Progress Thread (Feel Free To Join)

Keep Pushing!

 

Going to tackle this a bit differently. Right now I'm working on eliminating my triggers (adult webcam sites and Instagram)

 

I made a long post about my PAWS / Flatline. I am on day 371 and have been on the flatline since day 1. Please take a look. I would be happy about some answers

https://forum.nofap.com/index.php?threads/371-days-hardmode-flatline-paws.300001/#post-2855939

 

Excellent work, keep it up Kevin. I am back on track to take the no trigger thing seriously. Just working on this right now.

 

It's now over a week since I last visited my triggers. It was fine so far but now I'm starting to crave for it. I said I'm quitting and I believe I can achieve this goal of quitting triggers at the very least so I will push on through

 

I have successfully done over 3 weeks of no triggers. I will keep this up and work on quitting the triggers. Still allowing M but after Ming my body always feels worn down and my mind becomes foggy. When I am off M even for a day or two I feel lighter, more energetic, happier, and my mind is clearer. I don't like the way I feel after Ming so I will push myself to work on building NoFap streaks starting today.

 

In your case, the benefits may have come from placebo or delusion, which is fine. But for a number of people, there are measurable mental health and even physiological benefits to quitting compulsive (P)MO.

Do some proponents of NoFap prey on vulnerable people? Sure. Does NoFap as a whole prey on vulnerable people? No.

Yes, toxic manosphere types use NoFap as a banner to get people to listen to them, and not for any particularly productive reason. It's kind of a narcissistic circle jerk. Also, there is an abundance of pseudo-science and unsupported claims spread on this site.

I will personally never support "semen retention" because I believe it is 100% unjustified nonsense. But abstinence from PMO due to impulsivity is perfectly healthy and productive for a lot of people.

I'm not going to defend any position claiming that having orgasms under one context is better than having them under another. Both masturbation and sex can be compulsive and problematic behaviors. Just as there are people who have an unhealthy relationship with interpersonal sex, there are people who have an unhealthy relationship with masturbation.

"Benefits" are hard to measure, and there are many different types. I mentioned mental health and physiological benefits, but there are also moral, spiritual, social and other categories which are improved by quitting porn. Some people here are only concerned with physiological benefits, such as regaining penile sensitivity, etc. Others want to align themselves better with their religious beliefs. All of these are valid.

What matters is that NoFap is personal (I believe the "About" page mentions this), and so if you don't see any personal benefits in your life, then you are entitled to not participate. As far as debunking pseudo-science is concerned, you have my full support. If you want to dissuade people from believing that NoFap affects our "aura" or "life force" or other bullshit, then that's fine. But to say that abstinence from PMO has no benefits whatsoever, then you are going a bit too far.

 

I am doing semen retention to undo an addiction that stretches back to my early childhood. For context I am in my early 40s now.

Masturbation, sex, and alcohol addiction took me down a dark path in life and the end result was I had wasted my entire youth. I decided I had two options: I could fix myself and have the opportunity to make a beautiful life for myself or I could eat a bullet. Thankfully I chose the former option.

Now I live life with a purpose and my actions are aligned with my goals and principles. I've never been happier than I am right now.

I don't understand why phone screen orgasm would be any different than actual real life sex in a marriage orgasm for example.

I can't speak for you but phone screen orgasm does not align with my purpose, goals, and principles.

 

Hi Kevin. Just wanted to see how you are doing. Like you I also had a period where I stopped doing the NoFap thing completely and went back to my old ways. However I do believe the act of gaining self-discipline through NoFap can have its benefits even if you are not quitting entirely. Along with other things like trying to improve yourself in other ways, I don't think that's a bad thing. Also with regards to sex with yourself vs sex with a partner there is a great difference. There is more to orgasm than just the orgasm, there's the other senses you experience like touch, smell, taste etc with a partner that you cannot experience on your own. There's a whole science to the good chemicals that are released and introduced in your body when you have sex with someone especially when you both like each other. I would not give up altogether here. The site may not give you what you need but the act of self-discipline, doing things in moderation, etc. are all things you can practice when you are not on the site. You and I may never stop completely but I think just cutting it down some would do wonders.