I've been battling with porn addiction and insomnia for 3-4 years, and diagnosed major depression for 2 years. I realise that I need to take extreme action and make a serious commitment to overcome this addiction and turn my life around. So I've devised a plan which I'm going to stick to, and will be writing in a journal daily to track my progress and keep myself accountable. THE PLAN: Blocking access: I'm not going to have my laptop in my bedroom whatsoever, at any time as this is a huge trigger. I've got a number of blockers (K9 on computer, a program called Freedom which blocks internet access for set time, and program called PageClean on phone which blocks porn); but at the end of the day I always find a way around blockers, so I'm not relying on them. Healthy habits: - Exercising 5 days a week (3 days weightlifting, 2 days jogging). - Improved diet + taking fish oil supplements and multivitamin daily. - Stick to a sleeping routine (this will be difficult due to night shifts and crappy new uni timetable). - Meditate daily (very new to meditation so not sure about details). - Read daily (minimum 30 mins). - Post in journal daily. Considering Easy Mode: I've always attempted hard mode cold turkey over and over, because I'd read that masturbation often led others to watching porn. And even if they didn't watch porn, they would end up fantasising about porn and their reboot wasn't working. These reasons make me want to stick with hard mode, but ultimately porn is the enemy to me, not masturbation. I've read that for some, phasing out porn first and then masturbation helped them succeed with nofap - so this is what I'm going to try. My urges are almost always simply unbearable, and to me masturbating to fantasies - even if they ARE porn-related - is the "lesser of two evils" in a sense: a better outcome than actually PMO'ing. Therefore I'm going to have two counters (one for PMO and one for MO), and my main goal is to be porn-free for 3 months, before phasing out masturbation altogether. If urges to watch porn become overwhelming, I will undergo emergency strategy: - Snap rubber band on wrist to temporarily distract self. - Do as many pushups as possible on the spot. - Remove access to internet (e.g. activating Freedom, leaving bedroom, etc.) - Distract self (with music, computer games, etc.) - If none of this works, masturbate in bathroom to sensations. Last resort - antidepressant: I've got prozac on the way (arriving in 2-3 weeks). If I can't reach a decent streak before it arrives, I'll begin using it. I will take it for a maximum of 9 months, and then taper off of it. I've read some success stories of others who have taken antidepressants for depression during nofap, and honestly I don't know what else to do. My longest streak in the last 3-4 years is somewhere around 12 days, so to me anything that helps me beat my previous best and quit porn forever is worth doing. I'm going to post this now and make a journal soon to begin writing in. Here begins my journey to a better life.
I would reconsider taking drugs to help with nofap or any mental problem for that matter. What is your goal in doing nofap? Is it to experience all the health benefits and higher energy people talk about? Prozac has a shitload of side-effects. Among them impotency. Is it to not be bothered by the guilt it causes and have higher confidence? Prozac causes anxiety. (side-effect) Is it to be able to find a woman and have kids? The drug is linked to birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Is it to be free of addiction and to be able to do what you want? Getting off Prozac can cause withdrawal symptoms. You might be addicted to the very thing you relied on to help you cure addiction. Other than that your plan sounds good. Only reading doesn't belong in the list in my opinion, as it means sitting alone in a room, doing barely anything.
I would strongly suggest you not to take drugs. I can emphathize your situation. I have been there myself. But you have to have a control over your thoughts and actions. Thats how its done. 12 days is good. Dont take drugs
In response to Immor: Nofap is ruining my life in many areas: contributing to my depression/insomnia, causing lack of motivation and thus preventing me from pursuing dreams. More and more frequently I have suicidal thoughts after relapses. Side effects: I'm willing to undergo a few months of unpleasant side effects if it will help me reboot and be free from porn. Free from guilt: I'm not guilty so doesn't matter. However: prozac *can* cause anxiety in some people, it's also used to treat anxiety in some people. Like any medication, it affects everyone differently. Kids: I'm not planning on having kids within the next 9 months given that I'm 19, and plus I won't be the one bearing the children being a male, so birth defects are the least of my worries. Addiction: Prozac is considered by doctors to be non-addictive. Suddenly stopping taking it after having high doses for a long period of time can cause withdrawal symptoms, like most medications. That doesn't mean it's addictive.. and besides, I'll be taking the lowest dose possible, for a maximum of 9 months, and taper off properly afterwards. Reading: I love reading/writing and intend to become an English teacher/author, when I read I'm totally absorbed in it and don't ever have issues with urges so it's good for me. I know that antidepressants scare most people (especially those who don't understand depression). I've stayed away from them and managed to largely overcome depression naturally with exercise, better sleep, healthier habits, omega 3 supplements etc. all of which work; but the more I relapse the more it comes back and after 4 years I've made almost no progress with nofap. As I said, it's a last resort. I don't want to take them and will try harder to overcome nofap without them first. But the way I'm seeing things is: I could spend another 1, 2 or even 5 years overcoming nofap and dealing with depression after relapses in the process (which is unbearable after spending the last 4 years trying). Or I could at least try antidepressants for 3 to 9 months and possibly speed my reboot up much more.
