Is it possible that pornography use is causing erection issues? More importantly, can porn put one at an increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction? Read on to learn about several inputs on the link between porn and erectile dysfunction.
Studies on porn users
Researchers in Berlin, Germany associated years of porn use with decreased gray matter in the brain responsible for reward sensitivity. Moreover, high-level porn users were thought to later respond less to erotic images. However, the researchers also determined the possibility of a precondition known as lower striatum volume to be causing a predisposition towards porn. People with this condition may find porn use more rewarding as it fulfills their need for increased external stimulation to experience pleasure.
Meanwhile, there are connotations that porn use may result in dissociation with sex in real life. When porn users find that they cannot carry over sexual methods that aroused them online, they may have difficulties becoming aroused in real life. Furthermore, there is the idea that porn creates pressure to live up to expectations created by porn, thus leading to fear, worry or anxiety that may result in erectile dysfunction.
In Italy, a survey among teenage boys associated increased porn use with increased prevalence of sexual anorexia or feeling disgust at anything sexual in others or themselves. Furthermore, the survey noted how excessive and daily consumption of porn may lead to desensitizing men to these images, lower libido levels, and eventually becoming unable to achieve or maintain an erection in real life.
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Tolerance to porn causing erectile dysfunction?
Heavy porn consumption, rather than simply porn, is thought to be detrimental to one’s sex life. The theory is that heavy porn users become addicted to porn. The hypothesis is associated with the effects of drugs like cocaine on the brain’s reward center, linking the same to porn.
Using this logic, the theory goes that there is a possibility to develop tolerance to porn. In particular, the occurrence is said to be more prevalent among heavy porn users that consume extreme pornographic material. However, such a theory is lacking in substantial evidence.
Physiological erectile dysfunction
With porn-induced erectile dysfunction, the problem may be physiological. It makes the brain numb to pleasure after porn use. Behavioral addiction studies note how heavy porn users experience loss of libido and performance issues as their brain’s normal response to pleasure is affected. That is, the dopamine rush from intense stimulation from porn over time overrides the natural limits of libido.
When erectile dysfunction is age-related or due to health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular issues, the penis becomes weak. So do the blood vessels and nerves needed for an erection. But, when erectile dysfunction is porn-induced, the problem is not vascular but rather stems from a desensitized dopamine system. It may be necessary to ‘reboot’ or ‘rewire’ the brain to reverse the effects of porn-induced ED.
Porn and sexual performance anxiety
Pornography may contribute to the user’s perspective on how they view sex. Porn can set expectations for how sex should be. The pressure to perform sexually in a certain way may contribute to sexual performance anxiety.
Furthermore, a person’s relationship with pornography can create sexual difficulties. Porn may come with a sensory overload that contrasts sexual interactions in real life. There may be less work, connection, and intimacy required to reach an orgasm through porn. It can create problems when having sex with your partner.
Men may avoid having sex in real life when they feel they can’t live up to the expectations portrayed in porn in real life. They may suffer from low self-esteem and body issues. These feelings can cause stress that may be causing erection problems since sexual performance anxiety is closely associated with erectile dysfunction.
Porn-induced erectile dysfunction diagnosis
The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) determined a lack of scientific evidence that can support the idea of addiction to pornography or sex. They further emphasized that treating sexual issues related to porn shouldn’t be viewed as a disease.
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Treatment options for porn-induced erectile dysfunction
Porn-induced erectile dysfunction is not a disease to be treated with drugs. The underlying issue is not with the penis but the brain. ED medications may help obtain an erection, but not satisfaction. Men who used porn often reported lower satisfaction with their sex life.
Overcoming ED from porn may need a plan for desensitizing brain receptors. Therapy or counseling may help resolve the problem. Your therapist may help pinpoint mental blocks and correct distorted perceptions of sex that keep you from enjoying sex in real life. One-on-one specialized counseling may help porn users overcome anxieties, worries, and fear of rejection and learn new ways to communicate thoughts and emotions.
Moreover, changing the frequency and intensity of porn consumption may help resolve erectile issues. Taking a break from porn or limiting porn use while reconnecting with your partner may help reverse porn-related sexual dysfunctions.
Men who were heavy users of porn shared experiencing a loss of sexual functioning. However, when they take a break from porn for several months, heavy porn users shared how their sexual performance returned to baseline. Taking porn away enabled their neurochemical and physical settings to respond to real-life sexual stimuli the way they did before their porn consumption.
Moreover, men who reportedly qualified as porn addicts also reported sexual rejuvenation by stepping away from porn. Though in their case, recovery may take longer.
Before you go
Research revealed alarming data on the effects of porn use on men’s sex lives. Porn desensitizes men’s brains, so they need more stimulation as their perceptions of sex is distorted. Taking a break from porn may help resolve erectile issues and rewire the brain’s response to normal, real-life sex stimulation.
