#Episode 135: Can't Stop Fantasizing About Sex? w/ Dr. Trish Leigh
Jul 24, 2024
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Dr. Trish Leigh, a cognitive neuroscientist and sex addiction recovery coach, dives into the intriguing world of compulsive sexual fantasies. She discusses how these fantasies can act as mental traps due to their link with dopamine release. Trish shares effective strategies to manage these compulsions through healthier activities. The conversation emphasizes the importance of addressing the brain's role in pornography addiction and introduces neurofeedback as a powerful tool for recovery.
Fantasizing about porn leads to a dopamine release that traps individuals in a cycle of compulsive sexual behavior, reinforcing addiction.
Neurofeedback brain training is essential for breaking free from compulsive sexual fantasies and rewiring the brain for healthier responses.
Deep dives
Prevalence and Understanding of Sexual Fantasy
The majority of individuals, between 90% and 97%, have sexual fantasies, yet only a small percentage, about 3% to 6%, are considered to have compulsion towards these fantasies. Compulsive sexual behavior disorder, also known as hypersexuality, includes three main aspects: sexual fantasy, sexual urges, and sexual behaviors. A significant connection between pornography consumption and compulsive sexual fantasies is highlighted, where frequent and intense viewing may lead to internalized fantasies that can become uncontrollable. This internalization leads to a cycle where fantasizing triggers a dopamine release, further reinforcing the desire for more fantasy as a means of coping with emotional distress.
Impact on Mental and Physical Health
Engaging in compulsive sexual fantasies does not only trigger mental health issues like anxiety and depression but also contributes to sexual arousal dysfunction, which affects millions. As individuals rely on these fantasies to alleviate feelings of stress and loneliness, the dopamine receptors in their brains become desensitized, requiring heightened stimulation to achieve satisfaction. This desensitization can, paradoxically, worsen the very mental health issues it was meant to alleviate. Solutions involve breaking this cycle by re-sensitizing the brain through healthy activities that promote pleasure and joy in real life, rather than relying on problematic sexual fantasies.
Fantasizing about porn and sex is one of the most dangerous aspects of pornography addiction.
Unlike with other drugs that you can create physical distance from, porn offers no such luxury. The memory of scenes you've watched will often continue to pop in your mind, releasing dopamine, and trapping you in the screen.
This is why the unwire, rewire, and hardwire phase of porn addiction recovery is so crucial to your journey. The most effective way to do this is through neurofeedback brain training. When you tackle porn addiction at its root -the brain- these images will no longer hold you hostage. Without Neurofeedback, the path to recovery can be a long and taxing one.
If you're interested in leaving the screen behind for good: ➡️Enroll in Porn-Free Brain Forever: https://drtrishleigh.com/porn-brain-rewire-programs/ ➡️Enroll in Neurofeedback: https://drtrishleigh.com/neurofeedback-coaching-program/
Hi. I am Dr. Trish Leigh, a Cognitive Neuroscientist, and Sex Addiction Recovery Coach. I am on a mission to help people heal their brains from porn use. My podcasts are designed to help you learn that: 🎯Porn Damages Your Brain, 🎯Porn Impairs Your Mental and Physical Health, and 🎯Porn Destroys Your Relationships.
Subscribe to this channel for 🧠 tips to: ✅Quit Porn for Good ✅Heal Your Brain from Porn ✅Get Motivated in Your Life ✅Repair Your Mental & Physical Health ✅Heal Erectile Dysfunction
If you need more help, I can work directly with you. Check out the programs below. https://drtrishleigh.com/