Arousal Dysfunction in the Brain
Erectile dysfunction is something millions of men struggle with. It can affect self-confidence and relationships and cause a lot of frustration. While erectile dysfunction is treatable, it requires leaving the screen behind.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Simply put, erectile dysfunction is an arousal issue that causes people to have abnormalities with erections. While many may associate it with an inability to get hard while in the bedroom, it can also include getting erections at inappropriate times.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
You may not want to hear it, but if you consistently and frequently consume pornography, it may be causing your erectile dysfunction.
Porn is highly addictive and overloads your brain with dopamine. Such large amounts of dopamine will dysregulate the brain, which can cause a whole list of issues, including erectile dysfunction. When the brain is trained to need this much dopamine, nothing else will be as arousing or exciting… even sex. For most people, all of this dopamine and pleasure can cause porn to become their only source of mood regulation and self-care, driving them further into the screen and creating more and more issues. This lack of self-care tools usually stems back to childhood.
Childhood is often a time of difficult emotions. In an attempt to regulate these emotions, porn often becomes the easiest option. In the moment, it can feel better than anything. This causes all other self-soothing tools to be nothing in comparison.
This habit will continue on into adulthood where eventually, it becomes the only thing that makes the nervous system feel okay. The brain has now been trained that stress, discomfort, and boredom are now associated with porn.
Now, as an adult, when addiction is in full swing, individuals may experience erections in public when they’re feeling these emotions or a lack of erections in the bedroom when they’re seeking a level of dopamine they can no longer get.
Porn is Not About Sex
These uncomfortable feelings and the need for mood regulation are why porn is not about sex at all. It’s about calming down the central nervous system and self-soothing. If porn was all about sex, sex with your partner may be easier. However, when people experience erectile dysfunction with a partner, it’s due to the fact that sex can’t give the brain anywhere near the amount of dopamine that porn gives the brain.
Since porn is the only thing that can give the brain the dopamine hit it now craves makes everything else seem dull in comparison, including sex, work, relationships, and hobbies.
What is the Way Out?
With the brain being dysregulated for years and years, it’s important to take steps to regulate and rewire the brain toward healthy levels again. A healthy brain doesn’t need to go back to the screen to calm down. A healthy brain won’t cause porn-induced erectile dysfunction.
In order for anxiety and boredom to become unlinked from porn, the screen needs to be left behind in exchange for dopamine in the real world. Start becoming on purpose with relationships, hobbies, and work. When joy and purpose are found in the real world again, you will be able to regulate your mood without the screen. It will have all the tools needed to cope successfully.
However, training your brain only to need lower dopamine levels can be challenging. You will need help from mental health professionals or programs to aid in recovery. Willpower alone will often not be enough to quit porn. If you require extra support, please visit https://drtrishleigh.com/porn-brain-programs/
