting was referring to all holy books, and so I responded from my viewpoint.Peace to all.
Brother, May Allah be with you. in respect to ur question. I appriacite it bcos it is reasonable. But reply is all divine books are revealed in order to guide human being for a successful and morally guided life in this world and also achieve eternal bliss in the next world. As u rightly said many so called divine books in the hands of men are alterred but except QURAN It is still guided by it sender but pla read it.
totaly agree
I have been in a relationship for a good period of time.
Me and My Gf would have sex occasionally and everything was great.
In between our relationship, i bought a laptop and then began watching porn.
i became addicted to porn as i thought it was nothing serious.
but after maybe 2 or 3 months when the porn watching began, i tried to have sex with my girlfriend and i could not keep an erection during intercourse.
Just like this article stated, “the man will often attempt to create his own re-enactments with his wife, which leads to a great disappointment.”
i built up this crazy standard of what sex should be like in my head and since my sex life was not as what i was watching, i could not function properly.
This article is very much helpful(( i had no idea what was going on with me, i thought something was going terribly wrong with me, its good to know the science behind the situation)) and should be considered when tempted to watch pornography
My friend told me about this website I am stunned to relieze that it is everything I have been going through in my marriage. I wanted sex more than my husband. I would talk about it and this would make him angrier only putting the blame on me more, because my wanting more sex was causing the disinterest. We went to a marriage councilor where there proceeded to be something wrong with me, that I was searching for some emotional connection and focusing too much on sex. When we were intimate sometimes he was unable to complete. We even went as far as testing his testosterone. I continued to blame myself, feel unattractive. Which brings me to last week when I found a porn tape in his brief case, he lied and told me he was using it from a friend. That night was the worst most disconnected intercourse we have ever had. I openly asked him what was wrong. He again told me he was stressed about his new job. Which takes us to the following night when my whole like changed. The momment he told me he was not in love with me, that things where not fun anymore that I am not the same person I used to be. Prior to this we were talking about a dream house and where we wanted to live and how good this new job was for our family. Now I am sitting here wandering who this man is. I also found that the porn did not start 1-2 weeks ago it has be going on for months maybe even years
Dear Kartz,
I’m sorry to hear this, but this way in Islam it says women should cover up and protect their private part except for your husband, In other way yes your husband was cheating on you by watching other women performing sex, this alone means he did have sex with other women indirectly and that’s why he demands a lot from you. I totally feel sick about his act and I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with you ate all, You are wonderful person don’t listen to what he says to you. I will recommend you to learn more about Islam.
Pornography is fantasy. Different scenes present with different women give the illusion of the watcher having a relationship with a new person every time.
Rather than going into short term memory, where these images can be forgotten after the screen is turned off, the dopamine reinforcement ensures they’re moved into the long-term memory stores where they can be stuck in replay mode in the person’s mind. The troublesome fact about this is that the more something is recalled, the more it solidifies it in the brain.
On point, best article ever on this topic. And when the person does try to quit, just like a cocaine fiend or an addict of another substance the images and the scenes that were stored in the persons brain are suddenly replayed when they are craving their addiction and have stayed away for some time. Unbelievable..
asalaam alaikum..
subhanAllah, this article was such an eye-opener for me in so many ways, mashaAllah! i think it should be said that the word “pornography” in this article can be substituted with a great many other attachments that we humans get hung up on (Facebook, eating, even music, for example).
Alhamdlillah, it’s a blessing that our Lord’s Mercy overcomes His anger!
may He help us to overcome our weaknesses and our attachments to other than Him, and give us the strength and determination to defeat out addictions. Ameen.
May God bless you sister, for including the “nonsentity” of facebook & these other so called technological in lieu of the addiction problem.
This is such a wonderful site indeed. It explains in great detail the process of how porn ensnares the viewer’s thoughts. Truly, one can escape the negative effects of porn if only we turn to Almighty God & choose a life of sobriety over such disruptive fantasies.
Great article! Although I am fairly in control, sometimes I do stumble down to addiction and watch porn… If I’m able to go without watching porn, how long do you think it would take before my brain is altered back to a blissful state where I do not lust for pornography? Thanks…
I need to get rid of this bad habit.I tried many times and same things happened with me porns starts playing in flashbacks.pics.scenes al sorts of nude stuff in my brain and if i even succeed to stop for couple of days i get depressed frustrated angrily talk with people.really need some good advice .It affects me to focus on my studies.
