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P.A.W.S. - what are they, cure, duration

Discussion in 'Rebooting - Porn Addiction Recovery' started by Fenix Rising, May 12, 2019.

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  1. Ezpz

    Ezpz Fapstronaut

    hey Guys, i know your struggles and i am sympathetic to anyone who is still struggling after such a long time. I have been in a flatline since years before i even knew about nofap and the way i found out about this forum is by desperately seeking answers to those symptoms that i couldnt shake that were gradually getting worse. I never had PIED until a month or so right before i found out about nofap and P addiction. My brain was as broken as ever back then and things only gradually got worse when i first started to abstain.

    After relapsing 7 months ago, all symptoms were gone for a week. This tells me that my struggle definitely has something to do with the reboot.

    At 7 months i can tell you i am finally starting to see some accelerated progress. Earlier in the month i was feeling pretty shitty, same old symptoms. In the later 2 weeks or so symptoms greatly improved, social anxiety receded a lot. Really that brings me to now where im continuing to get full erections the morning, im sleeping better and symptoms are much more manageable.

    Things are getting better for me with each month, with this one being the best by a huge margin. Dont give up hope guys, things can start to improve just when you are least expecting it.

    *one thing ill note is how extreme i have been in what content i allow myself to take in. There has been no slip ups so far as i continue to be very strict with what i watch.
     
  2. Ezpz

    Ezpz Fapstronaut

    Also, feel free to check out my journal. You can see it has been no walk in the park for me, mainly hard struggle and much of the same stuff every day.
     
    Espi1971 and Freeddom_Taker like this.
  3. I definitely feel what you're going through right now. Just like you I still have massive braking fog but with PIED.
     
    Don Quixote likes this.
  4. filmit57

    filmit57 Fapstronaut

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    Do you recall how it was like living without brain fog; if so can you tell me what it was like for you. Thanks
     
    Don Quixote likes this.
  5. LeeUK

    LeeUK Fapstronaut


    So anyone who has a different opinion to you is wrong? Wow, this guy.. :)

    Maybe if you just had more self control you wouldn't need to be a hermit for 12 months and get absolutely nowhere with women. This PAWS shit is ridiculous, there I said it! You are causing this by holding in your semen too long and having no interactions with women. You are rewiring your brain to think sex and any form or stimulation is wrong. That is fucked up!

    I've done a lot of thinking over the last few days and this shit is all in our heads. I've been heavily depressed for other reasons and turning to porn at times as a go to feel good but honestly it's nothing more than a bad habit at this point. If this is an addiction then I'm also addicted to those chicken mini fillets you get from the hot counter at Morrisons for £3, I have to stop myself from buying them every time I go and do you know what? I can actually feel myself getting stronger by saying no. And it's not like the are really bad for you anyway, they are just a non greasy KFC boneless chicken. I pick up a bag of them once a week and thoroughly enjoy them, no harm done.

    Sorry to piss in anyone's milk here but you all need more discipline and self control, not forcing yourself into pain and depression. My new goal is to simply go a week to 10 days between ejaculation with absolutely no viewing or thinking about porn in-between. Get in get out, no edging and no weird fetish stuff. MO preferably. That way I will not experience any flatline and damn sure won't get long term sickness like you guys are reporting. No way am I going down this route.
     
  6. LeeUK

    LeeUK Fapstronaut

    And I know everyone is different so if you feel like going 600+ days without being intimate with the opposite sex then go for it. I just see no benefit in this whatsoever, in fact I believe it to be harmful.

    Either way, good luck.
     
  7. clapas

    clapas Fapstronaut

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    There seems to be some pretty experienced rebooters here. Can you guys point out some hints as to know if one's suffering are actually caused by PMO?

    My particular biggest problem at the moment is with anxiety, which gives me a lot of heart palpitations and sleep issues. I feel like improving along the abstention journey, but sometimes I wonder if I will ever be "normal" again and what is the real cause. I am enthusiastic and hopeful about live, but anxiety brings me down every day.

    Approaching 8 months of hard reboot.
     
    AspiringVitality likes this.
  8. humbleone

    humbleone Fapstronaut

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    Can a mod ban LeeUK from posting in this thread, I don't want to be cruel, but he is a net negative contributor.

    @clapas what does your intuition tell you? How does the anxiety onset correlate to porn consumption and your nofap journey?

    For me there is a direct correlation, and my brain throbs constantly that gets worse when I think about sex or get anxious.. its unmistakable..

    I'll keep clarifying; There is 0 doubt that PAWS is real, and all the symptoms you read about online that are attributed to PAWS are real. I just hope one day the science comes to back it up, so we don't waste our time debating whether something is real or not, and can focus on the things that matter; support, advice and motivation to those going through recovery. Thats all that matters
     
  9. clapas

    clapas Fapstronaut

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    I still cannot find a clear correlation. That's why I asked.
    I have no doubt about it, that is why I quitted PMO forever.
     
  10. Ezpz

    Ezpz Fapstronaut

    We are coming to this thread because of a common need and it can be helpful to find others going through similar experiences.

    Its great you have your own plan, so maybe this thread isnt for you. No one here is debating the existence of their symptoms, so why bother to write such a comment?
     
  11. Ezpz

    Ezpz Fapstronaut

    how was your anxiety affected with your last relapse? Did it get worse? Go away?

    Also do you remember how you felt before your pmo addiction?
     
    clapas likes this.
  12. clapas

    clapas Fapstronaut

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    Hey Ezpz, I didn't have any relapse since I started.
    Yes, I felt calm most of the time. No anxiety. But that was 15+ years ago, so I don't know if other factors have influenced my current state, which only got serious in the last 3 years.
     
