You can’t listen to sports talk radio for more than thirty minutes without hearing an ad promising to fix erectile dysfunction (E.D.) (a.k.a. impotence) by popping their pills.
See results, in the doctor’s office within minutes, they pledge. Regain intimacy with your partner, the ad suggests. Be ready to answer the bell, boys, they say.
The rate of men suffering from E.D. seems to have skyrocketed in recent years.
So has the availability of Internet pornography. This is not coincidental. There remains something more going on than just correlating trends.
WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN E.D. AND PORN?
The way pornography affects the brain, it can easily lead to addiction. Many scientists compare porn addiction to heroin addiction.
“Human sexual climax utilizes the same reward pathways as those mobilized during a heroin rush. If we fail to understand the implications of pornography’s ability to re-program the brain structurally, neurochemically, and metabolically, we doom ourselves to continue to fail in treating this formidable disease,” states Dr. Donald L. Hilton, Jr. MD, FACS, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (emphasis added).
The reason porn can become addictive is due to the chemical changes occurring inside the brain of its viewer—male or female, but more often male, since men are more easily stimulated by vision than women.
The porn images flood the brain, potentially overwhelming its circuitry.
“Like a path is created in the woods with each successive hiker, so do the neural paths set the course for the next time an erotic image is viewed. Over time these neural paths become wider as they are repeatedly traveled with each exposure to pornography. They become the automatic pathway through which interactions with women are routed. The neural circuitry anchors this process solidly in the brain,” writes Dr. William Struthers, in his book on the topic, Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain
“All women become potential porn stars in the minds of these men. They have unknowingly created a neurological circuit that imprisons their ability to see women rightly,” Dr. Struthers adds.
Add it up and you can see how hard it is for real-life sex with one’s wife cannot compete. She just cannot arouse him like the pornographic images can. She becomes predictable, and boring.
He is no longer aroused by his own wife, or at least not as quickly as he used to be. Impotence sets in.
For men to need to bring pornographic materials into the bedroom with their wives, in order to achieve an erection is not uncommon.
BUT THERE IS HOPE, THERE IS A WAY OUT
The best the E.D. pills can do is fix the plumbing. However, for the man suffering from Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction, this does him no good. It is his brain that needs to be fixed.
So what to do about it?
First and foremost, the porn use simply has to end.
Obviously, especially for the porn addict, this is not an easy task. That is why prayer—especially time spent before the Blessed Sacrament—and penance remain the top priority.
Second, if someone is addicted, he needs to find someone to help him get out. Going it alone as a brave little soldier will make him more vulnerable to the devil as the evil one won’t let go easily. This help can take the form of counseling from a priest or a trusted confidant.
Third, accountability software on all electronic devices capable of accessing the Internet becomes mandatory. Taking this vital step shows a level of commitment to recovering from the porn addiction.
I recommend the industry-leading software, Covenant Eyes. They have years of proven results in helping men, and women, overcome pornography addiction. Just click on this banner to learn more:
IN CLOSING
Do not despair if you, your spouse or someone else you care about is mired in the grave sin of porn use. The road to recovery is within reach. There is a proven method to conquering porn addiction.
The good news is that once porn addiction is cut out, virtually every man who suffered from E.D. recovers. It just takes a few months.
In fact, there is a whole online community of porn addicts—started by atheists concerned over their E.D.—encouraging one another to cut out their porn use. The community, which includes a subset of Christians, claims over 65,000 members. And results!
It comes down to how serious are the person is to ending the porn addiction.
YOUR TURN
So, were you aware of the connection between E.D. and pornography use?
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Please share your comments below!
