Pornography and Erectile Dysfunction – Total Performance Medical Center

In our practice at Total Performance we will occasionally see cases where excessive pornography could be the culprit in the onset of Erectile Dysfunction. This can be very difficult to nail down. Men don’t often want to admit to excessive time spent watching on-line porn and masturbation. It can be an easy cycle to fall into and men need to be aware that it can happen. Addiction to pornography can be like any other addiction. Distinct changes in brain chemistry take place and it can become more difficult to get aroused by “normal” sexual activity.

From Mens Journal Magazine

……….medical professionals say that masturbating too much is actually a pretty standard form of addiction, but it’s worsened by pornography. “When people start watching porn, there is a huge flood of dopamine in the brain,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Waterman, a psychologist at Morningside Recovery Center in Newport California. “Over time, the receptors that were once very sensitive become less sensitive, and normal physical intimacy does not produce enough dopamine to stimulate the dopamine receptors.” In other words, the more porn you watch, the more – and harder and more graphic – porn you need in order to get it up. If the trend continues, men can find themselves physically unable to maintain an erection, much less enjoy sexual contact with another person.