Block all the sites and whenever you get the urge to watch it go for a walk, jog, work out, do something that would keep u busy from thinking about it. At first it’ll be hard but after awhile u’ll be able to come out of it. It worked for my boyfriend, it could work with you too. Give it a try cause these are really just fantasies,they act cos they get paid for it. But what do u get by watching it? Think about it… I hope u’ll be ale to get out of it and focus on ur studies. Good luck!
My husband and I have been married for three years now, and the 2nd week into marriage I found where he had looked at porn on our computer. It is now 3 years later, and it’s still going on. He said that it is a sin just like me smoking or gambling. I said that no it is different. With smoking and gambling that is hurting myself, but with the porn, he is hurting me. My marriage is over because of porn. He truly makes me sick to my stomach. It ashame that morals are completely gone this day and time.
Jennifer,
I am so sorry to hear what you are going through. I have been with my boyfriend for three years and he is also addicted to porn. It has completely ruined our relationship. I no longer have an self confidence or self esteem. He can’t have sex with me because he looses his erection. I know what you mean about being sick to your stomach because when I look at him now that is all that I feel.
Jennifer,
I am sorry to hear this but I still think he will regret one day, again this is what is Islam teaches us moral. Media is the problem everything is available to any one, the society have lost respect for women. Too much watching TV can also cause problem into your marriage live. And this is what is available for our kids. One advice I will give please try it cover your head and go out for a day and see how peaceful you are, try the following day not wearing it add tight jeans which shows your flash, and see how many guys are staring at you.
I a
This article has been somewhat unsettling to me. There are some things that I am believing and other things that I am having a hard time agreeing with. For instance, I find it very interesting and very true that when the images are committed to long term memory it gives a fantasy of having a different woman/man(I would like to hear more about the effects on women) every time. I think that could cause some problems and I think it might have even caused some commitment problems with myself. What I am not agreeing with is how bias this article seems to me. Yes, pornography is fantasy acted out by sexually appealing porn stars, however; the things that they do should not be called unnatural. Regardless of whether or not one watches porn I would think that they would still have their own sexual fantasies locked up inside of their minds only because society says that expressing your sexuality is not okay. What may seem demeaning to one person may be completely satisfying to another “mentally healthy” person. I am offended by your use of that term to be honest. Who are you to say what is Mentally Healthy and what is not especially when it comes to someones very personal sexuality. That’s just my opinion though.
Thank you for your time and insight.
Most porn trains, for lack of a better word, men to believe that women enjoy being degraded. Porn users believe “normal/routine/everyday intercourse” with a wife should be like that seen in the porn. Men who watch porn on a regular basis begin to think it is normal. I think most people would agree that the acts seen in porn are unnatural. The women begging for more and faking orgasm as they are degraded by multiple men? When a man believes that the women in the movies are enjoying themselves and actually reaching orgasm he begins to believe that his partner should enjoy those things as well. He may think that she is lacking when she doesn’t act and react like the women in the movies. That is unnatural. Not the act in the movie, but the expectation that it is the norm. The expectation that every woman does or should do the things seen in porn, and like it. The expectation that every sexual encounter with ones wife needs to be “porn movie worthy” That is unnatural. Is it good to act out a fantasy? Sure, provided that it is done with a consenting partner. Mentally healthy people can tell the difference between a fantasy and real life. In real life you don’t get off every time. In real life sometimes you are tired. In real life you snore. In real life you get interrupted four times because the baby will not stay in bed. In real life women are on their cycle. In real life you don’t answer the door for the pizza man naked and have sex with him. In real life you don’t have sex with your boss at work with his secretary joining in. Come on…. Of course porn is unnatural. If your life is such that a porn seems natural, then quite honestly I feel sorry for you.
There is a level of attraction and intimacy that two truly committed people who have never shared the sacred act with anyone else can find that is completely unavailable to those how have. And because they are careful about sharing that part of themselves publicly, it is not talked about. As one wise leader said of premarital sex, (and pornography is certain a form of that, at least virtually):
“You may come to that truer moment of ordained love, of real union, only to discover to your horror that what you should have saved you have spent, and that only God’s grace can recover the piecemeal dissipation of the virtue you so casually gave away. On your wedding day the very best gift you can give your eternal companion is your very best self—clean and pure and worthy of such purity in return.”
