Are we same as alcoholics, smokers and other addicts ?

Yes. We are just like those terrible, terrible people. THOSE AWFUL,NASTY, DREADFUL PEOPLE. Now I have to go puke.

 

Well that sounds like a real downer. Are we ever going to live this damn addiction down?

 

Well, I’ve been watching this thread and feel that I’d like to contribute my experience.

I am a recovering alcoholic with fifteen years since my last drink and it took me more than ten years before that struggling with getting sober. The two main aspects of my drinking that finally convinced me that I was an alcoholic are: 1) when I wasn’t drinking I would think about it constantly, planning the next drink (obsession) and 2) once I took that first drink I found it difficult and often impossible to stop (compulsion). I will also add that, alone or with others mattered little, as long as I was getting alcohol into my body and getting the relief it provided.

I now believe that my addiction to PMO or just MO, for that matter, is so similar as to be equivalent. Once I start viewing porn I just can’t stop, for example, it keeps going on and on until exhaustion. I am also convinced, after looking back and examining my behavior in the light of what I’ve been learning here and elsewhere, that the only path to my recovery from PMO addiction is total abstinence. One further similarity to my alcoholism recovery is that I’m reaching out for support, asking for help. Now granted, this last bit may be just me applying the “going to meetings” tactic that I learned for my drinking recovery, but it’s working and that’s all that matters to me right now.

My point is, the principles I have used for the last fifteen years to stay off alcohol are working for me here, helping me to abstain from PMO. So that’s my two cents, for what it’s worth. Good discussion, guys. Thanks!

 

Well, yes. When we regain control over our lives (as opposed to having our addictions controlling us). Think about it. Why would a woman with intelligence, beauty, charisma or any of those traits wait around for a guy with an addiction to PMO (or indeed any other destructive habit)?

If you can reach a point in your recovery where P is simply no longer a part of your life, then you'll give yourself your best chance. If not, well, it probably isn't going to happen for you. It's not a "downer", it's just reality. The best comparison is that of a person looking for a particular job. They aren't going to get the gig unless they first obtain the qualifications. That's just how the world turns.

 

You cannot choose who you fall in love with... women are like us when you love someone you accept them for who and what they are.

Addictions are all very similar but also unique with various symptoms (Ranging from minimal to fatal), triggers often emotionally (avoidance of emotional pain) or physically related (tiredness) and genetic/upbring causes.

It is very helpful to seek out other addiction treatments and apply them to PMO addiction. I read Alan Carr's quit smoking for that very reason which I found incredibly helpful in eliminating the shame, pink elephant and willpower issues.

In terms of PMO vs alcoholism, I believe the strongest similarity is the loss of control once you start - The binge factor.

Luckily PMO addiction does not induce violence (emotional and physical), brain damage, risk of death and many of the other facets of alcoholism.