Running Head: Biopsychology Research Paper

Is porn addiction related to Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? : A hypothetical

research.
Abstract
This paper serves to draw a relationship between porn addiction and Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder (OCD) in a hypothetical manner. The neurological aspect of porn addiction and OCD
will be the focus of this paper when explaining their relationship. It is hypothesized that porn
addiction is tied to OCD through similar neurochemical makeup. Due to the lack of studies on
porn addiction, other similar forms of addictions will be used to draw a parallel between the
correlation of porn addiction and OCD.

A case study is utilized to provide a qualitative

perspective, which would serve to enhance the validity of the hypothesis.

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Porn addiction
Porn addiction is a product of the dark-side of the high-speed Internet. It delivers instant
gratification for the carnal desires inherent in everybody, and people get hooked to it like a drug.
According to Psychguides.com (2016), porn addiction is related to sex addiction and is still not
listed as an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V
(DSM-5), thus the lack of proper research on this matter. In the context of porn addiction, the
behavior of the addicts is bad enough to affect their daily life in many negative ways. Signs of
porn addiction include viewing pornography in excess, experiencing withdrawal symptoms and
emotional discomfort when not watching porn, sexual dysfunction (mostly in the case of males),
and decreased relationship satisfaction (Psychguides.com, 2016). Just like any other addictions,
porn addiction is a result of operant conditioning. Watching porn can be very pleasurable and

Biopsychology Research Paper

this behavior is reinforced as a reward; and a big one especially because it tampers with
one of the human basic needs sex.

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1.2 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

According to the International OCD Foundation (2014), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD) is a disorder of the brain and behavior. OCD sufferers are plagued by anxiety when they
do not actively act on their obsessions; they will be compelled to do it even though they know it
doesnt make any sense. Obsessions are recurring thoughts, images or impulses that seem outside
of the sufferers control (International OCD Foundation, 2014). The next characteristic of OCD
would be compulsion. OCD sufferers use compulsions to ease or avoid the anxiety stemming
from not attending to their obsessions or urges, which could be very time-consuming. However,
it is notable that not all OCD patients have a desire to take part in this; it is a painfully automated
act they have to go through involuntarily in some cases.
1.3 Neurobiology of addiction
To get a better understanding on porn addiction, we have to look into the neural
mechanisms of addiction itself, as our behaviors are largely facilitated by the neurochemical
processes in our brain. Volkow, N. D., Wang, G. J., Fowler, J. S., Tomasi, D., & Telang, F. (2011)
was able to put clearly in perspective the anatomical breakdown of our brains addiction
mechanism. Volkow et.al (2011) states that all natural reward or addictive substances or
behaviors affects the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, also known as the reward center stems
from the ventral tegmentum area and extends into the nucleus accumbens. The reward center is
largely associated with impulsivity, reward and pleasure seeking, and reinforcement learning.

Biopsychology Research Paper

There are also other regions connected to the reward system known as the reward system
which consists of the frontal cortex, amygdala, and the hippocampus. All of these facilitate
behavior coordination, emotions and emotional memory, and long term memory processing and
retrieval respectively.
1.4 Neurobiology of OCD
Coming across numerous researches, there are a few theories on how OCD came about;
but there is still no general consensus on which neurobiology model OCD operates on.
According to Goodman, W. K., Grice, D. E., Lapidus, K. A., & Coffey, B. J. (2014), there are
two prevailing neurochemical theories on OCD suggesting the implication of the brains
serotonin and glutamate system, with the glutamate portion of the theory gaining more traction
hitherto. Goodman et.al (2014) also proposed the frontal-striatal pathways as the faulty neurocircuit that causes OCD, with this proposition founded upon neurosurgical experience and brain
imaging. Burguiere, E., Monteiro, P., Mallet, L., Feng, G., & Graybiel, A. M. (2015) also pointed
towards the proposition that striatum-based circuitry plays a part in the pathophysiology of OCD,
with genetic evidence derived from studies on animals.

2.0 Literature review

2.1 OCD as a form of behavioral addiction
Behavioral addictions are gradually gaining acceptance as a legitimate psychiatric
disorder category in DSM-5 (Robbins, T. W., & Clark, L., 2015). However, there are other
disorders that were proposed to be under this category that were not included under the category

