Your Brain on Porn: Book Review
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Update: To learn more about ways to restrict access to pornography, see the series on Blocking Porn.
Gary Wilson, the curator of the widely visited site, www.yourbrainonporn.com, recently released a book of the same name. Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction. The book is available on Kindle or as a .pdf file.
The value of Your Brain on Porn
I have used videos from the yourbrainonporn.com website when I lecture at graduate counseling courses or teach continuing education programs to others in the mental health field. The site’s videos are a great combination of fun graphics and science that are portrayed in a manner that is very understandable for the non-scientist. The site also provides readers a forum called Reboot Nation that allows others to connect and provide support for each other in their journey to stop using internet pornography and “reboot”.
Mr. Wilson’s book is an excellent combination of the best parts of the website. He has brought together the latest (as recent as 2014 publications) scientific research and direct quotes from forum participants to illustrate his points. The book takes the reader through the growth of problematic internet pornography use and the effects of such use on (mostly) men who view and masturbate to an abundance of pornography. He then moves into a discussion of the science of addiction addressing why, in both his mind and based on the science, pornography addiction does exist. Finally, he provides the reader with some helpful tools to “Reboot”. This section is particularly helpful as it is full of forum members’ actual experiences with rebooting and their struggles with stopping masturbation and pornography viewing.
Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Then take this free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.
Beyond Pornography Addiction
While Your Brain on Porn does agree with the existence of pornography addiction, that is not the focus of the book. The main focus is to address the issue of pornography induced erectile dysfunction. Pornography induced ED is an erectile dysfunction that is based on over consumption of pornography leading to mens’ inability to get an erection or maintain an erection while having sex with an actual live person.
One of the great things about this book is that it does not preach. The author is not saying that pornography itself is inherently bad, nor is he saying that masturbation is a bad thing. He writes this book to bring to light the fact that internet pornography does have an effect on the brain and arousal templates and that this fact causes dysfunction for some people. For those people who struggle with internet pornography or pornography induced erectile dysfunction, there is, in fact, help.
This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.
Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.
Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.
