The Connection is Real
The unspoken connection between pornography and ADHD is real but often unrecognized. Those who struggle with ADHD have a higher risk of becoming addicted to porn due to the brain pattern of ADHD. Science shows people with ADHD might use porn as self-medication. Therefore, understanding how the ADHD brain works and how it can fall victim to porn, can help you develop the self-care mechanisms you need so that you don’t fall under the spell of the screen.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder that causes the brain to use too much extra slow speed called theta. Too much theta in the brain can cause
- Lack of motivation
- Depression
- Trouble focusing
- Trouble staying still
All of this extra slow speed will cause the brain to compensate for it in a couple of different way:
- The brain can increase high beta. While this can cause the brain to run faster, it can also create anxiety due to the increased speeds. This is why ADHD and anxiety are often linked.
- The brain can seek out activities that provide extra stimulation.
The Connection Between ADHD and Pornography
Unfortunately, a lot of people who struggle with ADHD find that extra stimulation in the form of pornography. Pornography is known to give the brain excessive stimulation and feel extremely gratifying in the moment. However, using up too much dopamine and stimulation at once, results in the brain feeling sluggish the rest of the day.
While the brain may need to pick up the pace, such high levels of dopamine at once, can create more issues in your life instead of helping. Just because it feels good in the moment does not mean it is healthy for you. The brain will get used to such a high level of arousal, furthering its connection between porn and ADHD, so that it will eventually need it to feel okay.
Brain Dysfunction Optimization
To prevent falling into unhealthy ways of brain stimulation and to alleviate ADHD symptoms, it can be helpful to focus on optimizing your brain’s performance. Balancing the speeds in your brain so that they’re running normally and efficiently can improve mental health and ease a lot of symptoms from brain disorders.
Helping your brain run efficiently can be done in a couple of different ways:
- Neurofeedback. Using neurofeedback trains your brain and encourages it to use the right neural pathways throughout your day
- Exchange the screen for healthy dopamine producing activities. Instead of going to pornography to get extra stimulation, get on purpose in your work, your hobbies, and your relationships. All of these things can help produce dopamine and will create a more fulfilling life. The more fulfilled you are, the less you’ll feel the need to go back to the screen.
At the end of the day, you know your body best. Try out different recovery plans and go with what feels best. Whether you need to engage in more healthy stimulating activities or you want to try out neurofeedback, we at drtrishleigh.com have tools to help.
