Masturbation and "semi-porn" versus the rebooting process

It's called a porn substitute. P'sub for short.
Softcore images
Fantasy
Ogling women
Magazines, social media, tv shows, movies, etc.

If you are using P'subs instead of P. You are not recovering and will almost certainly get back into full blown P use sooner or later. You may have to give up M for ever if you want to recover.

We live in a very pornographic society, it's everywhere and you really need to control/limit your media consumption if you want to stay clean.

 

This is exactly how your addicted brain tricks you into rationalizing PMO. At first, you'll start out with regular photographs like you said. Want to guess what happens in a few months? Your brain will rationalize exchanging those clothed photos for some softcore nude photos. "Well, I guess the nude ones aren't that much worse! Definitely not as bad as hardcore porn!"

A while after that, your brain will be rationalizing more extreme photos, which will eventually lead to videos. Like any other addiction, it's a slippery slope. Ever wonder why a lot of heroin addicts end up overdosing? It's because when you have any addictive habit, the brain requires the dosage/intensity to be perpetually boosted in order to achieve the same high/excitement that you got the first time you ever indulged.

There are times when your brain can be your best friend; conversely, there are also times when your brain can be your worst enemy. What you are experiencing right now is the latter.

 

It s already a bit better.

But the true cure is going hard mode ( no porno,no masturbation , no sex) for a long perdiod of time and then move on his life.
Try to have goals in life because abstinence is a tool not an end.