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

Can totally relate to all of this.

Most doctors will "blame the patient" if they can't get a fairly quick result. Medical arrogance is a thing - I've encountered it too many times to think otherwise. Modern medicine isn't interested in getting to the root cause of chronic illness - it treats the symptom, not the cause, and most doctors have an astonishing lack of intellectual curiosity.

I think there are lots of dots to be connected, but I doubt any real efforts will be put in to research because it runs against the interests of too many powerful people and institutions. Look at the way that ME/CFS has been handled for the last few decades - it's a scandal, but because it's easy to ignore, it gets ignored. Then look at the Gary Wilson (RIP) situation (ie legal threats, defamation etc), and the vast wealth of Mindgeek etc. Change may happen, but it will take decades, and in the meantime, technology will be advancing incredibly quickly, so science, and culture (ie the way P/M/O are seen and discussed, which affects scientific funding), will never really catch up. We've got to figure this stuff out for ourselves.

I know the above sounds cynical, but it comes from decades of personal experience. The best thing to do is get the basics right - no PMO, good diet, and exercise, and avoid getting bogged down with medical stuff if possible. Just have faith that while getting this stuff right may take time, it will work - eventually...!

 

Cannot agree more with the fact that “most doctors have an astonishing lack of intellectual curiosity.” If you have anything more complicated than what shows up on a normal blood test you’ll immediately start getting gaslit about how you’re imagining everything.

 

I have lost so much respect for all doctors in past 02 years. Rather, I don't have any respect for doctors anymore, would be a more apt way to put it. And I write this with a heavy heart. No patient in the world would want his doctor to fail.

I have multiple doctors/psychologists who have denied the existence of pornography addiction altogether. And then there are some who just think of it as a minor addiction, something on the level of deleting your facebook account and then resisting the urge to activate it back. And then there are some who mix it with sex addiction. And then there some who thinks its all "in your mind". And then there are some who even advised me to continue using it. I sometimes feel that I got all the back benchers doctors in my last 02 years or someone who were just forced by their abusive parents to become doctors or maybe they are just interested in making $$$ and we are just a piece of meat to them. Just look at the prescription abuse case going on in the USA right now regarding abuse of opioid and benzo, most of it supported by doctors in the form of Xanax, Fentanyl, etc etc. It really is a epidemic created by doctors.

When it comes to mind, I don't think there is any good doctor out there except yourself. You know your history better than anyone else. you know your fuck ups and how you got to this place. You know your abusive parent/childhood/family. You can get lucky if you get a good psychologist and who can really connect with what you are going through. They say that psychologists who themselves were past addicts are the best psychologists for recovering addicts. Because what you are going through is not just a piece of information for them. A person who has never experienced a panic attack himself can never understand what it really is no matter how many books he reads about it.

In the end, the only medicine for us is leaving porn permanently, do semen retention until recovery from PAWS and try to live a healthy lifestyle. Lets not become a lab rat for a random doctor to fuck around with your mind. In the words of a famous psychologist, the more we explore brain, the more we know as to how little we know about it.

 

Oh man! This sounds like a dream come true. Just reading your post makes my heart skip a beat at just a hope that maybe, one fine day, I will also experience something on the same lines.

 

https://forum.nofap.com/index.php?threads/cured-from-paws-after-2-years.311079/#post-3032152
Guys here is a fresh story to read and give hope !

 

What is your diet ? Eating more animal proteins (like bone broth) helped me to get better for example. I once read that in stress animal proteins are the most useful and needed to return to more balanced state.

I never had flu symptoms to be honest.

I had balance and coordination problems but they passed.

Depression is just phase of withdrawals that need to be encountered but there can be also underlying issues. The pain of PAWS is that only you can figure out how to quit, no one have real map. Maintaining good sleep, eating food that makes you feel better (but no junk food), cold showers, social life etc.

I literally found that main difference to keep body in homeostasis is in hormonal frame. Too much prolonged stress and the body will respond. Having supportive and healthy environment and everything can return quickly in one moment. Stress related symptoms can imitate milion of diseases.

 

Damn man! I was thinking that I'm the only one that (still) have it like this about job. Lucky you !

 

Thanks for the response and glad to hear it. If you played sports, did your ability return to pre-PAWS levels?

 

This really seems like a dream come true. I'm so freaking happy for you Don and I'm really glad that you come in here and share your experiences.

