Compulsive Viewing of Porn Akin to Drug Addition

Researchers at Cambridge University have found that people who compulsively view porn display the same signs of addiction as those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Researchers led by Dr Valerie Voon took brain scans of 19 men who admitted to compulsively viewing pornography. The participants were between 19 and 34 years of age and had tried unsuccessfully to break their habit and had also lost relationships and jobs as a result.

The researchers found that when the participants were shown erotic clips, a region of their brain, known as ventral striatum, showed increased activity. The ventral striatum has been known to show increased activity in drug users when they see a dealer or in alcoholics when they are shown an advert for a drink.

The study will be part of a documentary called Porn On The Brain which will be presented by former editor of the Loaded magazine, Martin Daubney. "The age of innocence is over. The internet is now a rolling buffet of online depravity. Given what we now know about porn seemingly being addictive, it's like leaving heroin around the house for kids to take", Daubney said.

Source: Medindia