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Karli Zobell
Professor Stacie Weatbrook
English 2010
10/21/14
Addictions
Which do you think is worse, a substance addiction or a sexual addiction (sexual
referring to pornography)? When asked this question, many people chose which one they believe
to be worse. My feelings on this question are different. I believe both addictions are just as
harmful. I would first like to tell you about a guy named Tanner Hanks. He has an addiction and
it has taken over his life. Over the years it kept building and building and now he just received a
ten year sentence to federal prison. The other addiction is a girl named June Werner. Her
addiction caused her to spend time in jail, with many expensive court cases. She also lost
custody of her son. In this case, she has taken control of her addiction and is now living a normal
life, but she still doesnt have custody of her son. She has missed out on parts of his life that she
will never get back which makes her regret it every day. They are different in ways, but they
cause the same amount of damage, therefore making them both equally harmful.
An addiction is a condition, it begins once you have swallowed a substance or engaged in
an activity. It becomes an addiction when it is pleasurable to you and you continue use often.
Also, when it becomes compulsive and it begins to interfere with your life (Skinner et al.). Most
people tend to believe that addicts lack morals, strength of character, willpower, and that if they
just really want to change then they can (Drug Facts). This is a mistaken concept. Most addicts
need medical help in order to quit. Whether it is a substance or sexual addiction, participating in

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either of these will alter your brain, which will be explained more in depth later, that is just one
reason why addicts cannot just stop, even though they want to. The National Institute of Drug
Abuse explains, In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than
good intentions or a strong will. They go on to say that drugs change your brain, making it very
difficult to quit, and often abusers are ready to quit, they just cant reach that goal.
A substance addiction is a chronic condition, a relapsing brain disease, they often know
of all the negative and harmful consequences that come with the drug, but they still participate.
They participate because having a substance addiction causes compulsive drug seeking. When
they first use drugs or drink alcohol it is voluntary. After that first time, their brain begins to
change and begins to obstruct their ability to resist these intense impulses they are receiving
(Drug Facts). One of the reasons why substance addiction is hard to abandon is because they
get intense physical craving, and by withdrawing from partaking, they can often receive severe
seizures and hallucinations. They can get physically ill and have trouble doing their regular daily
things they are used to. In 2011, one in four deaths were attributed to illicit drug use (Effects).
Substance addictions are real, it is all around us, and you can see how dangerous it can be.
Many people think that substance is the worse addiction. When I conducted a survey, I
asked those who said substance is worse why they feel that way, they said because it damages
your health, you can die from using, it can make you act irrational, and it can make you
dependent on it. I agree with all of these statements, but when asked which is worse, my answer
is still that neither one is worse, they are both harmful.
When you hear sexual addiction, there is a few places your mind will go, for this paper it
is referring to a pornography addiction. Doctor Tom Horvath, an addiction specialist, states in his
article Sexual activity resembles addiction when it becomes the sole source of pleasure in life,
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or replaces other healthy interests (work, relationships, recreation, etc.). When it comes to this
sexual addiction, people do not like to talk about this. People are not as educated about this
addiction, because they are uncomfortable talking or even thinking about it. When sexual
addiction is brought up, there is a great amount of negative judgment. This is because usually
when someone has this addiction it leads to betrayal, brings up hidden sexual behaviors,
sometimes exposing partners to a disease risk, and often results in the partnership being
abandoned (Levine). One thing that stands out to me why a sexual addiction is just as harmful is
that its extremely hard to break this addiction, because it is in your brain and you can always see
those images. While a substance addiction you can get away from it, with a sexual addiction,
even if you close your eyes you will still see it. Now I am not saying that it is easy to be clean
from a substance, it is not, but that is one way that a pornography addiction is very difficult to
heal from. Another reason it is so difficult to stop is because as Doctor Stephen Levine, an author
for Center for Marital and Sexual Health states, Sexual arousal induces pleasant states (euphoria
in the initial phase) and relieves stress. Who doesnt like to relieve stress? It is just too bad that
some choose to relieve it in the wrong way. There was an explosion of growth in internet
technologies in 1983. Levine stated this before the internet growth in 1983 he says, The
Internet offers even more possibilities for devotion to sexual pleasures through ready access to
pornography and prostitution services, chatting with people who have similar sexual interests
and concerns, and playing erotic games. (262) It has become too easy for society to engage in
this activity.
Now that you know more about these, within the rest of this paper you will see how these
addictions are both harmful and damaging. They are damaging to the addict and everyone around

