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P.A.W.S. - what are they, cure, duration

Discussion in 'Rebooting - Porn Addiction Recovery' started by Fenix Rising, May 12, 2019.

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  1. I can deal with my current symptoms and not have it derail me from my life right now, which is a big difference from 3 years ago when I couldn't leave my bed without becoming exhausted, if it lasts for years It wouldn't bother me at this rate.
     
  2. Another observation:

    After I go number 2 my symptoms tend to act up. This is further proof, to me, that this is a nervous system issue as much as it is a brain one. I also notice that whenever my brain hits a peak of happiness it tends to bounce back down soon after. It's this weird thing where it doesn't know how to balance itself, and thinks that after every spike in chemicals it needs to flood itself. Or something like that. I'm not as scientific as many of the other people on this forum, but these are just things I've noticed as I've progressed.

    I also notice that some of my glands under my chin/jaw start to throb at certain parts of the day. I'm sure it's a hormone thing, or at least that's my most accurate guess.

    My whole fucking body was fucked up by this addiction. It's fucking powerful.

    Also: just read two stories on nofap, both saying that they relapsed after super long streaks (812 days and 5 years). Holy shit. Humbling. Good reminder to stay forever vigilant.

    Happy weekend.
     
    Humanexperiments and UWSDave like this.
  3. Humanexperiments

    Humanexperiments Fapstronaut

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    Yes symptoms act up for me too after bowel movements.
     
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  4. How does one even relapse after 5 years, that is mad, I supposed they slipped and must have thought they were cured until they relapsed and must have felt everything come back to them. For me that's how it was like when I relapsed after an entire year long streak only to struggle for another year to where I am now, we can never loosen up it seems, perma-vigilance forever.
     
  5. WHMvsPMO

    WHMvsPMO Fapstronaut

    What were they doing and not doing though? I don't think being able to abstain for a long time necessarily means the potential isn't there, if someone isn't doing self improvement stuff and just are busy enough in life with low enough urges it may be possible.

    I have this URL in my search history for a sketchy chat site, I decided I'm not going to bother erasing the history - it'll serve as a reminder, if anything it helps me NOT relapse..
     
  6. humbleone

    humbleone Fapstronaut

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    I think we have to be realistic, even once cured from PAWS, can everyone on this thread honestly believe they absolutely will never have any sexual activity again, or to MO in 10 years time etc? I mean we can all hope so, and definitely I don't see myself going back to PMO 3x a day for any prolonged period of time.

    What Im trying to say is MO after 5 years isn't so much a relapse as much as you'd hope the compulsive element had subsided
     
    Freeddom_Taker likes this.
  7. DGZ

    DGZ Fapstronaut

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    This is exactly my experience too.
     
    zander13 likes this.
  8. Dave G 123

    Dave G 123 Fapstronaut

    I've been reading "Irresistible" by Adam Alter. He talks about building new habits as a way to replace old negative habits; supposedly it takes on average 66 days to build a new habit (with a lot of individual variability) - and he refers to this piece of research to support it (see https://centrespringmd.com/docs/How Habits are Formed.pdf). So for anyone making a sustained change to the way they behave, it's going to take a long time - and in this case he's talking about easy stuff like small dietary changes, or getting more exercise. He makes the point that if you are trying to use a new habit "... in place of an entrenched, deeply rewarding behaviour" (P272) that it would take much longer. So for whacking off with porn, which combines the primal urge to reproduce with limitless potential for satisfaction, it's going to take a long time!
     
    DWman6 likes this.
  9. Mr. Kruger

    Mr. Kruger Fapstronaut

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    I know that I'm a month late replying to this, but I just wanted to reply to say that heart palpitations are a withdrawal symptom and nothing to be alarmed about. I had very frequent heart palpitations for like the first 6 months of NoFap. Even now at 20 months in (with a few minor relapses), I still get small palpitations a few times a week on average. They do take a long time to go away, but they will diminish over time. I understand how they can make you panic a little though; it's a very jarring feeling when it feels like your heart seizes up and you can't catch your breath for a few seconds. I've found that you can minimize their occurrence if you can fully abstain from peeking and fantasizing.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2021
  10. Mr. Kruger

    Mr. Kruger Fapstronaut

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    I thought I was the only one who experienced this, but it makes sense that it would be a common thing because people on here are always saying that recovery isn't linear. I have some days where I feel great, and then the depression will come back and hit me like a dump truck a few days later. That's so frustrating and demoralizing because it's like you get a little sample of your old self for a few days only to have it taken away again.
    I get the weird pains everywhere too. I've been getting throbbing pains in the sides/back of my head and inside my ears lately, and also pains in my abdominal muscles, back muscles, and pelvic region. When I first started NoFap, I was even getting pains in my teeth. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that governs a lot more things in the body than just mood and motivation, and that's why you feel withdrawal symptoms all over your body rather than it being solely a psychological experience. The only thing that gives me a morale boost is knowing that all this discomfort will pay off in the end. The fact that you're feeling any discomfort at all is a good thing; it means that changes are occurring.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2021
  11. Hello everyone, I would like to report about my streak's progress.

