How erection works on the brain: Motivation, Life Style, Dopamine and Porn.

I thought my ED was just a symptom of being over 40 years old. After 5 failed attempts to have sex with my wife I ran to the doctor. I was so embarrassed because it had never happened to me before. I had been a regular porn viewer for 20 years without any issues and I used it in between sessions with the wife to keep me pacified. My sex drive had always been really high. I hated the fact that I would need to rely on pills to please my wife so I started doing some research. Found your brain on porn and it became very clear what my problem was. It took me about 50 days or so for my brain to rewire. For me giving up porn and masturbation was the best thing I could have done for my marriage. At 41, and being with the same woman for 23 years, my sex life is the best it’s ever been. I now focus all my sexual energy towards her the result is incredible erection strength without pills and completely satisfied wife. Truly amazing how well it works.

Thanks for your testimonial!

I’m free of porn for 19 days right now, but not free of masturbation. I don’t have any compulsive behaviour anymore, but I still struggling sometimes.

Did you have sex during those 50 days?

I did try once but it was a very poor performance and that’s when I decided to take a cialis for the first time. Tried without the pill and it didn’t work. Took the pill and a couple hours later I was able to perform well enough to get her off. I didn’t try again for 2 more weeks but that’s when things really turned around for me. I only took the pill once and haven’t needed it since. My dick responds now like it did when I was a teenager. Hell, better I think!

Thanks McLovin. I’m very used to Cialis, Viagra… Hope one day I don’t need it anymore. Depression is a huge trigger for my addiction. I think one thing will lead to another. Free of addiction, free of my depression.

Very interesting and I must say you write very well.

I have some mild form of ED even if I’m not addicted to porn and I hardly ever masturbate. I think my problem is a combo of age, to much sex and to much PE. I just have a hard time not to think about my dick and I play with the poor bastard all the time. I guess he is way to tired to perform at his best😬.

The other day I talked to my girl and said that it’s better not to have sex every day. She is ok with that she said.

Could I have developed a dopamine addiction from to much sex? I guess not but who knows?

Thanks again for this thread!

This is very inspirational! I quit porn an age ago (Worth it) and now have been almost 2 weeks of giving up climaxing by myself. I still edge for it’s blood flow benefits and for my PE work but now not coming at all (other than with my wife). Also trying to do that based more on response to physical stimulus than letting my imagination take over. I do find getting fully erect takes some time but I think I’m better of without letting imagination run.

Did you give up everything? My concern would be loss of EQ, control, Being able to get full to jelq etc. Do want to do what it takes to get the arousal response back to how it should be though.

Hi Patrik,

We get used to same stimulus. Maybe you can try something new with your girlfriend that you never tried before…

Also, if you are jelqing or edging, you are giving dopamine stimulation to your brain. Overtime, it can decrease your arousal response.

Why don’t you try a week rest. Rest of sex, PE, masturbation. Give your body this rest. I’m pretty sure you will be rock hard when you are back. From times to times, it’s important to rest.

It’s normal that men feels a kind of pressure to show girls how capable we are and how much sex we can have… Most likely girls don’t wanna disappoint. Talk to your girlfriend, maybe she is ok with much less sex than you think.

Me and my girlfriend have some very orgasmic sex. But we don’t have sex every day, not even every week. We have busy lives, we don’t live together and we don’t see each other so often. We both are happy the way we are..

Hi Hame,

I know it’s not addressed to me, but I can put some light over body reactions. Erection is a two way path. From brain to penis and from penis to brain. Even when you are focused on physical stimulus, you are having some dopamine release on brain. Much less than imagine sex or watching porn, but it still a sex activity.

My recommendation for every guy is take a week break from times to times.

Edging is the most dopaminergic activity. When we cum, dopamine immediately stops. When we edge, this dopamine persists in our brains even after we stop masturbation.

Just to clarify some things, the most dopaminergic activity is running. But dopamine follows some paths in our brain. Sex activity make dopamine runs in specific paths and running makes dopamine follow different paths. That’s why running don’t give us an erection.

This process is explained at the book Your brain on porn, but I’m not able to explain it by myself.

Hope it helps

I gave up porn and masturbation about a year ago. Everyone is different but that’s what my mind need to heal. My EQ came back with full force. Now I usually have sex at least once a week so I do still get regular use out of it. It did definitely help to have woman during the reboot so my body and mind could eventually respond to the real thing. I would definitely need to masturbate if I didn’t have a woman. The 3 months I was doing PE I had to stimulate myself and look at very mild pics to keep me where I needed to be, especially for the pumping routine, but ED returned. That and I injured myself. Gave up PE, the mild pics and self stimulating I was using for PE, and my dick came back to life on it’s own. Most of us know how embarrassing it can be not to be able to perform especially when she is wet, ready, and wanting it.