I thank you for this article. It helped me in many ways. Should add to this that even though men are targeted in most of these articles as the ones who watch pornography, there are many women who silently do it as well, they are just not open about it. I believe pornography is an addiction and in order to come out of it religion does help a lot. Thank u once again.
this is very tru,, thanx for the article
I’m a stdnt. Evnthoh i gt a lot of advices frm my parnts & othrs, i’m nt able 2 stp ths habit of wuchin porn. I cud cntrl it 4 a day or tu. Aftr tht i go crazy. Ps give any advice tht really helps!
Good article! But first I’d like to say, dont’t think it’s an mental illness. Watching porn is very much comparable to smoking, eating crap food, doing drugs or any other addiction offered by society. I’m 34, I have 2 kids and very attractive wife. I got this addiction for time to time over last 10 years. But recently, couple of years ago I had major changes in my life… which lead me to learning more about brain, our preconditions, prefrontal cortex. I found neuroscience fascinating and I’ve finally starting to figure out how we are driven and how our brains function. And then one day I just felt so sorry about what I did over the years. I took away something from my wife… that was the time I was suppose to fill her needs. Sex has been always to me like a primitive need I had to get rid of, like eating or taking crap. What happened was, I got rid of seducing part. All I waned was to get into her pants asap, without any effort. I love my wife but I never really thought about it too much. It was just a sex! She loves and understands me and never said anything about it but now I’m starting to understand what she went through. And I didn’t even saw it’s a problem! Actually I even felt it even helpful in bed, I just didn’t know the reasons back then.
Like I said, porn is just another bad habit… which eventually might mess up any relationship. It’s like a quick shortcut, skipping erotic and sensual part… giving only the end result. Both sides actually need more than that and without it, it just makes porn addicts searching for new, different stuff to keep up the sexual excitement like any other addiction. That is also why porn is so overabundant in different “tastes”, totally created by audience. Porn producers are looking only for the statistics, pushing women further and further, way past their physical and mental limits. I also think, porn might be only solution for some and in that case I wish them good luck with it. I think it also might help to lower the prostitution little bit, which is way worse in every aspect. Personally I’m glad I got rid of that problem, had enough wasting my life on that. Thanks for the article, it makes sense to me! Wouldn’t call porn addicts mentally ill, though… what makes me understanding today might not be the case on many. Who am I telling them how to live their life. Nothing in this life is addictive, if you don’t want it to be addictive.
Insightful comments Doug. By reading this article I realise that I have a problem and that I should do something about it before I lose my girlfriend and loved ones. I also never thought watching Porn would do something to me, but when In got involved in a relationship my girlfriend highlighted this to me and made me realise that I have been de-sensitised to porn and that I cannot go a day without watching at least a bit of porn… This is not healthy! I don’t want to end up in a failed marriage where I have hurt my partner and hurt myself even more. I am going to stop, immediately. Wish me luck, and those of you who want, say a prayer for me!
Gary:
Good luck. I applaud you for your decision, and I am praying for you to succeed in your efforts to stop this destructive and damaging habit. I can only wish my partner had the same motivation as you, but he does not see anything wrong with it.
I just discovered the extent of his “porn addiction” recently, and am learning what I can about it. It has been absolutely traumatizing for me. Please get your girlfriend involved in your recovery, if you can, and trust her with your fears and your hopes. That is the stuff of which intimacy is made.
Amy
Thanks Amy. My girlfriend is involved and she was the one that brought the problem to my attention. I also didn’t think their was anything wrong with porn, but the problem comes that you get completely entranced by it, you get excited by the eroticism and it breeds in your mind long after you have watched it. If the fantasy becomes more exciting than the reality then it becomes a problem long term and will influence your relationship. I am probably lucky in that I have someone that understands my problem, but trust me it is not easy. Whenever she brought it up, I felt angry and went on the defensive, but I have realise that she only wants what is good for me and whether I stay with her long term or not, I have to sort this out for myself in order to live a happy life
I am sorry to hear about your partner, I think this issue effects a lot more men in the world then people believe. My advise to you is to try and be understanding and forgiving to your partner. Try to make him understand what this does to you and how it effects him, try and say these things in as kind a way as possible. Try your best, but if he still doesn’t wan’t to understand or at least try, then you should move on…
Best of luck, I will say a prayer for you too.