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of behavioral addiction. In a recent study by Mole, T. B., Irvine, M. A., Worbe, Y., Collins, P.,
Mitchell, S. P., Bolton, S., ... & Voon, V. (2015), it was shown that binge-eating and OCD share
one reliable factor that occurs the impulsive-compulsive spectrum of disordersimpulsive
choice deficits. Given that binge eating is categorized as a behavioral addiction, this could prove
that OCD share similar behavioral traits to that of addiction, in particular behavior addictions. A
noteworthy area to look into when explaining the correlation between OCD and behavioral
addictions in terms of impulsive choice deficits would be rewards processing. Stern, E. R., &
Taylor, S. F. (2014) proposed that OCD patients have difficulty terminating inappropriate
responses due to a reduced signal of goal attainment or satiety. A suitable analogy for this for
both addiction and OCD would be that both are stuck in a loop of chasing after an
accomplishment of a task in order to reap its rewards. Stern et.al (2014) further infers that there
is reduced activity in brain regions whereby its activation is related to reward, which includes the
ventral striatum, thalamus, putamen, hippocampus, anterior insula, medial frontal cortex, and
parietal cortex.
2.2 Sensitivity to punishment
Punishment, which is the opposite of reward, plays an important role in adjusting an
individuals perception towards reward and the behaviors in accordance to this perception.
Punishment being the complete opposite of reward signifies self-control, restriction, and
knowledge of consequences of a certain act. According to Figee, M., Pattij, T., Willuhn, I.,
Luigjes, J., van den Brink, W., Goudriaan, A., ... & Denys, D. (2015), individuals engaged in
compulsive behaviors may be less sensitive towards self-harming tendencies, which suggests a
dysfunctional neural process when it comes to processing harm avoidance and punishment
sensitivity.

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Drawing upon evidence from other studies, Figee et.al (2015) found that OCD consists of
dysfunctional punishment processing with some forms of addictions. Citing the findings of Choi,
J. S., Shin, Y. C., Jung, W. H., Jang, J. H., Kang, D. H., Choi, C. H., ... & Kwon, J. S. (2012),
Figee et.al (2015) states that the decrease in striatal sensitivity towards punishment in OCD
matches that of pathological gamblers, which displayed decreased striatal loss-anticipation
signals. The anticipation of monetary loss can be equated as a form of punishment.
2.3 Dopamine
Studies on dopamine reveals that the reward system in the brain could serve as a possible
factor that contributes to compulsivity in both addiction and OCD. According to Olver, J. S.,
O'Keefe, G., Jones, G. R., Burrows, G. D., Tochon-Danguy, H. J., Ackermann, U., ... & Norman,
T. R. (2009), there are hyperactivity indications of the striatal dopaminergic system in OCD,
coupled with decreased striatal availability of D1 receptors. Denys, D., van der Wee, N.,
Janssen, J., De Geus, F., & Westenberg, H. G. (2004) found similar decrease in D2-like
receptors. Increased craving responses in addicted individuals are associated with low-levels of
dopamine D2-like receptors (Figee et.al, 2015; Volkow, N. D., Fowler, J. S., Wang, G. J., Baler,
R., & Telang, F., 2009). Hypothetically, the compulsion or urge to overcome feelings of
discomfort and anxiety in OCD could also be caused by low levels of D2-like receptors (Figee
et.al). To summarize, the neurotransmitter dopamine is always tied with addiction, as well as
OCD to a certain extent; especially when it comes to the display of compulsivity traits in both
disorders. Based on these findings, one can infer that addictions and OCD share neurochemical
similarities.

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3.0 Case study

The effect of psychiatric symptoms on the internet disorder in Isfahans university
students. By Alavi, S. S., Maracy, M. R., Jannatifard, F., & Eslami, M. (2011)
This study focuses on 250 randomly selected students from 4 universities, in which
among the 4 includes Isfahan University, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad
University and Isfahan University of Technology (Alavi et.al, 2011). The aim of the study
would be to determine the association of psychiatric symptoms with internet addiction (Alavi
et.al, 2011) while controlling the effects of demographical aspects such as gender, age,
educational level and more.
Alavi et.al (2011) hypothesized that psychiatric symptoms are associated with high levels
of internet addiction, and that obsessive-compulsive disorders are uniquely correlated with the
latter. The participants were students who had used the Internet at least once a week for the past
6 months at their home, school, library, coffee net, or any other relative place (Alavi et.al, 2011)
. Among various reliable diagnostic tools used in the study such as the Internet Addiction Test
(IAT) (Young, K. S.1998), which is a 20-item self-report with a 5-point scale, based on the
DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for compulsive gambling and alcoholism (Alavi et.al, 2011). Alavi
et.al (2011) uses a Persian-translated version of the IAT which has a Cronbachs alpha value of
0.89, cementing its reliability in the study. The students were put through a cross-sectional study
which involves both quantitative and qualitative methods; in the context of this study, that will be
employing scale-based test such as the IAT and incorporating some interview sessions with the

Biopsychology Research Paper

students. It was found that various co-morbid psychiatric disorders (Alavi et.al, 2011) were
present on Internet addicts. This finding was congruent with various other studies.

