Dont blame yourself , Blame the dopamine

Welcome! I'm glad you're here. Keep coming back.

 

Welcome. Glad you are here.

Take some time to read the reboot material and come up with a plan for what you will do when you are faced with urges. It has good advice, so don't skip it!

Perhaps start writing a journal - if you feel comfortable telling people about happened and what's going on now, you will start to feel accountable to them. You may even inspire others. It's a nice feeling! This will help your recovery.

Read the journals of others - we all learn from each other. Don't just stay within your own age group or part of the world. Read, learn, apply.

Look around the forums, get to know people. Everyone is friendly, and will try to help you. We're all in the same boat here.

Be kind to others and others will be kind to you. And congratulations on being 2 days clean!

I wish you a successful reboot.

 

Hi, i write this to a lot of people who are starting to work on their recovery, so i hope it will help..

Well, i guess addiction is just a symptom of a deeper problem. It's common for addicts to get addicted to other things when they cut the primal addiction. I guess when you get deeper into why you're addicted it's getting easier to understand.

I've been addicted to booze, drugs, sugar, caffeine, pmo, pmo with a lot of amphetamine, instagram, facebook, compliments etc etc. When i stopped using one, i got involved in the other addiction.

So figure out the reasons you're getting addicted so easy..

And it helped me a lot to make a plan. So when i began to stop being addicted i just wanted to stop.. And that's good, but it's freaking hard to maintain focus with only one reason. So i made a plan. Why do i get addicted? What is it in my life that gives me so little joy that i always need to find other ways to get happy. .. So start with the gigantic question... WHY AM I ADDICTED? Do you fully understand why you happen to use all the time? As i wrote i was a full-time addict. Porn, drugs, booze, sugar, caffeine, social media, compliments of other people.. Every short-term solution i used to cope with my problems.. Really, after thinking for so so so long about my addiction i came to the conclusion that my addiction is in every fiber of my life!! And i finally got to a point where i really understand why i'm addicted. Since i fully understand what addiction is and what the mechanisms are behind (my) addiction, it's easier to not give in! For me it started whe i was 9 years old. I had many problems im my life.. I was bullied a lot at school. Long story short; me and two friends found some porn magazines and one told me what to do as a boy. In the afternoon i did and BAZINGA, i didn't care about the bullying anymore. At the age of 13 I experienced great youth trauma. And from there it escalated quick. Years of fapping, drug and alcohol abuse followed till they needed to take me into mental hospital 3 years ago. My main problem was that i have never loved myself. I started to believe it was my own fault that i sufferd that trauma, and when i started using drugs i was ashamed etc. At then end i could find only one reason, i used everything just to have a good feeling, find some rest in my head etc. And it was not only substance abuse.. As i wrote, it was in every fiber of my life. Everything was about getting compliments, people telling me i'm a good boy, likes on instagram etc etc...

So, figure out all the things you need to know about addiction in general and about addiction in relation to you. The Internet is pretty useful for that. And, maybe not the most fun thing to do, get bored a lot! In this modern time, we are always busy with something. From the moment you realize you get bored, you will find a way to deal with that boredom. We have internet, books, SMARTPHONES, people to hang out with. See where i'm going.. Our brain get's stuffed with imput, imput, imput.... We are never empty anymore. Yeah, i know, boredom is not fun, but it's essential for healing the mind and for finding answers on such big questions as for why am i addicted, why do i relapse all the time. So, go on the internet, read stories about other people's experiences and get bored and think.. THINK A LOT. I happened to find it most relaxing to go out for a walk in the forest, do a lot of cardio, read, or just meditated. There are a lot of meditation forms. I like the one i count my breath. And, i like the one where i just think about everything that pops up. Most of the time its about my addiction.

So you need to make sure that when you want to fully recover from addiction it has to be at the very top of your list... It has to be the most important thing besides food, water, air, and sleep. So when you fully understand what the mechanisms are behind your addiction, then you make a solid plan.. Just getting in to reboot without a plan is the same as beginning an iron man triathlon with no training at all.

And with a plan i mean a real plan.. So i made a mind map of all the reasons why i don't want to fap and why the hell i want to quit my addiction. I would suggest you make a written paper with 40 reasons why you don't want to fap anymore. I say 40 because 2 to 5 reasons are to short. 40 reasons is a moderately long list so it takes a little time to read. It might take your mind of the urges. I guess we addicts are really good at finding reasons why we should do it.. And therefore we are so damn good at convincing us to give in.. And, not to forget, one of the most important things is healthy food. My recovery would have been absolutely unsuccessful if I had continued to eat unhealthily. In the end, I even had to give up caffeine and sugar and mastrubating to porn. We, addicts, are always seeking for the dopamine shot. So in order to recover and re-wire your brain, it's good to quit all short term solutions. I would suggest to join the dopamine challenge. I've added a link to the dopamine challenge. It's on the nofap page, but that's good. Mastrubation can be a problem to? For me it was a BIG problem haha..https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/5crla0/the_dopamine_challenge_are_you_tough_enough/

So we really need to change that mindset and make us only see the reasons why we don't want to use anymore..

it helped and still helps me a lot, when i really have strong urges, to make a mantra of all the reasons why I don’t want to do it. And, as a craving for drugs, alcohol or a porn related thought or image comes up to my mind I count from 1 to 6 and backward and visualizing the numbers. I just count and visualize as long as I need to get rid of the porn images or thoughts. This does two things.. Namely, it get's your mind of the urge when you do it consistently and... it helps your brain make need pathways not related to substance abuse (rewiring). I really noticed that after 3 weeks of consistently doing this, the cravings began to weaken... And afterward, when the cravings are gone, i do full the mantra 6 times.. And if that not helps, and i'm at home, i jump under the ice cold shower. It's such a shock to the body and mind that in 90 percent of the time i cant even think about it haha.. And if even that dont help me, i will go run as long as i need. Last time i needed to run i kept on going for 25 kilometer hahaha.