I thought a lot about what to do with my sexuality after PAWS is over and I haven't come to any conclusion yet but I don't think that I will do Semen Retention or full castity from sexual experiences my whole life. I watched a lecture from Alan Watts where he talks about sexuality and there was something that was sticking with me: satisfying the sexual hunger and doing it for the sheer purpose of getting pleasure out of it, is ultimately destructive. The same would be eating sweets the whole day for the pure aspect of hunting and reactivating that dopamine surge. I think there is a form of sexuality behind achieving constant dopamine rewards but for an addict this is a thin line to walk on. I don't think casual regular hookups without emotions is something to aim for after PAWS. Anything that revolves around your egoistic pleasure will ultimately find its way and we should be very careful of that. On the other hand, being really intimate with a woman that you truly (!!!!!) love is something beyond egoistic pleasure. Doing any steps in that direction should require careful observation and regulation and a prior phase of long healing beyond the two years. I think +-24 months just resembles the time span when your brain has found homeosthasis again. After PAWS your brain and body will still be repairing and adjusting itself back to normality. Spending two years in a personal hell is leaving its marks on oneself and your brain needs time to adjusting to the new reality. Especially the factor of the constant stress in PAWS will require your body to relax for a long time. It would also be advisable to let your new neurological paths post-PAWS consolidate for some time. Let that functioning reward curcuit rebuild itself to your new life before you're getting all tangled up with things again.

My view on sex definitely changed over last few weeks. I'm trying to loose the negative conditioning regarding the whole topic of sexuality. I still consider modern sexuality as something not to be admired. You don't need to try every sexual practice, use every hole of the body and you shouldn't need all kinks and fantasies fulfilled in order for sex to be something fun and bonding. Getting socialised with highspeed HD porn is setting false expectations and running behind dirty fantasies has done its duty before that.

These are just my current thoughts on that topic that might change in the upcoming time but I had some really eye-opening dreams in the last few weeks. One was a dream where I had sex with a girl with whom I was intimate before (we didn't shared any orgsams or so, just making out etc.) and sex with her was so real and there was this strong feeling of love in my tummy and I woke up and man, if I think back I never had this strong emotion of love being present while having sex. I really liked that dream as it was like a sneak-preview of what sex and life beyond PAWS could be like. I also had another dream that touched me even more. I was sitting in my car driving around and as I looked to might right hand-side there was a baby in it's little seat smiling at me. It was full of joy and I just had to kiss it own its small little forehead and it started clapping its hand looking at me with such a bright sense of love and appreciation and then the dream ended. I had a dream of falling back into my old weed habits again the same night but ffs this dream of the baby really gave me glimpse of what I'm leaving behind and what is waiting ahead. I can't describe how real those dreams felt but I don't experience the emotion of love in my daily life this strong. It's something completely else and it's really beyond your own personal character and everything considering yourself. It feels like the universe opening up to oneself and is felt out of a completely different perspective then the egoistic mind. I'm so freaking ready for life beyond PAWS.

 

No, until now I'm not doing sports. But when I will start I will let you know.
The problems I had were found while driving a car, to the point I questioned my ability to response to traffic situations. But they passed and driving now feels normal.

 

Cheers

 

After your libido returned, how long did it take for the harsher mental symptoms to dissipate?

 

This is very well said.

 

Started Nofap 5 years ago. Social anxiety, anhedonia, brain fog, no personality for the past 5 years with different streaks. Currently on 300 days and feel the same. Sometimes i get a "good" day but even then its not back to normal at all. Suicidal thoughts becuase this is destroying my life. I must be one of the absolute worst cases out there man.

 

But how long is your current streak?

 

300 days. Sometimes i have a "good" day. Like today for example, i feel okay. Its hard to remember during all the bad days tho

 

Sorry, I missed that in the previous post. I'm at a similar hardmode day count, and I have good days here and there, but most are bad. There is a improvement over where I was say 100 / 200 days ago, but not massive.

 

is there anything we can use to cope with the lethargy/fatigue? does anyone have experience? something like coffee or whatever, because I've been unemployed for long time and I don't see any light sooner; I have to cope with the situation, I'm sure many others here aren't able to work too due to PAWS, so any suggestion is appreciated.

 

I want to ask you Dear Don. are you able to work and that you can concentrate and your brain-fog is gone?

 

Thanks Man, I wish you great journey in your career.