Biopsychology Research Paper

For instance, Alavi et.al (2011)s assertion that obsessive compulsive symptoms are the
most prevalent symptoms among internet addicts affirms the findings of other studies whereby
Internet addiction showed high association with obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms
(Ha, J. H., Kim, S. Y., Bae, S. C., Bae, S., Kim, H., Sim, M., ... & Cho, S. C. ,2007).
4.0 Golden Standard Treatment
Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation can be defined as a form of mental training that aims to improve an
individuals core psychological capacities, such as attentional and emotional self-regulation
(Tang, Y. Y., Hlzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I., 2015). It is usually touted as a miracle cure in the

psychotherapy and rehabilitation fields due to its therapeutic effects. Mindfulness meditation is
just another form of the large myriad of mediation types, and is described as, in a clinical and
research context, exercising non-judgmental awareness to present experiences in the current
moment (Tang et.al, 2015). This usually involves forming a detached standpoint and observing
ones own bodily reactions such as breath-monitoring and ones own thoughts. Some of the more
popular benefits of mindfulness meditation include self-control and reducing anxiety levels, both
which are common in addictions and OCD. Citing other studies, Chandiramani, K. (2007) infers
that sexual addictions can be mediated by reducing anxiety, in which it is something mindfulness
meditation could achieve; it was further inferred that the anxiety experienced during addiction is
related to obsessive compulsive illness. To fully appreciate the effectiveness of mindfulness
meditation, the neural changes following the practice of the said method has to be taken into
account.

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Neural Implications of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is helpful on aiding the recovery from addiction and the
prevention of addiction by changing core brain regions that were once dysfunctional in the case
of an addiction or other disorders that cause neurological damage. Changes at a neural level are
possible due to the brain possessing neuroplasticity. According to Tang et.al (2015), studies have
captured physical changes in certain brain regions in meditators. For example, an increase in
cortical thickness was shown in meditators with extensive practice (Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E.,
Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., ... & Rauch, S. L. (2005). Tang
et.al (2015) illustrated the regions that were associated with the components of mindfulness
meditation in their study. The brain functions involved according to Tang et.al (2015) are
attention control (striatum and anterior cingulate cortex), emotion regulation (limbic areas
and striatum, various prefrontal areas) and self-awareness (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior
cingulate cortex, precuneus, and the insula). Studies have reported increased functions in the
stated neural components following a certain period of meditation. To hypothesize in line with
these findings, mindfulness meditation could help in combating the degenerative effects of
addiction and OCD on the brain. Speculating upon the effect of mindfulness meditation on
addiction and OCD brain regions, improvements on the function of the striatal circuitry could
rebalance rewards processing, dampening the effect of addictions; improvement on the prefrontal
cortex can enhance decision-making with lesser inhibition by other brain regions; enhanced
emotion regulation in limbic areas could see reduced anxiety in OCD patients and cause them to
be less compelled to tend to their obsessions by engaging in compulsive behavior. In summary,
mindfulness meditation can help alleviate the symptoms of porn addiction and OCD, and
potentially cure these diseases without the aid of medications.

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5.0 Discussion and Limitation

The case study by Alavi et.al (2011) provides a purely demographical standpoint on
internet addiction along psychiatric disorders, with OCD being a possible comorbid by-product
of Internet addiction given the presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in internet addicts.
This study was picked to prove that porn addiction, under the umbrella term of internet addiction
is correlated with the incidence of OCD given the lack of proper studies on porn addiction
specifically. The implications of the case study could be enhanced greatly when paired with
neurobiological and anatomical evidence, in which this paper could provide to a certain extent.
However, the aspects that were researched on addiction and OCD in this paper are somewhat
limited. For instance, the brain regions that were identified with addiction and OCD were only
limited to a few core parts like the mesolimbic pathway and the striatal circuit. Given the fact
that the brain functions as a collective effort of various parts, there are more parts to be
identified; and it is important to understand and explain the interaction of these parts in addiction
and OCD.
Given that this paper is more inclined to explain in a biological manner, it is easy to
neglect the psychological aspect when proving correlations of both diseases. In order to get a
complete understanding of this correlation, knowledge overlapping both the biological and
psychological aspect of addiction and OCD is needed.
6.0 Conclusion
To summarize, the paper was able to draw the correlation between porn addiction and
OCD by exploring various components shared by both diseases, such as similar
neurotransmitters and brain regions. Future implications of the paper would

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be aimed at increasing awareness towards porn addiction, which had been regarded as a form of
minor addiction although it presents a major threat to the cyber community, and in particular the
youths; sadly, internet porn is highly accessible. With increased awareness and a sense of
urgency, legitimate researches on porn addiction could be successfully spawned to study and
successfully implement various countermeasures on this addiction just like any other forms of
addiction involving substance abuse.

Biopsychology Research Paper