Dopamine

C8H11NO2 has become quite a buzzword in recent years, with increasing knowledge of how this neurotransmitter relates to various facets of human functioning from motivation and sexual behaviour to ADHD and Parkinson’s Disease. How can this molecule be causing so much disruption to the human mind? Of course, God never meant for it to be so but, as always, the things that He creates can be misused by humankind. It is a substance stored in our neurones that helps coordinate movement, memory, arousal, reward and attention and a host of other functions (Klein et al, 2019). It is associated with excited states, as it increases cardiac output by raising heart rate.  Its role in sexual motivation is the important thing to discuss here.

 

Research into what happens biochemically during sexual arousal and mating (using animals) has found that dopamine levels increased response to sexual cues and after mating (Balfour, Yu & Coolen, 2004).

 

Much of the research into the neuropsychological underpinnings of compulsive pornography use has concentrated on brain areas where dopamine is a common form of currency. It is a biochemical messenger of sorts, the carrier pigeon of the reward areas of the brain. It gets released in response to something having been seen in the environment that could be rewarding. From its release in nerves from the Ventral Tegmental Area, it binds to nerves from the Nucleus Accumbens. If enough carrier pigeons get sent, the receiving nerves will fire and the Nucleus Accumbens will help coordinate a motivational response that sees the animal/person getting closer to the potential reward.

 

The problem with all those carrier pigeons visiting is that the brain has systems of creating balance. It starts pruning the branches of the trees, to stop the flow of messages. In non-bird-metaphor terms this is called ‘downregulation’. The problem is that it means people don’t feel like the ‘message’ of whatever they are looking at is getting through and having an effect, so they look for stronger, more intense or shocking things to create it.

 

After the branches were pruned, people might find that they don’t get the normal enjoyment out of other pleasant things either. People have told me that spending time with their family seems tedious and country walks they used to love are dull. They might find excuses not to go to a dinner party and instead, watch pornography. I recall clearly a man’s delight, a few months after giving up pornography, as he said that he had walked in the park and enjoyed the outlines of the trees again. Have you felt less enamoured of what God has made for you…the simple or stunning beauty of Creation wherever it is found?

 

Once someone has experienced something that seemed highly rewarding – e.g. it tasted great, involved a lot of feel-good biochemicals like endorphins, dopamine is involved in coding that as an experience worth repeating (McCauley, 2012). It gets logged in the memory. As a result, it has great value, and attention will be drawn to the potential for it to happen again.