My depression and anxiety quadrupled since NoFap

fapping compulsively fills your brains with chemicals like a drug. It is just like quitting alcohol or coffee, it is going to be hard and you will feel terrible. What has worked for me is to try to replace the porn with something else that gives you natural feel good. Exercise has been super good to me. I purchased a bike and used to take out all the time. It made me feel so much better within the first week.

My withdrawal symptoms were anxiety, depression and fatigue. They lasted a long time if I relapsed because it was like giving a boost to the symptoms. But they did go away quicker once I started to work out and stopped drinking too much alcohol. Try to not drink alcohol during the week, just the weekend.

 

Perhaps someone to talk to about how you feel? If the PMO abuse is just a symptom of an underlying issue?

 

How did your initial few weeks go? Did you feel yourself drift down or was it always like this? My experience so far at a week is different. I felt like you do now when surrounded by pmo. Now I feel the surge and much more alive. I haven't put exercise into my routine yet and have indulge myself with McDonald's and pizza this week which isn't like me normally, imwill deal with that one from next week, post Christmas dinner!!

Any chance you are over exercising? 5-6 seems excessive even if you were semi pro in the past. Last spring I threw myself into a similar routine and was burning out after a month. Reined it back to 2-4 times and felt a lot better in general

Just a thought, we are all different and being on the skag won't help!

 

I got a fitbit and made sure I always got in at least 10000 steps on the days I wasn't doing actual exercise last year. Morning walk, lunch walk, evening walk if required. Podcasts, music or just listen to the world

ZMA worked for me to defeat insomnia. Charles Poloquin advocates we are all low omn Magnesium. I'd say us pmo pilots lack even more.

#16

http://www.strengthsensei.com/21-reasons-why-you-need-a-good-magnesium-supplement/

Sometimes you just need to grind it out to get to the next level

 

Hi @HoplessCase101,

I think you are right that PM is our drug of choice to deal with whatever psych problems we have. BUT I think you are wrong to be afraid. This is our chance to discover those problems and find other ways of dealing with them. By definition they sound bad and even maybe terrifying but they are part of us and have shaped who we are - for good and bad. I think the trick is to accept what they are and learn how to keep them in their rightful place in our lives and in proper perspective so we can deal with them in healthy and positive ways.

As for it feeling different this time around, it sounded from your posts lie your last period of PMO has been more intense that any that went before so I guess you've just upped the negative training for your brain. In drug terms, you were taking higher doses so the withdrawal would be worse. I really hope it gradually eases for you and you can start having better days. I keep telling myself if I'm serious about quitting this but relapse now, I'm just going to have to go through the initial hard stuff all over again.

I definitely had headaches for the first week, I felt incredibly tired even though I was sleeping better than I have done in years, and my moods are not great. Yet somehow, I feel like something is better, I just can't yet put my finger on anything specific like more energy or greater focus.

Hang in there - you're doing great

 

Nice job on making 30 days!
You are still early in yet and this could just be a flatline period, especially if you were PMOing quite consistently before this streak. What was your useage like before this streak?

It sounds like you've had quite a tough time over the last few years, that stuff takes its toll on anybody.

Interesting to hear how you felt on your 90 day reboot last year? Did you experience the same feelings you are having now?

Also 17 years is a long time my friend, i was hooked on it for about the same time. Especially if that is with high speed internet. It will take a considerable amount of time for your brain to reconfigure!!

 

How long for you @Primalthrust? What sport of symptoms were you suffering from PMO that you've managed top overcome? I'd really like to here direct experiences so as to know what might be reasonable to expect in time.

 

I think you have to continue no pmo. You are seriously addicted and need to fight everyday until that brain fog finally lifts off of you. I didnt know how badly the brain is affected through masturbation and porn until I started doing nofap and the brain fog finally left me. Feeling alive and healthy is much more preferable to jacking off all the dam time, but I grew up in the 80s and was told the lies that masturbation was a good thing to do and healthy.

 

for one, you've got 30 days: congrats! look around here, most of us have less. and you used to have 90....
but about the withdrawal: i've had all kinds of painful & uncomfortable periods in my life; some shorter, some longer. when it's over, it's just a story that nobody cares about. so for me, how i feel about such things is almost irrelevant information. the only real question is: does it have to be done? if the answer is positive, there is no point wasting time thinking whether the situation is likable or could be better or, worse 'should be better'.
... don't get me wrong: i'm not trying to be mean or sth like bossy and i think it's great you're posting this. for all of us. it's a trip, this thing. this is just one way i found practical to put things into a perspective that makes them appear small, when they could appear huge & menacing, if you allowed them to... [google navy seals 40% rule for a similar logic by professionals].

 

There is no benefit in shame or guilt and let me tell you - doctor's and shrink have heard way more crazier insane shit than PMO - they will only help you, not judge you!

ALSO part of recovery is dealing, accepting and facing the uncomfortable emotions you have been escaping from through porn / addiction - so the fact that they are coming to the surface is actually a gift - no matter how uncomfortable - so you can face them knowing they will most def be temporary, heal them and truly be free to be the best person you can be

 

This 3 year period you mentioned actually makes me feel better. I am 21 months in and although I feel better and don't feel tempted, I still don't feel cured.

 

I have been in therapy for most of this time. I'm starting to understand what you are talking about porn being a symptom. Currently food is my new symptom. More work to do.