Hello all, I have heard about the NoFap community in the past, but haven't ever really gotten involved despite realizing my consumption of pornographic media for years. I am a senior in college, discovered pornography in my freshman year (three and a half years ago), and have told myself I'd stop basically ever since. I essentially started out of loneliness, as I had tried seriously dating for the first time around then but was mentally taxed after my first true relationship fell through. Ever since I've relied on pornography as a crutch, and have missed many opportunities in life as a result I believe. It being a new year and all, I am committed to kicking this awful practice, but have to date not been able to accomplish this alone. In realizing that I needed a more robust methodology to tackling my addiction, I explored my options and decided to join this community, as I have heard nothing but good. I believe I may finally be able to move past this problem with the support of this commendable collective.
Welcome to NoFap where you are amongst friends who are here to encourage you and sometimes challenge you but not judge you. You have a huge discovery already made, you know the root cause of the problem. Part of your journey is determining how you need to heal with loneliness in a healthy way. The enemy is here to steal, kill and destroy. What are your current strategies for combating the enemy called PMO?
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I already feel more confident than ever just having joined this community. My current strategies for combating the enemy include picking up a new habit (meditation), and structuring my days in such a way to where I will not be left with significant gaps in which to brood over my loneliness. Furthermore, I plan to find an accountability partner, which I would imagine would make a world of difference. Thanks again for the kind welcome, all!
Hey @backpacker , There is so much support on this forum, the profiles and the various groups. It works if you work it. I don't offer advise. I offer only my ESH (experience, strength and hope). Work it? Oh yeah. There's work to be done, that's what's worked for me. Two things I've found necessary. 1. I had to Learn the NoFap Program. 2. Getting involved with the community on here was vital to help my recovery. Learn the NoFap Program The resources listed on the "New Users: List of Rebooting Resources" helped me find my way around the reasons behind the program and the terms used. They are: Download the free Getting Started guide. Set up a PMO-Counter Badge. More info here! Basic introduction to the science of porn addiction! Basic information about rebooting and how our challenges can help you recover from PMO. This is the most important page to read. If you only can read one page, read this one. About NoFap. Watch this video - it is an epic intro resource if you want to get particular details about porn addiction and how it changes how your brain works. This is a good light-weight video about porn addiction. Read through the journal sections and see what other rebooters have experienced. It is good to know what to expect, otherwise the "chaser effect", "the surge", or the "flatline" might throw you off. If you come across vocabulary that you can't understand, check out our rebooting glossary of terms. GET ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR HABITS! Sign up for a peer accountability partner. Otherwise if you want more professional-hosted solutions, check out NoFap Premium or Reboot Camp. If you can afford to invest in yourself, these are great options. You can find this same list on the top of the forum you posted this message on at - the "New to NoFap" forum. Get Involved with the Community The community has been my lifeline. I've found journals I love, people who are very supportive and a place where I could get to work helping in a small way others. I'm nobody important around here. Just a normal user with no magic powers. But, I can: Read Journals, and comment when I have ESH Find people I admire and stay in touch via their profiles Pick a forum and make sure evvery post gets and answer. I can't answer them all, but that's good - different opinions make for a better group. Post in my journal (I could be better at it - but I do milestone posts at least) To make a journal go to the section listed by age and start one. Keep all your journal posts in one thread. But, for random thoughts, you can create a new thread. Looking forward to seeing you around on the forums, - L PS - Think of pmo like a wolf. Stay near the center of the group with the winners and the wolf has a more difficult time finding you. But, stray near the edges of the community and the wolf can pick you off.
One of the ways I got involved with the fellowship was by reading some really great journals. I've included journals from all age groups, spiritual members, religious members, secular members, male and female. You should find journals that help. If not, look around, there are hundreds of others from which to choose. When I say "it works if you work it", reading journals is part of that work. Once you open a journal, click "Watch Thread" in the upper right of the page to get alerts when new posts are made. Here are just a few: @2525 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/147264/ --- @Visor Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144228/ --- @Dragonnlife Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/136148 --- @I_can_and_I_will Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/138959/ --- @weddingnails Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143418/ --- @MLMVSS Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/142945/ --- @Struggle Bug Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/141911/ --- @BigDawg913 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/145872/ --- @Sunshadow Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/75108/ --- @kropo82 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/78164/ --- @tet2vd Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144513 --- @Protagoras Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/109842/ --- @Tomoya Okazaki Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143534/ --- @DavidGibson Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143325/ --- @Euklid Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/146663/ --- @BreatheDeeply Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/139097/ --- @LiquidShoes Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/134044/ --- @Reverent Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143845/ --- @Former_CD Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/87827/ --- @PatrickR Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/139570/ --- There are many more, and you can discover them on your own. But, these are great places to start. This is a work in progress. So, if a journal has changed or is no longer active, look around there are some amazing journals on here. - L