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them. I have two close family members that have suffered from addictions. One is an alcoholic
and the other has a pornography addiction.
The important thing to know is the major reason that we get hooked on these addictions
and why we continue to do them. The major reason is dopamine. Dopamine is a primary
neurotransmitter in the brains reward system. Dopamine is a chemical. Its responsibility is to
evaluate the intensity of an experience, it then records the amount of dopamine released in the
brain during this exciting experience. This is why those with a sexual addiction continue
participating in these experiences, because they want that feeling again. The problem is that it is
always the most exciting the first time. The more dopamine released, the harder it is the next
time for them to release that much dopamine again. The scary part is that internet pornography is
so stimulating that the amount of dopamine released is too high to be matched by other life
experience. They are less sensitive to all other life pleasures, because they get used to a certain
amount of dopamine. The plus side is that the effect is not permanent, if they go without
watching pornography, their release of dopamine can return to normal. They will be able to find
life more exciting and interesting (Radwan).
Drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brains communication system. This disrupts
the way that nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. This makes the nerve
cells release abnormal amounts of natural neurotransmitters or it prevents the normal recycling
of these brain chemicals. They refer to this as a brain awash in dopamine (Drug Facts). That
moment that you consume that addictive substance, dopamine is being released. If you continue
using, this results in changes in the central nervous system, it leads to a tolerance. This is when
they will need more and more to keep up those high levels of dopamine that they are used to, and

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they are now dependent on it. Both substance and sexual addictions release dopamine making
them pleasurable and that much harder to quit.
There are numerous ways that these addictions are harmful. The first way we should
recognize is the financial ramifications. As a whole, the estimated overall costs of substance
abuse in the United States exceeds 600 billion dollars annually. Illicit drug users make over
527,000 visits to the emergency room, which is very costly, for drug related problems. Just in
smoking- related illnesses, 1 in 14 dollars of the nations health care bill go towards their
illnesses (Drug Facts). On a more personal level, alcohol and drugs are expensive. It becomes
a continuing expense. As they become addicted or tolerant they will need more and more. This
develops a consistent financial drain and often times inhibits your ability to work, and you may
not have enough money to even survive. Some work places will participate in drug testing their
employees. This way they could fire you, even if you are not under the influence at work,
because some substances will appear on the test, even if it was over the weekend that you
consumed it. I interviewed June Werner, she is an alcoholic, but has been sober for 5 years now.
Once she had a job, she tried to stop drinking, but she consumed two liters of vodka a day on a
regular basis. As you can imagine, just a little bit into her shift she became very ill and didnt
know why. Her boss called her to the back and told her to have a shot of alcohol, and she would
feel better. She did this and to her surprise it did help and she felt way better after she drank
some. For June, she had such a high tolerance for alcohol, she could still preform at work while
being under the influence. Most others are not able to and they can often be let go if their boss
notices they are intoxicated.
Substance addictions also come with health issues, which as most of us know is
expensive. In the Effects on Drug Abuse and Addiction article they state The impact of drug