So the other things i do to deal with the urges are..

• Intermittent fasting. I only allow myself to eat from 05:00 to 07:00 in the evening. It makes my willpower grow, i dont have a lot of food cravings anymore. I also fast 4 days a month only on water. So i dont eat, but only drink water for 4 days. It helps me A LOT to have a clear mind and it's fucking good for upregulating the dopamine receptors. I've noticedt that in the beginning it's quit hard.. But you have a choice. I have ganed so much more willpower and discipline by doing intermittent fasting and the water fasting ritual. Just read this... https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-benefits-of-fasting-on-the-reboot.64894/ https://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-free-yourself-from-food-cravings-with-intermitte-1702108722
  
  
• i meditate a lot. It helps me SO SO SO SO fucking much in controlling my mind. Read thishttps://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-meditate-for-mindblowing-state.28105/https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/5udawq/meditation_is_extremely_important_to_succeed_with/ It's also FUCKING good for getting new dopamine receptors...
  
  
• I only take ice cold showers.. It helps me a lot with increasing my willpower. We, addicts, have the habit of always choose the most comfortable path.. So if you're able to really go uncomfortable, it makes your will power go though the roof. and it's pretty good for your body.. https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/cold-showers-are-the-bomb.33956/https://gettingstronger.org/2010/05/opponent-process-theory/

Hard S olutions, Easy Life - Easy Solutions - Hard Life

For now i will stop writing..

If you have any questions, just asked..."

 

wow, what a great post,,,i love the part that you are addicted to compliments,,,so am i,,,i mean i can never get enough,,,I'm sure it has to do with low self esteem,,,but you make so many great points,,,the compliments is the one that hit the bulleye--
if you think about it,,,,what is p,? nothing but one big endless compliments because you can be or do whatever you want with whomever you want,,,,you just need the imagination,,,but its one big freaking compliment,,,its the world of p, acting like you are the master---i realize now that bc i have such low esteem and self worth i needed my own self validated over and over again--thanks for your insight,,,huge

 

Hey @mrabah ,

I'm just a normal ordinary member. No moderator super powers and no special insite. I share my ESH (Experience, Strength and Hope) of what works for me.

Just another warm welcome and a heart felt hello. This community has helped me so much.

What worked for me was "working" it. It took hard work for me to complete a hard reboot (No pmo) for 120 days, then move into a Sex Positive mode.

First, reading the literature published by NoFap itself along with reading journals.

Then, doing the work. Writing in my journal and replying to introductions and other's journals.

Finally, but not least, getting involved with the fellowship. I found it on the forums, but also in people's profiles. The forums tend to be longer posts, where the profiles tend to be more "conversational".

That is what has worked for me. I like to remind myself that this community was here waiting for me with the lights on when I arrived. Now, I have to do my best to be there when someone comes to the community.

--> L

 

For me NoFap is 1/2 program & 1/2 fellowship.

Click on these people and post a "hello" on their profiles.

I've found that the bricks that hold this community together are cemented with the support of the members of the fellowship.

@Mr.Imperfect
@Inqonyama
@Toughboy
@romlel
@LeoJohn
@Gray Wolf
@StarLightReboot
@Chriss27
@ludwig525
@hoping_cannon
@SteelshoT
@reystronaut
@2525

Look at with whom they exchange messages and you will find more profiles.

So, if you would have found more profiles yourself, why suggest these particular ones as a start? Those relationships started with just saying hello. So, my ESH is that saying hello has kept the fellowship alive for myself.

Looking forward to your success and in seeing you say hello on these profiles,

--> L

 

One of the ways I got involved with the fellowship was by reading some really great journals. Reading other's stories with their victories and even defeats is a big part of my program.

I've included journals from all age groups, spiritual members, religious members, secular members, male and female. You should find journals that help. If not, look around, there are hundreds of others from which to choose. When I say "it works if you work it", reading journals is part of that work.

Once you open a journal, click "Watch Thread" in the upper right of the page to get alerts when new posts are made. Here are just a few:


@Barry Barnstein - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/138399/
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@Freedom Fighter - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144710/
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@mankiam33 - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/164671/
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@Inqonyama - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/166981/
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@bartbar - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/163785/
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@Alikersantti - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/155162/
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@Reverent - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143845/
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@BigDawg913 - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/145872/
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@kropo82 - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/78164/
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@tet2vd - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144513/
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@Protagoras - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/109842/
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@JakeO5 - https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/152940/
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There are many more, and you can discover them on your own. But, these are great places to start.

This is a work in progress. So, if a journal has changed or is no longer active, look around there are some amazing journals on here.

--> L

PS - Starting a journal also helped me a great deal.

The journals are listed by age groups on the forum start page.

Most members run one journal only. That way both the member and others can go back and look at their journey at a later time.

Hope to read your journal soon. Also, in your personal details you can put a link to your journal. Then, appears under your avatar.

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