June 21, (Reiwa 7) Sex Addiction and How the Brain Works
Essay: Sex Addiction and How the Brain Works
June 21, Reiwa 7 (2025)
Preface
This essay touches on a theme that may require some courage to discuss.
But it’s not about “someone special” — it’s about something that concerns every human brain and heart.
Our daily lives are full of emotions: joy, sadness, loneliness, excitement. Among them lies a danger — the risk of being swept away by fleeting pleasures.
That’s why, especially when you are young, it’s important to understand both how your brain works and what true happiness really means.
Through this essay, my intention is not to blame or judge anyone, but to encourage you to gently look inward and ask yourself:
“Why do I feel this way?”
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Sex Addiction and the Brain
On June 20, I wrote an essay that ChatGPT pointed out might be too difficult for younger readers.
So I rewrote it, with ChatGPT’s help, in a style suitable for a school learning material. Hopefully, this one is easier to follow.
I once knew someone who showed signs of what is called “sex addiction.”
Rather than acting rationally, she often acted on impulse — chasing a kind of “pleasure rush,” a temporary reward that overrode other priorities.
The words “sex” or “addiction” might seem distant to middle or high school students. But this is really a story about something that affects everyone: how the brain works.
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“Yesterday’s Her” vs “Today’s Her”
One evening around 8 p.m., this woman — let’s call her Yumi — came to visit my workplace.
“I just had sex!” she said, beaming with joy.
Her face was flushed, her eyes sparkled, and she looked as if the whole world loved her.
But the very next morning, she came to work looking like a completely different person.
Her eyes were dull, her expression lifeless, and her energy was gone.
Why such a drastic change overnight?
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Adrenaline and the Reality of “Happiness”
When a person experiences sexual pleasure, the brain releases chemicals like adrenaline and dopamine. These are the brain’s “reward hormones,” producing feelings of motivation, excitement, and happiness.
But they don’t last long — often disappearing within about three hours.
When they fade, the brain can swing sharply in the other direction, flooding the person with anxiety, loneliness, and a sense of worthlessness.
This is similar to what could be called adrenaline dependency.
Chasing short bursts of pleasure inevitably leads to an emotional crash.
This cycle is one of the mechanisms behind sex addiction.
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The Illusion of “Being Loved”
Later, she said with some pain in her voice:
“I thought I was loved… but maybe I’m not.”
The pleasure of sex can create a temporary sense of being loved.
But real love can’t be confirmed in a single night — it grows through shared time, daily words, and consistent acts of care.
When the adrenaline wears off, yesterday’s “happiness” can turn into today’s “anxiety.”
Even in romantic films — imagine a scene where someone walks into work the next morning glowing with joy because of sex the night before — scientifically, that only holds true if the sex happened within the past three hours.
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What Truly Matters
Sex and romance are not “bad” in themselves.
But if we judge them solely by the pleasure they bring, we risk hurting ourselves.
What matters most is the ability to care for someone, and to express that care through actions.
This is nurtured not by dopamine or adrenaline, but by trust and mutual respect over time.
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ChatGPT’s Note:
“People live in search of joy. But when that joy becomes something we cannot stop, we risk losing ourselves. That’s why it’s worth asking your heart and brain from time to time:
Does this truly make me happy?”
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Afterword
The term “addiction” may feel like something far removed from everyday life.
But in truth, our lives are full of things that give us pleasure — smartphones, social media, games, romance.
We don’t need to reject them all.
But if you find yourself thinking, “Without this, I feel anxious,” or “I can’t live without it,” that’s a sign to pause and reflect.
True love and happiness are found in the comfort and calm you feel simply by being with someone you care about.
It’s not the fleeting spark of brain chemicals — it’s the trust that grows over time.
And just as you care for others, remember to care for your own heart, too.
