Connor Beaton (speaker) explains how repeated pornography use trains the brain’s "wanting" circuitry so that cues trigger intense craving and intrusive sexual thoughts. He argues that willpower/"white knuckling" is insufficient because craving is cue-conditioned motivation (addiction science term: incentive sensitization), and that porn can hijack attention, motivation, and sexual performance.
I can't say no to porn. I can't stop these sexual thoughts that I'm having throughout the day. It must mean that I'm a piece of crap and that I'm weak. No, that's not it. You're losing because your brain has been trained day after day after day not to like but to want and need something. And there is wanting circuitry in your brain that can hijack your attention, that can hijack your motivation. It can even hijack your sexual performance in the bedroom. I want you to know what porn is doing in your brain to your wanting system. And for most men, they're trying, trying to white knuckle their way out of this, right? You're just trying to willpower using brute force to stop watching porn, to stop having the intrusive thoughts. And that just doesn't work. Because craving isn't just willpower. It is cue conditioned motivation, certain conditions that will trigger or cue a motivation towards doing a certain behavior. In addiction science this is called incentive sensitization.
How to Raise Strong, Unshakable Boys in Today's Culture, with Dr. Shefali Tsabary