I love this article. Indeed, Allah has mentioned in al Quran in surah an Nuur(24):30 “Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.’ and it is all depends on our attitude. The will of change is on ourselves. In surah al Anfal:53 “For Allah will never change the grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in themselves: and verily Allah is He Who hears and knows (all things).” Truly, al Quran contains all the guidance to all of us. Subhanallah.
SUBAHANAALLAH !
JAZAKUMULLAH !
this should be brought to mainstream..imagine our kids going through this..May ALLAH SWT save us all..Ameen Ya Rabb !
I mean..i have not come across this topic discuss on the television yet..this is sad..my first porn is way back 1981 huhuhu.
As we have identified the problem , we need to find how to cure this problem.
I think following consideration should help both believers and non -believers in God to control their addiction.
1. Lowering your gaze at opposite sexes.
2. Avoid mingling with opposite sexes.
3. Avoiding unnecessary chats with opposite sexes.
4. Avoid going nights clubs where hitting on women is socially acceptable in western countries.
Thanks for the wonderful article. It was like a direct revelation on me from GOD.
Thanks
Exactly what’s been happening in my life.. Am an 18 year old studying A very tough course in commerce and all I could think off before exams was porn..
I tried blocking porn fully
But then it was as if all the porn in the world was in my mind..
I didn’t need Internet porn anymore coz its all in my mind..
Excellent article may god help me
Wow man I respect you efforts in writing this.
Great BIG HELP.
I have a friend who is trying to stop porn addiction. Although I was unaware, porn contributes to problems with sexual performance and is now considered to be a cause of ED in men in their twenties and thirties.
My friend is now trying a few websites to block porn so that he cannot get around them. A few useful sites are coldturkey.com, using the timer as it cannot be undone, and selfcontrol is one for mac (has a few more challenges though) I am looking at some alternatives such as netnanny.com as well.
Although the article does an excellent job of explaining the issue, how to resolve this type of addiction is left a little by the wayside. I hope someone can find use of these sites to help them “reboot” their brain. If anyone else has better suggestions on ways a single man can block this on his computer so that it cannot be undone, esp for a MAC, please respond. Thanks
thks for this article. am a young lady who is beginning to get addicted to porn. from this article i know the long time effects and how it all really works and since am reading biochemistry in school i can really understand what exactly goes on in our minds when we watch porn. am working hard on breaking this new found habit of mine and by GOD’s grace i know i can stop it.
AMEN.
As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I am so happy this subject has been discussed. One of the biggest reasons why this has literally grown into a worldwide epidemic is because it is never discussed seriously and it is played off as a phase in your life. That is not the reality. This is especially a huge problem for the Muslim community because these particular matters are never discussed and addressed openly or even privately, leaving individuals isolated like lost sheep from their herd, and you know who’s waiting for them like a ravage wolf–shaytan.
I really appreciate the article but I think it leaves people with a very scary reality. For those addicted to pornography, I would not be surprised if this article really scared and you ended up watching pornography right afterwards.
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are addicted to pornography, then you have to seek help. You cannot deal with this alone. There are millions of people in the same boat as you. They are stuck in the belly of the whale, lost and confused, in many layers of darkness. There are many resources available online alhamdulillah. The first one is the first Muslim-based program founded by Zeyad Ramadan called Purify Your Gaze, and the next website to visit is Fight the New Drug, which is a movement aimed to raise awareness on porn and help people recover.
Please, from the bottom of my heart, I implore my beloved brothers and sisters who are suffering from this addiction to utilize these resources. Ask Allah (SWT) for guidance first and foremost and then step out of your comfort zone and check out these resources. The journey to recovery will not be easy but you will learn so many valuable gems about yourself, and inshaAllah, you will become the beautiful person you are meant to be.
May Allah (SWT) guide all of us to what is best for us. Ameen.
This problem contributes to dysfunction in men, so its not unusual for men in their twenties and thirties to now have issues and to seek medical help, but not all of the medical community or urologists ask the right questions. For any man who has tried to quit porn and has not been able, it is an addiction.
This is an interesting topic. Well, actually I am one of porn’s victim. But luckily I never having a sex until now. What I feel of porn effect, as you said, decreasing brain performance. I was brilliant’s once, but now I feel like a pathetic pervert. Do you have any suggestion to recover and regain brain’s performance ? Or is there a therapy for it ? Or recommended food ? Please give your help. Thank you