I quit porn 10 months ago.

Hi all.

Just wanted to say hello and share my background.

I am 38 years old and have been porn-free for about 10 months. This decision was one I always wanted to make but felt as though it was unachievable. I had at times made it to about 30 days, only to relapse. The turning point came when I sought help from a counselor. My goal was to quit porn and improve my relationship with my partner, who had been tolerant, but unaccepting of porn. Hiding it from her was always a painful cycle (guilt etc.) as I have always been honest about everything else in life. But being brave enough to admit I was using it was a big turning point.

Once I was on the mission of quitting porn, I had fears and doubts but was determined to quit. The first couple of weeks were the worst. Since my partner and I were having relationship issues for a while (partially related to my porn use), I went a long time without ejaculating (3 months). This caused hypersensitivity, abdominal pain, unwanted erections etc.

After the first few weeks, the pain began to subside. I then felt a lot more alert to the world around me. Feelings of high a low emotion came at me in waves. Life seemed amplified. But eventually, that subsided.

Now after ten months, I wanted to contribute my story to this community and give encouragement to do what it takes to rid yourself of porn. You will not regret it. My life has changed for the better. I feel more confident and engaged in social interactions. Able to look in the mirror and not feel ashamed and have had more positive opportunities manifest in the world than I ever have.

I am happy to answer any questions and go into more detail if it is deemed helpful.

Cheers.

 

That 25 day period seems to be a hurdle to cross. Our bodies are creatures of habit, so areas get kind of backed up, but it will pass, I guarantee you! It's a supply and demand deal and pattern will change. There is nothing to worry about.

All I can say is remove all sources of stimulation (Visual, physical, etc) and keep fighting the fight. I had zero luck with anything other than cold turkey from all sexual activities. Took me about 25 years to arrive at that conclusion.

 

No. One of my worries was poor performance in bed due to overstimulation etc, But like everything else with the body, stimulation recalibrates. I have been able to last as long as I want. It must be a common fear among men, but women see things a bit differently.

The thing that helped me was understanding that porn is unnatural, it's only been part of our society for a very short time and has certainly exponentially increased in the last 20 years to a point where it is literally unlimited. The human body/mind has survived without porn for millennia. So it knows how to live without it, but like giving up any bad habit, it takes time and (lots of) effort.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks man. Yeah I wish I had tried this forum back then, but I kinda cold turkeyed the computer as well lol. Absolutely agree, the feeling of personal growth has made it all worth it.