" FLATLINE " for 20 months and counting : - (

For me it's not a flatline, it's a depression.

 

I have only anecdotal evidence to support this theory, but I'm pretty convinced that not having any sex can exacerbate flatlining. I quit porn at the same time that I started seeing someone and have not experienced anything (so far) similar to a flatline.

These symptoms sound a lot more like depression than a flatline honestly, not sure if OP is continuing to have them but if he was already depressed & masking it with porn, I would think the depression would return by quitting, no?

 

Not very nice comment but what I meant is I think it's a depression, not a flatline. Because it seems way too long. And depression can last years if untreated.
I know we tend to pin everything on porn on this forum but sometime it's deeper than that.

 

Flatlining and on month 5 day 165 and I feel lifeless and NOTHING like I did before starting this so it’s definitely the flatline that thousands have talked about and your brain healing from the years of damage of porn and I believe the flatline is just the withdrawal phase

 

yeah if depression was never really an issue before this quitting porn journey like it wasn’t for me, I definitely am chalking it up to this flatline and the brain healing and that can take a good amount of time especially if you started young.

 

I am 40 y.o.

No PMO, no fantasy, no erotic media for 140 days.

Also, no binging on PMO since October 2023 (a few "slips" with very minimal porn use). By binging I mean masturbation more than twice a day and more than one day in a row. And binging on porn I mean using porn for more than 15 min at a time and more than one day in a row.

I am experiencing severe flatline, very few erections, reduced libido, lots of anxiety, Depression,

Also was on heavy anti depressants until May 2023 and daily cannabis user until September 2023.

I must say that overall I am feeling much better than before when using PMO daily

 

I suffer from the same condition as you, 4 years of flatline, shrinkage of the penis and numbness in the head, lack of desire, sometimes nocturnal erections....

 

For me... pmo is a symptom... a coping mechanism to deal with the pain and depression. Take the pmo away, and now I have a struggle to find a new way... and real healing from my pain.

 

A question from me: how did you come to the conclusion that flatline and depression are non related?

 

Did you do a medical examination?

 

I'm gonna speak on how I experiment it but for me a flatline ends after you relapse. The depression stays. Flatlines might be more tied to chemical reactions in your body than your actual living situation.

 

pmo certainly is a coping mechanism. But does that necessary imply depression, I don't know.
You can simply have anxiety about something and use pmo for that.

But what you describe is the real difficulty. Finding a new way to cope, finding something that is as powerful. Currently I'm dealing with constant physical pain and no medications is as strong as pmo. It's clearly the biggest thing preventing me from stopping entirely and it's really frustrating. Once that pain is gone I'm ready.

 

In the past I had a flatline for like a month, then I tried to have sex and I succeeded which kicked my out of the flatline and my libido was high all the time. Sometimes an orgasm or sex helps to kickstart your libido again.

 

Yes good question, I had genital numbness, no morning wood, no libido and I was a bit "slow". Felt a bit depressed as well.