I am going cold turkey from today. I had been thinking all this while that i need to wean off the porn usage like a substance but the problem is that it isn't working. somewhere along the lines i end up going back to it because i was watching a web-series and got aroused, or maybe an add that put me off chart. i faced it yesterday, i need to stop fooling myself in the name of weaning off from porn and stop switching to web series to find that comfort. I need to devote more time into reading. it's just 21 days, that is all the body will take to get accustomed. it's better than lifelong guilt of being a porn addict. a few things that i am going to quit are: the mobile phone sugar excess sleeping PORN!!!!!(and this time i'm not turning back till either i get cured, or at least my lifestyle changes enough for me not needing porn.) music. the idea here is not just a nofap but rather a detox, a dopamine detox. I will go 5 days at a time and reset the timer every time so as to not get overwhelmed by what might the withdrawal symptoms might have in store for me. I will try and take the process head on rather than worrying about the withdrawl symptoms that haven't even occurred.
You have the mentality that I have my friend. People mocking me for blocking the music nowadays but who cares. Today something interesting happened to me. I realized that I don't enjoy porn anymore. BTW I also quit sugar and phone too. You are on the rail my friend keep going.
I also went this route as much as was possible. I have to have a smart phone for work, but no social media at all including youtube, and no screen time of any kind after 8 pm. I rarely eat sugar, no processed foods at all, and very little alchohol (maybe once every couple months with friends). I try to be outside more and workout quite a bit. Also read, and study things that interest me. I want a real existence in the real world.
Beautiful strategy brother. I also removed the social medias I did not need, the biggest one was Instagram because that entire app has become soft core porn. Cold turkey is the best route, if you stumble and relapse, learn and pick yourself up and continue, one important thing to keep in mind is it isn’t about “streaks” but the reduction to eventual elimination of porn from your life. Good luck
Hey, I'm doing a dopamine detox too, but there's one thing. If someone is watching TV in another room and you can hear it from behind the wall, will it affect my detox? I've asked this question three times in threads and no one has given me an answer, please answer.
Well technically you're not watching TV but you can buy and put your earplugs on or use your headphones if you can.
I don't listen to the radio either. At work I also avoid the radio in a similar way if there is music playing and someone is listening to it.
I was listening to radio in August in my uncle's apartment but it was for decluttering from TV so it worked for me.
I listened to a lot of music while for example: computer games, sports, while browsing the Internet.That's why I have to avoid it and TV :/
I understand what you are saying, but be aware that it may not be realistic or sustainable to eliminate all dopamine sources. An austere life may be technically possible, but I am not sure how healthy it is. I mean, some dopamine is ok and healthy. If something triggers you, for sure avoid it, but for me personally, a little TV and music are fine. They are relaxing at times and have no ill effects, mainly because I do not link them with porn in any way. I have thought about ditching TV altogether, though. too much sugar, alchohol, internet, social media, sexually charged music, fatty and processed foods, video games, I totally agree- not healthy for us. That being said, completely eliminating all temptation may not be the way to long term success. It may help when first starting and one lacks will power to say no to any temptation or small trigger. However, at some point we will all be tempted. Will we look away, or keep looking? Will we allow our thoughts to dwell on arousing things? Preparing and training ourselves in small ways can be beneficial. Like the alcoholic in the book "Dopamine Nation" that kept one beer in the fridge (called the "totemic beer"). The reason? They didn't have to say "no" to all the booze in the world to stay sober, just that one beer. It was symbolic of the resoluteness of her abstinence. Not saying we should go that far, but realistic but firm and immovable boundaries are the way to go in the long run, in my opinion. Then practice living in accord with those boundaries until they become automatic.
Everything is within reason, but for me the smallest details are the most important when I take any action.That's why I wrote my questions this way earlier