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abuse and dependence can be far-reaching, affecting almost every organ in the human body.
June Werner, as I mentioned earlier had a severe medical experience. One day she suddenly
couldnt move her arms or fingers, and she felt her entire body tightening up. June got to the
phone and had to dial 911 with a carrot that she put into her mouth that she used to dial with.
Once examined at the hospital, at the age of 28 years old, she was told that she had the liver of a
69 year old alcoholic. This was an eye opening experience, they gave her four years to live! The
only reason this affected her was because they told her she wouldnt see her son go to preschool.
Another way substance abuse affects your finances is legally. If people are addicts and they run
out of money, they get desperate and are willing to do whatever they can to get that substance.
Most of what they end up doing is not legal. Drug offenders account for more than one-third of
the growth in the state prison population. They are more than 80 percent of the increase in the
number of federal prison inmates since 1985. Victims of domestic violence report that 75 percent
of the assailants were either intoxicated or using drugs (Effects). There are countless ways this
drains your finances, anywhere from extreme cases like prison, to more minor offenses like
DUIs.
A sexual addiction is very financially draining on your wallet as well. Similar to
substance addiction, with a pornography addiction, it is expense. It has a constant demand for
money. Once you are an addict, you will need more. The first time you watch pornography that
is when the most dopamine is released, after that you will need more and more to continue to
reach that level of dopamine being released. Over time they gain a tolerance for their addiction
(Levine). They may also get involved with trading pornography and other methods of
distribution. When they cannot afford their addiction, they begin to use these other methods to
get money. This leads to legal issues. Sadly, often times a pornography addict becomes so numb

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to what they are watching in order to get something different and exciting, they watch child
pornography. This is extremely illegal and highly frowned upon by the public. Frequently, if a
married individual has a pornography addiction, it leads to divorce. There are multiple ways in
which a sexual addiction can rob them of their money.
The next way that these addictions are harmful is they both effect your brain. With a
substance addiction, it can change the addicts body, but most of all their brain. It alters the
brains chemistry, this interferes with their ability to make decisions. When they are under the
influence of drugs or alcohol they are unable to think clearly, and dont act the way that they
would normally. It alters them completely, this is why they are not allowed to consume these
addictive substances and drive, because they cannot perform properly. The brain is changed as
soon as the substance is consumed, it changes how our brain performs its normal jobs
(Effects).
While substance addiction effects their brain immensely, it has a lot of physical things
that it effects as well. When it comes to a sexual addiction, it is solely the brain it is affecting. It
goes as far as to change how they feel about things. Things that they used to love and care about,
they dont as much. Activities that they liked to participate in or go to, no longer interest them.
The amount of dopamine released in the brain when watching pornography is too high to match
any other experience. Their brain becomes less sensitive to all other life pleasures. They are too
used to getting that high amount of dopamine (Radwan). Sexual and substance addiction have a
huge impact on addicts brains, this leads to them having many behavioral problems.
Substance and a sexual addiction are extremely similar when it comes to behavioral
problems. A substance addiction will often times have paranoia, aggressiveness, hallucinations,
impaired judgment, impulsiveness, and loss of self-control. With a substance abuse problem,
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they behave very differently. When they are intoxicated they obviously act differently, but even
when they are off of it, they are dependent on it (Effects). This makes them want it all the time,
they get more aggressive and defensive because often times others try to get them to stop. They
usually start to know they have a problem and feel guilt, but they usually confide in their
substance to help them feel better. When I was interviewing June, she said that she got to a point
where her vodka bottle was her best friend. She even said that she would talk to the bottle. Once
the people who care for them see that there is a problem, they try to help. In a lot of cases this
causes the addict to be very secretive. They also lack self-confidence and are often times
depressed. Alcohol is a depressant. People use it to get away from their sorrows, but once they
sober up, those problems are still there and you still do not feel happy.
Most of those behaviors are the same with sexual addictions as was stated above.
Internet pornography does lowers their confidence, suppresses happy feelings, and can make you
depressed. Pornography addicts are often bored, because their mind is used to much more
exciting things that release more dopamine, which feels you with a pleasurable feeling. The
problem is once you stop watching, that feeling is gone and nothing else is very exciting or
entertaining to you (Radwan). Sexual addicts, just like substance addicts are incredibly secretive.
They usually hide it from everyone. This is a result, partly, of many people not being willing to
talk about it. In legal situations they will tell you that a sexual crime is the hardest to prove not
guilty, because it is the most negatively viewed crime. Sometimes the addicts partner will know
they have a pornography problem, but they usually dont know the extent of the problem
(Levine). Having this addiction takes up a considerable amount of their time. They are often
purchasing more pornography and increasing the amount of time that they watch it for. This
changes their behavior and their lifestyle, because now all they are doing is trying to hide it and

