Porn induced anxiety/anxiety attacks

I suffer from social anxiety too . The best way to battle it is probably daily aerobic exercise (like running, cycling ect.), because it releases "feel good" hormones and maybe consider visiting CBT therapy. People say it helps, but can't confirm it personally as I don't have resources to pay for it right now. I visited yoga classes instead in the past and find it helpful to some extend as you learn how to breathe properly.

 

What's worked best for me is talking about it openly with people I trust. I have two very close friends who I confide in, it was a hard conversation to have at first, but what you'll find is that you're not alone and in many ways others may be in somewhat similar situations. Another thing I did was talk to a family-oriented counselor every week, again it was very hard to open up, but having a professional listen and ask challenging questions helped me immensely.

 

Think of it as the brain losing its crutch. Abstaining really is a major stressor and your nervous system will literally freak out over it, causing the attacks. The physical rewiring is absolutely real. It will manifest in different ways, but depression and anxiety are the most common issues. It starts off with ocd or eating disorders early on, but once you've really affected serotonin pathways, more serious psychiatric problems are not uncommon. All addictions lead there and pmo addiction is no exception. Can you expect to dance in the dark with the devil and walk in the light with God at the same time? Even the Bible says you can't serve two masters. Food for thought.

 

I have that sometimes. I think I'm acting strange. I notice everyone around me is acting strange sometimes and I really don't care. I'm thinking about myself and what I'm doing later that day. That's exactly how everyone you get afraid of thinks. They just think ok I'll just not bother him if he's nervous. And people that do bother are dicks and everyone who hears them will be on your side. Then I ask my friend and he says I'm acting normal. So just don't worry about it cause at the end of the day no one gives a fuck about anyone else.

 

No they aren't in the same position I'm in and they don't have the same habits - but here's what I did find out.

Friend 1 was a camgirl addict for many months as his marriage fell apart, he couldn't get affection from his wife toward the end so he turned to online means.
Friend 2 was in the market for a mail order bride due to his depression and inability to relate to women, it was largely weight-related but he sunk money into the plan before backing out.

Everyone you know has a secret, or secrets. When I finally decided I needed to talk about it they were both shocked at what I was telling them but there was ZERO judging or shaming, just a lot of quiet as I explained the details. Every week we talk about my meeting with the counselor so they know what's in my head and I can bounce ideas around between them and then think things over for several days before the next session.

Regarding counseling, I don't know your financial/insurance situation, but I encourage you to reach out to a family counselor and be up front about your situation. Maybe they can help offset the costs (if that's an issue) or refer you to another office that can provide options. You won't be unloading everything on the phone, but be prepared to give them an outline of what's going on, just saying it to another person can be tremendously helpful. There's no harm in asking and you just might find a reasonable option that provides a path toward success.

 

What do you do if you don't feel the endorphin high due to dopamine desensitization to the point of PIED/flatline though? Up shit's creek without a paddle.

Do we just wait it out?

 

I went quite extreme with daily aerobic exercise during the first 3 months of recovery. You'll get sufficient endorphin levels at some point of exercise, it's the way our bodies react to extreme physical stress, you just need to be careful not to hurt yourself in the process. I switched from running to uphill cycling because my knees couldn't handle the amount of running I needed to get my daily dopamine fix. Uphill cycling is great way of achieving this goal because it's very hard on your cardiovascular system while not putting too much stress on your joints. 60-75 minutes of uphill cycling did miracles for my anxiety and depression elevation. You also need enough calorie intake and sleep if you choose to take this route so you don't burn out. I can't see myself going through the first 3 months without such exercise regime. Withdrawal symptoms would break me. I don't know how addicted were you, but if you had developed long lasting daily binge PMO routine like I did, getting endorphins from some other activity is crucial. You can't just stop, withdrawal symptoms will be too brutal. Even after 6 months my brain chemistry isn't OK yet, but first 3 months has been always really hellish at least in my case.

 

I can really relate to that. The truth is that it is me who is constantly watching and shaming myself, and I feel until I stop doing that I'm not going to be able to connect with people properly.

 

I was heavily into porn for 8 years, after i stopped anxiety hit me very hard, like a big wall in front of me and nothing i can do to get over it . Even today after 1.5 years being more or less always sober i have issues with anxiety, some days less , some days more. After a while u get used to it , u learn to live better with it. Even if i dobt know will it ever go away, like i am still anxious around people, but on the other side i still get urges to watch porn, even dream about porn , it takes so fu***** long. Its hard but we must be fighters till the end. But the part with healthy lifestyle , hard exercising works only a bit for me. When i work hard even for longer time , i cant speak properly to people. More sleep or not enough sleep , only little to no improvment. The only thing which can make it a bit worse is being online to long or playing video games.
Have gone to a psychologist but it wad not really a help, like she asks why do i fear people , i say i dont know its just the way it is . They dont seem to understamd the impact of porn to the brain and the results of it . Probably no one knows it for now exactly.