For a long time, I've thought I might have a drinking problem, in addition to being addicted to PMO. I realize this is a NoFap site, but I need your thoughts on the possibility of having multiple addictions. Some background: been using porn and masturbation for YEARS. Before I started my reboot, I was acting out at least once a week, sometime 2-3 times. started smoking pot when I was 17, and now use on and off about 2-3 times a week. I have a beer or two almost every night, enough for a buzz. Some nights, particularly if I smoked pot or had an edible, AND I drink, I wake up the next morning feeling like shit. Have I traded one addiction for another? I've worked at no drinking and it's like I get an urge (much like the need to act out with porn), so I crack a bottle. I've gone without weed for upwards of nine months before and even during that time, I had to work as resisting the urge to smoke. As I'm typing these words, I'm coming to the conclusion I have issues on multiple fronts, and should probably work on rebooting from beer and weed. Thoughts?
Some of us are compulsive of some sort so just about anything can become a habit. I’m one so I know it sucks. I remember my dad saying “Don’t do anything once you don’t want to do for the rest of your life.” It was kind of prophetic of my nature.
Breadman: Yup, I've considered the compulsive element of all these "habits". I think I've been fairly successful breaking the PMO habit, and now wonder if 'm missing the full benefits of recovery because I'm clinging to beer and weed.
Well I’ve always been addicted to pmo...and alcohol...and smoking. What I can tell you is that when I quit drinking and smoking my porn usage went through the roof! So I can imagine it working the other way around. As pmo addicts I think we all already had addictive personalities.
Hey maybe if we succeed stopping PMO our other addiction will get better. It seems to be the hardest one to stop.
Absolutely. I don’t even know how I got here. Luckily they say us old guys can recover faster than young guys growin up post internet.
Porn is one of the 'symptoms' of the disease/problem/issue but it is not the main problem by itself.... the issue is 'addiction personality' or 'escaping reality'. Because of triggers like boredom, stress, depression, we try to escape reality by easy actions that cause fake sense of satisfaction including porn, masturbation, alcohol, drugs, gambling, online games etc. This is this issue in short... So yes, it is very normal to be alternating/trading addictions....for me it is porn/masturbation, online gaming, internet/netflix binging
I find it that if you try to stop something thats recreational and really feel that "UGHHHHH" type of thing, its at least a small problem. Try to just not drink for a week or 2 and see how it feels. If you don't really feel anything crazy you're probably fine. As for it messing with your recovery I don't think it is. The addiction you have is porn so if you stay clean of it your mind slowly finds other things to get its dopamine from and rewires itself away from porn. So even if you were to be addicted to something else I don't think it would keep your mind from getting off porn. But obviously its not good to be addicted to other things either so you'll wanna try to limit those things to see of they're also addictions. It is 100% possible to go from 1 addiction to another, I've seen it before and even kinda knew someone who did. I didn't know him that well, he was the friend of a friend and I just heard about what he was doing. He had a drug addiction to some pills (don't remember the name) and got clean but then became an alcoholic. Some people are just addicts by nature I guess. So definitely check yourself, especially before things possibly get bad. You might cling more and more to other things as your mind losses its reliance on PMO. Good luck man!
Ive read this 47 times and can't come to a conclusion. Is saying to not start doing something if don't want to do it for your whole life? (Is the word "if" missing between "Once" and "you") Is it saying that if you feel like you wanna do something forever, you should stop? Is it saying im a moron who can't read?
I think it means you shouldn’t do something once if you don’t plan on doing it for the rest of your life. It could become a habit. Mostly he meant bad things but anything really as you might continue doing it. (I got away with not dusting for years. My wife always did it then I did it to help out once and I’m doomed to do it for the rest of my life. Hahaha.)
Hey @IncenseCedar I have a background close to yours, my relationship with alcohol is problematic, weed do me no good cause I can't control my use, though is the harmless drug for me and I am addicted to porn and masturbation. But during this year I've been trying to stop my addiction to PMO, I've realized that this need to get a high from any drug (even if videogames or netflix compulsive use) has always the same root: the desire to escape from reality. So, recently (a week ago) I've decided to not just quit PM but quit alcohol and weed also and any compulsive behaviour. I would recommend the same for you or at least think about what I said.
Hey guys! Thanks for the thoughts and feedback. Yesterday was the 4th of July, and for us in the USA, a holiday for outdoor parties with friends. Drank too much and feel like crap today! Told my wife I was going to stop drinking for at least a week. Per JJackson's suggestion, I'll watch how I feel, but already know that after a day or two my brain will start pushing me towards the frig and a cold one! That I've managed to stay PMO free for over 70 days stinking amazes me! Even during those tough days, I manage to keep myself aware and move toward positive and away from the negative. My mindset now is that if I can stay clean and sober from porn for 70+ days, I can most certainly do it with booze. Later
This is your brains response to coping without PMO. It wants to find anything else to fill that dopamine moster. For me i started having huge sugar cravings, and ive never been a sweets guy. These cravings have passed.