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make time so they can watch it. Doctor Stephen Levine says The clinical perception of sexual
addiction is based on behaviors that are obviously destructive to somebody- the person himself
or herself, the spouse, lover, family, employer, or society.(262) None of these behaviors that
these addicts obtain are healthy in any way. They are destructive!
In all the negative aspects of these addictions they are both equally harmful. Sexual and
substance addictions both destroy relationships. When it comes to their significant other, it ruins
the relationship, because when their partner finds out they feel betrayed. The significant other
typically feels like they have been cheated on, and that they were not enough for the addict.
When they hide this from their partner, they are lying and soon all trust vanishes. All these traits
that an addict soon develops affects the partner, because they now fear they are being abandoned.
When someone has an addiction, they invest all of their time into participating in their addiction.
If an addict is working and doing all their regular things they are used to doing and also trying to
fit in their addiction, that leaves no time for their spouse. With a substance addiction, if they are
currently under the influence, they act differently and over time they usually become a different
person then they were. They are different because once it is an addiction, that is where their
focus is and they are usually intoxicated most of the time. Their personality is different when
under the influence and if they do it all the time, they have changed. Sometimes addicts are mean
and aggressive when they are drunk and this could lead to them abusing their loved ones.
Both these addictions consume your life. For instance, with a sexual addiction it
consumes their life with the time they take to watch it. It is so much more than just that, because
they are always thinking about it and fantasizing about the next time they can watch it. With their
partner, they often are unable to perform normal sexual activities. Being an addict, they lose
sight of what is important and what they can lose by continuing this activity. When they try and

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hide it, they end up pushing everyone away. They now get the feeling of loneliness, but they feel
there is no one to confide in, because they dont want them to know about their addiction. Their
addiction replaces their relationships and they lose those that love (Horvath et al.). Doctor Tom
Horvath then states As momentary pleasure subsides, the pursuit begins again. This is similar to
the pattern seen in substance addictions. There is never a healthy relationship sustained when
one person is a substance or sexual addict.
As Doctor Stephen Levine says Many patients that clinicians perceive as sexual addicts
seem to be dependent on sexual stimulation. The term can be used to imply that sexual
stimulation acts like a drug on the nervous system and is dangerous to otherwise normal persons
the same way as is heroin.(261) Substance and sexual addictions are equal and they have their
differences, but that doesnt mean one is more harmful than the other. They are both equally
harmful to the addict and those around them. Next time when you are asked which addiction is
more harmful, I hope you will see they are both harmful in their own ways, but neither is worse
than the other.

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Works Cited
"DrugFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction." National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA). N.p., Nov. 2012. Web. 02 Oct. 2014.
"Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction." Drug Rehab & Alcohol Treatment Centers in
Illinois. Gateway Foundation. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.
Horvath, Tom, Ph.D. ex al. "Sexual Addiction and Pornography Addiction Addictions." Aroostook Mental Health Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
Levine, Stephen B. "What Is Sexual Addiction?." Journal Of Sex & Marital Therapy 36.3
(2010): 261-275. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.
Radwan, M. F. "The Ultimate Source for Understanding Yourself and Others." How
Harmful Is Internet Porn Addiction. 2knowmyself Books, 2006. Web. 03 Oct.
2014.
Skinner, Kevin B., Ph.D. ex al. "Addiction." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness
Find a Therapist. Sussex Publishers, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

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