The best connection between addiction, depression and anxiety I've heard

It's all connected… PMO is just a symptom, not the cause of our ill:

 

"Depression has been defined as being caught in the pain of the past and anxiety the fear of future events. The obvious antidote to both of these is the present moment. But the present moment is a difficult place to live, especially because of distractions in our society and inner unresolved trauma inside your body. Instead of numbing ourselves and running away, we need to go deeply into them and be present with them."

 

It's interesting how no one wants to talk about roots of our addiction. I've done "successful" "hard mode" reboot sessions (aka 2x 90 days and 180 days) just to relapse big time after completing them. Every time compulsive behavior worsens. I've come to conclusion that I can't stop not because porn is so addictive but because I want to get away and porn "helps2 me escape reality. How to break this vicious circle?

 

Easier said than done. How do you cope with it? I'm out of ideas. I thought rebooting will help me, but it didn't. When I'm stoned from compulsive PMO, my feelings are numbed to a degree my depression and anxiety symptoms are suppressed. When being "sober" I get hit with major depression and general social anxiety. I hoped prolonged rebooting will solve my problems, but my mental state only got worse and worse. I don't know what to do next. Another reboot will most probably end the same way as my last 3 tries did in huge relapse.

I don't trust psychiatrist after listening to prof. Sapolsky's lessons regarding science behind anxiety and depression anymore. No psychiatrist will test your genome, make thyroid function blood test, assessment of adrenal glucocorticoid function, biochemical tests for brain chemistry imbalances… before prescribing drugs. Typical visit at psychiatrist looks something like this: "Why don't we try SSRIs in combination with anxiolytics first, if it doesn't work we'll then try SNRIs, then TCAs …?" What a f...?!!! These people are treating brain chemistry regulating drugs like candies. They should be called charlatans not doctors. As a result around 70 % depressions go mistreated. That's not science, that's hit and miss game which can f... you up with drugs' side effects in between. Why would anyone accept such treatment?

 

If they get it right. But how can they get it right without extensive tests? You may be eating "happy pills", but your real problem lies in thyroids, steroids, hormonal turmoil etc. In that case selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants won't work. It's 40 vs 60 (20 + 20 +20) percent game. Without chemical tests patient has roughly 20 % chance of getting the right treatment. I don't want to eat something that gives me 20 % chance of elevating my depression and anxiety symptoms and risk dry mouth, nausea, loose bowel movements, headache, insomnia, obesity, joint stiffness, higher risk of suicide... not without establishing what is chemical cause for my depression first. Guessing game is crazy. How is it even allowed? Man has to wonder how many people got f... up by shrinks this way. It's almost like taking experimental drugs.