  13. LeeUK

    LeeUK Fapstronaut

    Oh yeah, sure. Ban me for having an opinion. Don't worry, this will be my last post here. Your attitude towards others irks me.

    Just to clarify, I'm not saying PAWS isn't a thing. I'm simply pointing out that you are causing it yourself.

    Good luck.
     
    Asjf likes this.
  14. Active, full of life, optimistic, used to enjoy music and watch movies a lot. That's when I was very young(19-21yo). Since I've hit rock bottom by 2013 pmoing too much, I haven't been able to get the same clarity of mind. I only had one in 2016 when I have completed 70 days but returned to pmo each time I feel a lil bit better.
    I must add that if you used to PMO a lot for a long time, your brain will put your life on hold when rebooted for a good period of time until returned to normal.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2020
    SLeepisLost likes this.
  15. Espi1971

    Espi1971 Fapstronaut

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    139 days no PMO. Around the same time I quit smoking weed cold turkey. I was a daily toker for the previous 3 1/2 years.

    I'm also 2 weeks free from alprazolam (after tapering 16 weeks), and I stopped injecting testosterone cypionate on December 1st, after having injected it weekly since June 2019.

    The past 4+ months have been up and down. A real roller coaster. I've accomplished goals and there have been days I've felt prolonged periods of inner peace, strength, energy, and joy, but I still feel plagued by anxiety, depression, and anger. My "up" days seem to barely outnumber my "down" days, and my depression and anxiety and anger often seem to have as much, if not more, bite to them, compared to when I was PMO'ing and drugging.

    So life still feels like a struggle overall; in fact life seems to be much more of a struggle at times, likely because I no longer choose to escape through PMO, p-subs, weed, testosterone, and benzos.

    I'm a bit discouraged that at 139 days I'm still struggling. Occasionally I get glimpses of true progress, but I realize I have a long way to go.

    At least I feel comforted in knowing that guys with much longer abstention periods are still struggling.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2020
  16. filmit57

    filmit57 Fapstronaut

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    I see your point it might be beneficial to rewire with a real person but I believe a hardmode reboot is the best reboot in the beginning. The length of time of beginning is different for everyone as we all abused PMO for a different length of time/times per day, and different ways we used porn. And if my body needs to get rid of semen it does so naturally through wet dreams.

    Giving your body a break from all sexual stimulation is a safe bet for me as I have seen many improvements in my life even though I still struggle primarily with mental clarity. There have been days or even weeks where it was lifted and I’ve never seen this mental clarity or other improvements I am now seeing while I was addicted to PMO.

    Just to name a few improvements in my life daily rock solid libido, more interest/urges in having actual sex while having no interest in using porn anymore, more interest in the little things, less anxiety, improved physical energy, much less moody.

    Also to say that abstaining from sex is causing PAWS is like saying a drug addict suffering from PAWS is causing it to themselves by abstaining from healthy habits. You can’t stop a drug addict from going through PAWS and neither can you stop a porn addict from going through PAWS you can just make it easier to manage or possibly less intense with certain practices.

    Maybe some people are more or less likely to go through PAWS but if your in the group of more likely you can’t avoid it.

    I have watched a video that did say not everyone goes through PAWS.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2020
    SLeepisLost, Fenix Rising and LeeUK like this.
  17. Dave G 123

    Dave G 123 Fapstronaut

    Hi,

    Is it possible that the heart palpitations and sleep issues are not caused by anxiety, but are themselves PAWS symptoms? That's been the case for me. I've had periods of being pretty chilled out, but my heart will still complain (palpitations, chest pain) if I over-exert myself, and my sleep is generally iffy - although anxiety definately makes this worse... just putting it out there in case it's a useful perspective.
     
    clapas likes this.
  18. Dave G 123

    Dave G 123 Fapstronaut

    I don't think he's saying that anyone who disagrees is wrong. I think he's saying that there are people who think they know what they are talking about when they dismiss PAWS as not being real, but because they haven't experienced it themselves, they don't know what they're talking about - and hence aren't qualified to comment, and can't contribute anything useful.

    Personally, I think there are a lot of people who are in denial about their own problems - having been one myself. Either way, this is such a difficult thing to achieve in life, that those of us who are affected need all the help we can get.
     
    Fenix Rising likes this.
  19. winningover

    winningover Fapstronaut

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    Guys, have you seen the research paper where they saw the brain of a porn addict and it was similar to that of cocaine addict. It was so screwed with so less grey matter. And if that brain reboots and have PAWS and you tell that brain, it's not PAWS, it's IN YOUR MIND. It is in his effing mind for sure. It's all messed up PHYSICALLY. LIKE LITERALLY. You can't get a brain surgery to fix the brain. It has to correct itself while you undergo this crap. I wish I could see the brain scans of people who question PAWS in weird ways.
     
  20. Ezpz

    Ezpz Fapstronaut

    Congrats on being relapse free so far! In your case the best thing to do would be to see if your anxiety changes over more time abstained from PMO. In the mean time, do your best to face fears and a try not to avoid tackling problems each day. Undone tasks can be a big cause of anxiety so try and get them all done before you go to sleep. I would also recommend exercise every day, it can help in the short term with anxiety and long term in terms of helping your brain to heal.

    Try to track your progress to see how your anxiety changes week to week. If you are having days where anxiety fades then make sure you keep a record of them and use them as motivation to keep moving forward. Quitting an addiction is stressful on the body and mind, this high amount of stress is usually the cause of anxiety, among other symptoms. It is also possible that your anxiety is unrelated, there i cannot help you much other than to say see a doctor/therapist if you think this is the case. With time ive found my own anxiety start to fade. I am much better than i was 7 months ago, though i have not changed much in my routine. :)
     
    clapas likes this.

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