Neuroplasticity in Sex, Addiction, and Pain: Brain That Changes Itself
This paper examines Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself (2007) as a framework for understanding and applying neuroplasticity in three domains: sexual attraction, addiction, and pain. Drawing on Doidge's case studies and core principles — including "neurons that fire together wire together" and the concept of "delinking" — the paper considers how brain plasticity shapes human behavior and how those same mechanisms can be leveraged for therapeutic change. Topics covered include sexual plasticity and its Freudian undertones, dopamine-driven addiction and drug policy implications, and the "dark side" of plasticity as expressed in phantom limb pain and placebo effects.
- Introduction: Neuroplasticity and Personal Change: Doidge's book as a blueprint for personal change
- Sexual Attraction and the Plastic Brain: Sexual plasticity and human behavioral variety
- Applying Neuroplasticity Principles to Sex and Relationships: Using plasticity to address sexual problems
- Addiction, Dopamine, and Brain Change: How dopamine drives addiction and brain damage
- Retraining the Brain: Core Laws of Neuroplasticity: Firing and wiring laws applied to recovery
- Pain and the Dark Side of Plasticity: Phantom pain, placebo, and therapeutic retraining
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What makes this paper effective
- Closely follows the source text's structure, using direct quotations and page citations to anchor each analytical claim in Doidge's actual argument.
- Moves naturally between summary and application, consistently asking how the research can translate into real-world behavioral or policy change.
- Balances three distinct topic areas — sex, addiction, and pain — using parallel organizational logic across each section.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates disciplined source integration: rather than simply summarizing Doidge, it uses cited passages as springboards for applied reasoning, such as connecting dopamine research to compassionate drug policy or linking neuroplasticity laws to addiction recovery strategies. This shows how a single source can be mined for both descriptive and prescriptive content.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction establishing the credibility and scope of Doidge's book, then devotes roughly two paragraphs to each of the three domains (sexuality, addiction, pain). Within each domain, the first paragraph summarizes the neuroscientific mechanism and the second explores practical or clinical applications. A single reference closes the paper.
Introduction: Neuroplasticity and Personal Change
Neuroplasticity has gained traction both in the realm of pop psychology and in the more credible arenas of counseling and clinical psychology. In Doidge's (2007) book, neuroplasticity is presented for a general audience while using research to substantiate its claims. The case studies that comprise The Brain That Changes Itself can therefore serve as effective blueprints for personal change. The book delves into various aspects of neuroplasticity, three of which include sexual attraction, addiction, and pain.
Sexual Attraction and the Plastic Brain
Chapter 4 of The Brain That Changes Itself covers the neuroplasticity of sexual attraction and love. Doidge (2007) claims that human beings "exhibit an extraordinary degree of sexual plasticity compared with other creatures" (p. 94). Specific examples of sexual plasticity include trying different sexual positions, techniques, or toys with the same partner or with multiple partners, becoming fixated on certain "types" of people for a period, or going through phases of high versus low sexual energy. As Doidge (2007) puts it, human beings are more "gourmet" than "glutton" when it comes to sex, because of the way we can pick and choose what we like and when we like it (p. 95). Many bisexual people are not necessarily attracted simultaneously to people of both genders but instead go through phases of preferring one gender or another. Doidge (2007) underscores the fact that neuroplasticity affects all aspects of human brain function and behavior.
Applying Neuroplasticity Principles to Sex and Relationships
Applying the chapter on sexuality to making concrete changes would involve paying attention to both sexual attraction and love. It is interesting that, as Doidge (2007) points out, couples use terms of endearment that are actually infantile or parenting in nature, carrying strong Freudian implications or undertones that could be mistaken for regression (pp. 99–100). "Dirty talk" during sex or to express sexual interest also signals the brain's return to an adolescent phase, according to the author (p. 100). These tendencies are not harmful, but for people who do have sexual hang-ups or problems in their sex life, it may be useful to understand that they can change their attitudes and behaviors about sex. Persons who become addicted to Internet pornography, or who tend toward sexual addiction and relationship problems, can also use the principles of neuroplasticity to change, rather than continuing to react to their conditioning.
Addiction, Dopamine, and Brain Change
Like sex addiction, substance abuse can be understood and ameliorated with an understanding of neuroplasticity. Addiction is one of the most obvious manifestations of neuroplasticity because of the way a person becomes habituated to using a drug in order to attain a certain feeling. Dopamine is specifically linked to brain changes that can lead to addiction. Doidge (2007) suggests that drug addiction can be physically and irreversibly damaging to the brain (p. 107). This is troubling news for addicts who hope to recover, but it at least explains why some addicts relapse continually and never seem to recover at all. It is possible that for many addicts, their brains have irreversibly changed so that it becomes impossible for them to feel pleasure without a drug.
Given the research on dopamine and addiction, it may be that drug policy should be more compassionate. If a person is already addicted to a substance, it might be better to develop ways of delivering that substance safely, as with the methadone model. Alternatively, neuroscientists and chemists could work together to develop ways of supplying dopamine — or whatever neurochemical is needed — through effective medications.
References
Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin.
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