Are you basically not allowed to look at images of women?

I have a liberal approach. Even that Nikki minaj video called “anaconda” is not off limits to me. It’s saved on my iPad.

Why? Because it is not pornography.

I think those with the highest standards demanding all looking at women is barred are those who fail the most frequently.

They aren’t realistic.

What do they do when they pass a billboard with some attractive women advertising some products? Close their eyes?

 

I don’t think getting a sexual rush is necessarily the problem. I mean we’re humans. It’s whether we seek it out and what we do with it that’s the issue.

I think if I’m reading an article that has pictures of a celebrity in a short skirt and heels I can look at it and if it gives me some arousal so be it. What I can’t do is start searching for pictures of celebrities in order to make myself more aroused or or to edge, MO.

Even with sexual content in movies or tv shows. Yesterday I was watching a tv show with my wife and there was female nudity. Even if I enjoyed viewing it I wouldn’t consider it a relapse. It’s a legitimate tv show episode that I didn’t seek out in a porn capacity or to satisfy sexual urges.

 

You are prolonging your recovery if you substitute your addiction with milder content. Why do you have that video saved on your iPad? To purposefully arouse yourself when the cravings hit? I absolutely agree with @skaterdrew . Getting arousal from something unrealistic and artificial is the problem. I'm not being strict about looking at explicit content because I'm afraid it will lead somewhere, rather I don't want to arouse my brain with substitutes for my addiction.

 

There is a world of difference between the two.

To use a drug analogy

One is like catching a whiff of tobacco smoke the other like putting pure heroine through your veins.

 

Lol, of course it's pornography. Visuals, lyrics everything.

 

I am not allowed to look at real women.

 

The way I see it... you know you're addicted to porn so then you stop, but then you have to ask yourself, "am I addicted to looking at pictures of women?"
If the answer is yes then you have to stop and if the answer is no then why do you need to do it? Instead just avoid it altogether. Also, don't confuse looking at pictures of women with seeing women... if you see a billboard then that's hardly a problem but if you deliberately drive down the same street over and over with the intention of looking at said woman, then you're feeding your addiction

 

Maybe you're not that familiar or knowledgeable with drug addiction but maybe I can give you a new perspective... think of drug addiction as something linear... no one just ends up doing heroin. They start with some weaker opioid or painkiller like morphine and upgrade to oxycodone and so forth until they get to heroin. They keep chasing that first high and porn addicts do the same thing. First we start with pictures, then we go to a video or two and then next thing you know, you're spending more time searching for videos than actually watching them. If you don't think you're addicted to the pictures then stop looking at them. It'll help your recovery. If you can't stop, then guess what? It's just as bad as porn

Also, tobacco is a rather rare addiction. A shit ton of people smoke cigars casually and cigarette smokers are addicted to nicotine mostly. It's a different addiction than heroin

 

I don't know. it's a mainstream video available on YouTube.

I am not escalating anything. I connect to the internet in malls etc

I read some of the stuff on here about "how far did you get into porn" and no disrespect to anyone, some of the confessions on there were absolutely revolting.

they're not comparable

 

IMHO - it is a very personal thing... some folks can look at suggestive images (not porn) and walk away fine. Others, like me, don't have the self control to do that. I know that lingering on that sort of imagery leads to bad things for me... so I don't. We all live in the world and as such are exposed to that material, but I try to avoid it. I can eat a handful of potato chips and walk away. I know other folks who will eat the whole bag.... same thing with suggestive material.

 

Reported. Not going to read the rest of the post. Learn some manners.

 

I think it´s time to check out your old posts again. See u later.

 

The whole reason you are stopping this habit is - you do not want to experience negative effects it brings.
Negative effects start when you feel pleasure from looking at these images for longer than is usual. .

When you see pretty woman outside it makes you feel good, but she walks away and you just have better mood. If you keep watching pretty woman on your screen then she never walks away, and instead of short encounter you spend 10minutes, that's a problem.
The shorter that response the less impact it has, the more often it happens the more impact it has. We are naturally exposed to this all the time in advertising, and in how people dress, so minimizing it as much as possible it good way to go.