Food for thought. I could try a week without any edging and see if I notice any difference. Edging, porn abandonment and not ejaculating by myself has boosted my EQ to the point my wife thought I was about to cum about half way through the other night as I was so much firmer. Don’t want to loose that but it just takes me a while to get going and small distractions can almost write things off. Frustrating as we both want it but then it’s not always playing along!

Very good thread. Thanks!

I am 37 years old, and for the first time in my life I have experienced some ED.

I can reach a good erection, but it is not so easy like in the past nor so durable. In a near past, I could get and stands an erection very quick and for up to an hour.

I can have quite a normal sex too, but I have to concentrate and find some positions and situations that stimulates me. I can satisfy my wife too, but it is not like before.

Nowadays, in order to maintain it the erection, I have to continuously manual stimulating my penis.

I am safely going through the thoughest days of my life, living through stressful days. I am feeling down and depressed. I think maybe this situations is causing the ED, but I don’t know for sure.

My physiological indicators are not good. My total cholesterol and LDL are so high. My testo is ok (348), but I think it could be better. My diet is very bad, but I didn’t gained weight.

Recently, I have began a PE routine composed for some manual stretches and jelqs. To maintain the partial erection I have watched some porn, what I didn’t do a few years ago.

So I am lost and I don’t know for sure what may caused the ED, if stress/depression, if PE, if diet, if porn (after a few years without), or if it is a combination off it all.

My wife is very comprehensive, and have supported me. But I am feeling really bad about this situation.

I have an appointment with a urologist on the next Tuesday (01/21). Let’s see what the doctor has to say.

P.s: Sorry for the bad English, I’m from Brazil.

Get into the gym or workout at home. Do your best to take care of the stress in your life. I’ve found stress is the biggest erection killer. Clean up your diet and get plenty of rest. Stay away from porn.

Hi man,

There are a lot of things going on. Reading your post, I cannot say that you have a compulsive behavior that is causing ED. I’m addicted. For me it’s impossible to stay a couple of days without masturbation. Even when I have sex, I need to masturbate.

There are many periods in life that can impact erections, stress, depression, anxiety, bored relationship…

Your urologist will ask you a lot of blood tests, checking cholesterol, sugar, testosterone…, I’ve been through that. He will ask a lot about your life style as well.

Fist thing is understanding your body. Body fat, food, cigars, alcohol… there are many things!! You have an athletic life style and you are still dealing with ED? so let’s see the psychological side… Are you stressed, suffering from anxiety, depression, insecurity… Maybe all together, too much body fat, high cholesterol, sugar, too much cigars and alcohol, depressed, insecure…

If there is nothing wrong with your blood exams, if your stress is controlled, if you don’t smoke and you still finding difficult to get a proper erection, it’s when we gonna see if there is something out of the box. It may need therapy… (it’s my case)

If you have a week brake of penile stimulation, no sex, no porn, no jelqs, no masturbation, it will help you get fuller erections, but I don’t think it’s gonna be permanent, because your problems seems to be another thing.

If you fell comfortable, share your thoughts and doctor diagnosis with us.

And don’t mind about your English… Mine is no good

Totally agree!!

The best thing that worked for me was Muay Thai. Outstanding workout, too much cardio and plenty of stress relief. Some love to run, others lift weight… What you do really doesn’t matter since you feel the sore of a good workout! Less stress, more testosterone. If you eat properly, you also get a good shape!! Don’t forget to rest!!

Thank you for your concern. This kind of support means a lot.

I am not a compulsive. I watched porn often, including with my wife, but we realized the harm it was doing to our relationship.

Regarding my lifestyle, I’ve really been leading a sedentary lifestyle. I have not practiced any kind of physical activity, although I have practiced cycling and weight lifting for years of my life.

Nowadays I neglected food and physical activities, because I started a big business of my own, but I did not give up my job. The business is 6 months old, but still not doing well. In addition, I have been heavily charged at my job.

My finances are bad, I’m being extorted by the real estate and being charged daily.

So my guess is that all of this is more about stress, anxiety and depression, but I think the rest of the factors may also be contributing to ED.

I started a low fat and carbohydrate diet today and as soon as I move to a new home (in 10 days) I will return to my exercise routine.

Rush9mota, how is your ED? Do you still take pills?

Best wishes.