Do people really go 16 months without fapping and see no changes?

You definitely see changes, but let me keep it real. If you're only doing soft mode then it takes long to see changes of you see changes at all.

 

From the research I’ve done into this it seems this is all determined by the amount of time (years) you spent PMOing, as well as the frequency (how many times per week, per day, etc.) There are many hard cases out there. For those of us that have been doing this for well over a decade and a half, it is likely going to be a very long process. I’m just trying to stay weary of getting too comfortable after I’m recovered. There seems to be a rabbit hole that many individuals have fallen down after they have come out of flatline/PAWS where they let their guard down and temptation to watch porn again creeps in. This tends to lead them into a spiral of relapses and before they know it they’re back to square one. I do not intend on allowing that to happen to me.

 

What kind of changes are you expecting to see? If you were heavily addicted, you'll definitely see changes, just don't expect from NoFap to be cure for all your ills. I've been in hard/monk mode for 13 months now and while I do experience some benefits, I wouldn't say I'm feeling great. But just getting rid of this addiction is enough of a reward for me.

 

those dopamine receptors take a long time to come back and take work. You have to force yourself to do things that restore the receptors like meditation, being around friends and family, celebrating your victories etc.

 

You did a good thing going back to school where you can socialise. If you keep it up you'll recover as fast as possible.

 

It takes time, celebrate everytime you talk to someone, it might sound stupid but it actually works.

 

Im looking to go back to school too. You did the right thing, congratz. Your anxiety will be manageable (if not, its not shame to seek help) and things will get easier by the time;

 

You do see changes but you have to work on other areas of your life as well. PMO isnt a be all and end all. Although it ramps anxiety up severely in my experience. A phase of clinical anxiety.