Is Addiction to Pornography a Brain Disease?

“It can snatch any kid out of the home…It snatched me out of mine 20 years ago.” (Final Interview, 2:54-3:02 minutes). The addiction to pornography is often likened to that of a drug, “One should become addicted to it, and I look at this as kind of like an addiction. Like other kinds of addictions…you keep…I would keep looking for more potent, explicit, more graphic kinds of material. Like an addiction, you keep craving something that’s harder…something…which gives you a greater sense of excitement.” (Final Interview,

Using Functional MRI helps to visualize the brain functionality through local metabolism. In this technology it allows the researcher to measure and track the brain functions by discovering the correlated changes in blood flow. From this functional Mri when a brain function is acted out the flow of oxygenated rich blood is detected and highlighted on the specific location where the functionality came from on the brain.

Another information I learned from organizations that want pornography to be abolished created porn addiction as a deterrent for online pornography viewing. They created these diseases as abstinence for sexual behaviors, which made abstinence even more

The Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a functional neuroimaging procedure that used MRI technology to measure our brains activity through blood flow changes and our voxels.

Addiction is a Brain Associated Disorder that Allows the Body to Become Dependent on a Substance

The topic of brains scans, drug use and teenagers has been of much interest to many experimenters. Drug use can be defined as continues use of alcohol, illegal drugs or the misuse of over-the-counter drugs or prescription drugs leading to negative consequences. This is done by the use of brain scans, including MRI scans; also know as magnetic resonance imaging. This type of brain scan allows scientist to see detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body by a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves. The magnetic field temporarily realigns hydrogen atoms in the body and is able to show brain activity. The main point of this type of study is to help predict what a teenagers drug use problem will be, if any, before it

fMRI scans were performed by using a complex machine with massive specifications, named 4-T whole-body Varian/ Siemens imaging system. Before they start their imaging, the patient’s heart rate was monitored with a fiber-optic pulse oximeter and placed on their head was a radio frequency coil to capture a map of their brain. Each patient is then instructed to lie calmly, breathe through their nose, and allow themselves to focus on the script that the instructors were about to read. Each script would usually last them about 30 seconds. After the script is read, they are encouraged to recall a memory for about 60 seconds and once they start, so does their measurements of their heartbeats. The script is then repeated again after 120 seconds. This method is repeated 3 times.

FMRI: Allows us to see what is happening in the brain WHILE it is working

It seem that a new connotation has been given to the term ‘drug’. Before in the past, the term was used for the word ‘medicine’. But in the 21st century it’s not only used to describe medicine, but also to reference fatal narcotics, which includes heroin, cocaine, and many other specifications. All these narcotics have an evil affect on the mind and body cells of the addict. The young generations are failing victims of these addictions. I believe that addiction is a brain disease. It is when the addict becomes dependent on a drug and uses it, despite of having knowledge of what the long term harm of it does to one’s health. Addiction is a brain disease, because it can change the structure and functioning of the brain. While I watched the video,

However, for the purpose of this paper, sexual addiction will be defined as a dysfunctional preoccupation with sexual fantasy, often in combination with the obsessive pursuit of casual or non-intimate sex; pornography; compulsive masturbation; romantic intensity and objectifies partner sex for a period of at least six months. This issue could be described as a prescriptive issue because it is addressing whether or not sexual addiction should be considered as an official disorder that is diagnosable and treatable. It can also be described as a descriptive issue in the way that sexual addiction is not currently explicitly listed as a subcategory of addiction in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is problematic due to the generational changes in technology that has now allowed individuals to avoid the usual social inhibitors, and as a result has created a reality where sex is more available, accessible, and anonymous than ever before, (Hall,

The term addiction as it relates to disease has been a controversial topic for generations. The general arguments for this controversial topic latch onto one of two differing ideas (Leshner, n.d.). The first believe is that addiction is a disease that needs intervention to overcome. The second is belief that addiction is simply the term people use because they lack the will power to quit on their own. However, as we advanced in medical technology so did are understanding of addiction. These advances led to the discovery that addiction is a brain disease. This brain disease is the direct consequence of a person’s illicit drug use. Addiction is the consequence of extended substance abuse. Long term drug abuse causes severe changes in the brain.

In neuropsychology and behavioral neuroscience, multiple methods have been used to create relations between brain function and behavior in addition to studying how the brain is stimulated to produce action. Static and Dynamic imagery techniques of observation have been used over the years to map out brain regions and understand relationships between internal brain activity and external behavior. However, one brain study method has proven to be a groundbreaking process that has managed to create other derivative methods and increased human understanding of the effects of brain activity alterations. This method is known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Functional MRI (fMRI) records active areas of the brain during certain activities or after the introduction of stimuli, such as visual or auditory stimuli. fMRI uses the differences in the magnetic properties of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood so as to visualize active areas of the brain. Oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood acts as a contrast agent and is known as blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) imaging. As blood flow increases to the area of activation, the MRI scanner is able to distinguish the differences in signal and display the area of brain activity (see Figure 12).

Brain-imaging tools, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), allow researchers to have a close look at brain structures and activities.

In the past few years the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging has exploded and it has really over-flooded the market in terms of its applicability. There are a multitude of companies that are really pushing this technology for many different uses such as replacing the polygraph, using it to make life support withdrawal decisions, and even as a form of risk reduction for dating (Stix, 2008). This all sounds good in theory but the downside is that these companies are pushing fMRI technology for all these different uses without having a significant research performed to back up such hare-brained claims.