Addictive

The neuroscience of pornography demonstrates that it is highly addictive (more on this in chapter 8, “Your Brain on Porn”). Addiction is progressive in nature. The brain’s dopamine receptors become overloaded when exposed to an addictive substance or behavior, causing them to shut down and requiring more of the substance or behavior to create the same effect. With pornography, this means that, in time, the user needs more explicit and intense images in a higher quantity, which in some cases leads to violent tastes and desires. Ultimately, images are not enough for the addict. Prostitution, affairs, massage parlors, and so on are the natural destination of the addiction.