Once pmo urge hits, you have 5 seconds to get out of it.

Lol, 5 seconds is too much for me, I have less than 2 seconds to back off otherwise I'd easily relapse.
That said, the rule is actually popular among veteran addicts given the nature of the addiction.
The brain instantly reacts and prepares the body for orgasm if it sees any semblance of what it sees during the "usual" session. (Triggers)
The brain utilizes electrical signals to transmit messages and well, you know how fast electrical signals travel, in a matter of nanosecond.
So yeah, you've got to react as fast as possible before the circuit is completed in the brain.
Tough but possible

 

5 seconds to mentally recognize an urge might be true in a way, but 5 seconds to physically walk away and do something sounds silly.

 

If you do not replace one habit with another, you are doomed to failure. Better yet, have a backup, and then a backup after that.

Yes I've heard of the 5-second rule and agree with it; however you should allow those seconds to let a second habit take over. So instead of a determination to seek out porn (and break through any fences you have wisely setup beforehand, such as pornography blockers on your phone and computer, or ignoring your accountability partner), you do the new thing, such as calling a friend you have not spoken to in a while, or talking with your spouse, or checking in with your AP and talking about your temptation).

For those reading this who do not have a plan, a new habit, a backup plan, and a backup to that backup, well you are just white-knuckling it, depending on something called willpower which can rise and fall by the time of day, how tired you are, the stresses you are under etc. And to you I wish you 'good luck' because in this state well that's all you have.

Signed,
been there, done that, and it doesn't work.

 

Never heard of it, but sounds good.

 

Hello, 'boyrose',

Just a few moments ago, I came across your opening comment and read it with interest!

Although I'm not entirely sure if that 5-second rule actually works (seems that most people would need even less time to get sucked in again), your piece of text is bound to set a good deal of fellow Fapstronauts thinking. To me, the main trouble is the easy accessibility of online pornography -- once you have found out that adult content of basically any kind can be reached in merely a jiffy, the temptation to view it at the slightest opportunity is never far away. If you succumb and let yourself be exposed to that thing, your session (what was perhaps originally intended as a short thrill) might degenerate into a P watching spree just like that, which, sadly, almost invariably happens to me when I relapse. It really requires strong will and determination to stay clean from P, so even a short period of self-control counts and can mean a lot for your progress and improvement. Remember that Rome wasn't built in one day, after all.

Wish you all good luck in your efforts, then, and any ideas and thoughts are welcome, of course!

Up My Alley

 

Hi @boyrose - here's a post I made a few weeks ago about the tools I'm using to become pornography-free.

I no longer even look at my day counter (I use the iOS app 'Iron Will' for what that's worth).

Yet another layer to the 'backup plan' is to have a 'list of crap I've gotta do' on my phone, with ugly chores that really should be done. My AP suggested this and it's a good one.

 

Doing chores is a good way to distract oneself. I actually find washing dishes relaxing. It puts all thoughts in the background.

 

Thinking about this a little more @boyrose you should be also considering the environment you are in when you have that sexual desire and urge to masturbate to pornography. How you are feeling (you are already programmed to behave a certain way when you feel a certain way), what environment you are in (time of day, presence of others, your physical state of mind). You may discover important clues to how you are currently wired, and what steps you need to take (concrete ones) to become pornography-free.

No you are not condemned to live like this the rest of your life, and I am not either. All the best to you.

 

I hear you @boyrose - recognizing pornography and masturbation as a problem is the first step. It took me over four DECADES to admit it was an addiction.

I visited a psychiatrist for the first time in my life yesterday. He said this about addiction: It is 1) escalating doses, 2) to get high, and 3) despite adverse consequences. It was so good I wrote it down in my journal I brought with me. (FWIW he had nothing to say negative or prescriptive other than just to continue doing what I'm doing, and that community that I've found in various places is vital to recovery; he also referred me to an ongoing therapist if I wanted to continue, which I will...)

I'd recommend you think about the habit loop. Duhigg's The Power of Habit is a completely worthwhile read. Also, the Porn Free Radio podcast for me is awesome.

 

After 4 relapses in one week, I decided to start my streak again, it was very easy to get hooked again especially physically. I then started to downgrade to softcore porn by looking at sexy women in bikinis (which is sort of better than full on raw sex). I caught myself edging without touch again to these pictures, so I sat down with myself and said "Listen, if you keep edging and looking at these "harmless photos" you will relapse eventually". The best thing to do is to have a policy to not look at sexually charged photos even once. To deal with those urges, get up, read, learn something new, and especially take those nature walks. You got to get up and active bro