This two-part episode is a response to a panel\xa0a panel of therapists and a neuroscientist who in episodes 347-348 challenged the idea that pornography is physically addicting, suggesting instead that problematic pornography usage was a symptom of deeper issues, and therefore the best therapeutic approaches focus less on pornography and more on uncovering these underlying pathologies. In this episode, a panel of therapists and a neurosurgeon whose research centers on the biology behind why the brain seeks what it seeks present why they believe the "addiction" model is appropriate, and share how much richer and more diverse are the therapeutic models they employ than what the earlier panel believes, and is even richer in options than traditional approaches. This discussion also looks much more broadly than the previous episodes into "sex addiction" and its treatment.
This panel, featuring Jackie Pack, Alexandra Katehakis, Stefanie Carnes, and Donald Hilton, along with Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon, dive deep into brain structures and pathways, dopamine and reward and seeking centers, and ways that today's pornography might be classified as a supra-normal stimulus--meaning that it can elicit responses in humans that are much greater than occur in natural situations.\xa0The team dives into a great deal of complex scientific material but keeps things understandable and maintains terrific balance. In the final sections of the podcast, they also discuss misunderstandings about Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) certifications, introduce its therapeutic models, and discuss the role that religion can play in both creating difficulties for and helping bring about increased sexual health.