Good stuff I like it. We got this musketeers! Checking in. Good to see a few days on the counter again. Unfortunately I ended up resetting a few days in a row and I really felt and still feel the effects. That is behind me now and I want to get back on the straight and narrow. I have never been so convinced of the damaging effects of PMO and for me MO too. The motivation is high to get it out of my life.
Mid-week check-in. Some stress and pressure. Reminder: I must choose to focus on what I want to see happen in my life, not on what is stressing me. The assembling of a group of musketeers is a great idea, @x_Nocturnalis_x! Bonne chance, mes amis!
Checking in and starting afresh today. Need to stop using as it's making my situation that much worse than it already is. Need to find strength within
@x_Nocturnalis_x , @Gazan , @born3 , @JJ_Kino , @Le Petit Prince I had a slip up last night but am pledging abstinence from here until the end of May. Are the rest of the musketeers okay with me remaining in the fold and starting from here?
Yes, but I think the battle starts now. Anyone else can still join for the next day or so, but as of now we are fighting... Musketeers: @x_Nocturnalis_x @Gazan @born3 @JJ_Kino @Sam78 No retreat! No surrender!
Hi Sam I can relate, work is huge stressor I think almost all night shift work is, going against circadian rhythm etc Also junk food is huge stressor, believe it or not it makes us worse, we get that dopamine high from the food but then come crashing down makes us more irritable. Vicious cycle. I went to the gym today for the first time since 2021 and felt good hopefully it will keep me in good stead.
Day 1. @Musketeers Feeling good, feeling positive, it's a strong group I know we can do it. Stay mindful of your triggers and we've got this. This is reminds me of a childhood cartoon called Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds so one changed my profile photo hahaha
This is what I'm hoping for, something that will occupy my mind and take me out of that zone, keep me engerised and focused on things I need to get done.
Day 1 (almost down) I'm glad that we're in this together, because I really wanted to use today and this helped me pull back cause I didn't want to let the rest of the group down... All for one and one for all right?
This is the first thought that came to me. I loved that cartoon, still got the song in my head. Nice one.
Same here. It sounds like such a peaceful life to never have sex on the mind. I'm really hoping that as time goes on I will get closer to that. I don't really want to get all the way there but just want to have a balanced brain that is at peace. The neuroplasticity takes a long time, which is what makes this so difficult. And the brain is so good at focusing on the positives and blocking out the negatives. We're told how good it would feel, that we need a release, but not about the damage that it does to our lives. That damage is so insidious it can be hard to even recognize. I know I didn't see half of it for a long long time.
Day 2 @ Musketeers Checking-in. Mind feels clear today, had a few urges before bed last night but got.through it. How's everyone doing? I've Just arrived at work, coffee in hand. Let's go!
Hey all. So I'm really struggling. The urges I'm getting are unlike anything I've had in my life. It's unreal. Basically every morning for the past three days it is immediately the first thing I think about, to the point it clouds my ability to focus on other things. I actually attempted to search for content the past two mornings... thankfully I couldn't find anything. If I had not gone to such lengths to create such an air-tight lock down I may have relapsed. This is the first time in my life where I'm experiencing this very real clash between the purely biological side of myself and the cognizant self-aware part of myself that wants the opposite of the biological urges. This is unreal. I'm really seeing the repercussions of my actions and how they have changed my brain function. On a lighter note, sleep is improving although there are intermittent minor insomnia spells. I'm learning about the 'tiers of difficulty' in this struggle and how they decrease and increase. When you enter into a new phase and the difficulty increases YOU BETTER HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE. YOU CANNOT PREDICT OR KNOW how much more difficult it's going to be until you are RIGHT THERE IN IT. In those moments you either have to have whatever is necessary to overcome it or you won't. When I see some people on here relapsing every other day, every 3 days, etc. I cannot help but wonder how serious they are about this or how much they understand how much of a challenge this actually is. This is not an attack on anyone, but it is a call to encourage everyone to really be self aware about their situation. If you are continually relapsing, have you honestly done everything you can? Are you subconsciously kidding yourself by thinking the thing you are supposed to, to maybe make yourself feel better temporarily while deep down you don't actually want to drop PMO? Have you truly realized how much damage this has caused? Financial, mental, emotional, social... loss of opportunities regarding life itself... inability to confront your own insecurities and past traumas and put in the time to reach the best you because it feels easier in the moment? Stop committing slow suicide. Make sure YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF. And others. And what about God? Your ultimate destiny? I'm done with that rant. This was not an attack on anyone. I just want to make sure no one here is deluded and hindering themselves. I want the best for everyone.