Social anxiety PMO link.

Yes, this has been my experience as well! For me, when that post-relapse anxiety kicks in it is so convincing. 'You need to act out. You need to act out...' Part of me knows otherwise, but as I said it is so darn persuasive!

Best to all of us...

 

Thanks for the thread! Here’s my quick story.

I had 195 days no PMO hard mode. This (along with CBT therapy) lead me to have the courage to get a job. 2 months into the new job I hurt my back and laying down in bed for about a week caused me to relapse (it was freaking intense orgasm!). I have since been continually relapsing and eventually went back to porn.

My social anxiety is now back full force and socializing at work is near impossible. There’s a girl who I really really like and I become a studdering buffoon every time we’re alone doing work together. But the first 2 months I was doing awesome with her.

Now that I’m in this social anxiety loop, the only thing that soothes my anxiety is to PMO. So I’m in the vicious cycle.

I hope to attempt another hard mode streak and see how it affects my social anxiety.

I think I’ve been at the job long enough that people will accept me for who I am and I’ll be able to get through the flatline. Just have to power through it and get to 30 days again.

Fingers crossed and we can hopefully do this together!! I need all the support I can get.

 

For whatever it's worth, my experience is that there is a point in this cycle in which pmo seems the only thing that soothes my anxiety. It really seems this way - pmo offers a moment of ease whilst everything else is excruciating. It's all an illusion though as somehow my anxiety just keeps getting worse and worse, my ability to do anything less and less, and my need for acting out becomes greater and greater. And oddly that 'everything else' that feels so excruciating is the only real way out...

I'm sure you know this, have found this our yourself. I jut wanted to clarify my sense of the word that caught my eye above: only. All the best...

 

Thanks dude. Yup you nailed it. I was going into a Spiral tonight due to a DM and comment I sent to a coworker on Instagram (nothing weird). My brain told me I was super awkward and lame and off putting and she will never like me, on and on...

So I decided (after reading this thread) to fight the anxiety and I did a CBT thought record I stead. I’m now at an 85% freak out level I stead of 99%. At 100% I will relapse. So it worked.

Thanks for the support and hope my contribution to this thread is helpful to all who have the anxiety issue.

 

Glad to know you talked yourself back from the edge. And thanks for this little tidbit (that I way too often forget): I don't have to be at a 0% freak out level in order to enjoy a decent life, just step back from 100% and the relapse that inevitably comes from this!

Best to all of us...

 

there is a definitely a connection the withdrawl from society can make us isolate and seek substitute 'comfort' . Then we feel guilty and like shit because we do it, so we think we are freaks and not worthy to be around society... (The truth is everyone has some kind of craziness in their heads)

 

Best of luck with the SA through your reboot! One day at a time...