    For the last two weeks, I have been feeling better, but very slow changes. The head sensations have reduced a lot compared to before. The derealisation also has declined. However, two days ago I started to feel bad again. On 21st I was feeling fatigued and felt like vomiting, combined with no concentration and severe brain fog. 22nd, yesterday was the worst of the last two weeks and my total body was tired. Today I had a wet dream and this morning I felt as I am back to square one. I also feel as if my brain is locked for the last two weeks, unable to concentrate on anything. Is it normal for things to be unsteady? I honestly feel alone and this situation is making me paralyzed. :( Also I would like to not after the wet dream I am getting eye strain which has improved recently.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 23, 2021
    Dave G 123 likes this.
  12. It's been over 30 days since a relapse and I have absolutely zero urges yet real women are giving me slight reactions! I have the addiction by it's neck!
     
  13. Mr. Kruger

    Mr. Kruger Fapstronaut

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    Having no urges means that you could just be in a flatline, which is a low-libido phase that people sometimes go through when they first start NoFap. But the urges can come back with a vengeance when you least expect it. Don't let your guard down just yet.

    Have you experienced any withdrawal symptoms and/or depression since starting NoFap?
     
  14. I started Nofap back in 2017 and struggled on until I was off PMO for a year then fell back into it for another year, it's all blurry now, I've had every symptom at some point or another, but the urges were linked to my habits, which I broke and changed, now they are gone as long as I refrain from fantasy, which is working, I don't think I am completely flatlined as women irl are starting to look better and are making me drawn to them, I've had flatlines before and I never felt that in them.
     
  15. I believe since I had gone for a year before my brain finds it easier to recalibrate to how it was during that time, which means that "kindling" may not be a death sentence after all, then again, everyone is different.
     
  16. Dave G 123

    Dave G 123 Fapstronaut

    Really sorry to hear this - but no-one in the thread above seems able to corroborate that he has actually died?

    All the same, it seems quite believable. I've just read some of his posts - he seems to have gone through what I am going through at the moment, and it is pretty merciless. Reading the types and severity of symptoms, he experienced pretty much exactly the same things that I am. What's keeping me going is the thought of getting through to the other side, but there are moments where I just want to throw in the towel.

    I think this thread has upped the quality of advice that people who are going through severe withdrawals can get. Some of the advice that @saneagain was getting were NOT helpeful!
     
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  17. I experience the same thing. Been through the shittiest of withdrawal after some extreme edge binge sessions on 2018. I had all the symptoms for 280 days. I relapsed a couple of times and all I was left with derealization, social anxiety and pretty bad anhedonia. As time went by and relapses also went by, nothing changed except less anhedonia. Now more than 2 years later I feel nothing now after 32 days from my last relapse. Yes I felt like shit for a week or 2, but now the social anxiety is minimal or gone. Anhedonia is there, but there are some feels here and there.

    The "kindling" story only counts for some people. Besides, kindling is originally a used term for GABAergic substances like alcohol and benzodiazepines. It has something to do with glutamatergic storm excitotoxicity on AMPA and NMDA glutamatergic receptors and multiple relapses with GABAergic drugs. Kindling is actually only associated with GABAergic sedative-hypnotic drugs. Porn withdrawal has dopaminergic origines, totally a different withdrawal. We have not messed around with our GABA and NMDA and AMPA receptors. I don't experience kindling (more severe withdrawal) after a short but intense binge, and I don't have real PAWS anymore. I think the severity of the edge binge relapses, "decides" how bad and how long the anti reward circuit withdrawal will be activated. And how much stress hormones like norepinephrine, corticotropin releasing factor and dynorphin will be released.
    .
    I don't know who started the kindling theory here on nofap. @Big Lebowski @Freeddom_Taker and @AspiringVitality used the term a lot. @AspiringVitality even claimed kindling with porn is deadly lol.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 26, 2021
  18. My last symptoms are similar to yours. They seem to be improving and I am happy for that. I hope "kindling" is not what we are dealing with. Either way, I think we have to never look back to PMO as a source of satisfaction. It's not the right way and a random person is assumed to be avoiding it with a healthy relationship.

    I just read an article in Surviving antidepressants that spoke about Kindling in ADs. I'm not sure if addictions like PMO behave in a similar way. BTW, I read that GABA decreases by PMO
     
  19. As Omega-3 is known to be a good supplement to help with anxiety and depression, guys what is your experience with it? Whether it helped or not, or if made things worse.
     

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