✊5 Years Without PMO - Here's What Worked For Me!✊

Glad it helped! Hope the app helps you too! Best of luck!

 

Mostly just the same things since as you said it's the same monster. Much like how you don't crave pmo anymore you'll stop craving this eventually so whatever worked to get you this far should still work. The cold water trick I mentioned in the og post might be particularly helpful if you're really struggling. Just get a bucket of ice cold water and keep your hands in them & feel the sensation. Usually forces your mind to drop whatever bs it's on.

Other than that you're still dealing with the same issue so if there's anything in the og post you haven't tried before maybe try those. The healthy minds app helped me a lot with being able to have thoughts come and go without giving them energy. My bs thing used to be "look a pics of fully clothed girls! That's not even close to porn" but since it was good enough feed the addiction it was bad. The main issue was just the fact that I was falling for the lies. I took then seriously. Once I realized it was still having a similar effect I was able to just let those thoughts come and go without much effort which rapidly led to then never coming back. You already got past the 1st part since you know the "but it's not pmo" line is bs so just work on not being consumed when that feeling does pop up since it will eventually die.

Congrats on the huge progress you've made! Especially catching your brains lies so quickly which isn't easy! Stay strong!

 

That's wonderful! Glad it helped!

I've never seen that Twitter you mentioned but I took a quick look just now. The pmo stuff they post is mostly pretty good. Some of the other stuff is a bit sus though lol. But if you're asking about pmo specifically its fine.

 

I just assumed people most unwatch threads since I do lol. Anything new I add just gets edited into the og post so it's not buried in the thread.

 

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No real experience with that, sorry. Only had sex a few times since my wife both wanted to wait till marriage and has sexual trauma that she's still healing from. But I can say based off of the few times there's been nothing of the sort. I'll quote another reply of mine explaining how my sex drive has changed.

But there is a difference between hooking up vs deeply loving someone and I only have experience with the latter so i can't speak on the other. I have always assumed it's not that different from porn as far as how it effects your brain since your brain doesn't see a difference between the two. Porn addiction and sex addiction are just 2 sides of the same coin. Based on what you're going through I feel like that assumption is true.


Anyway this response explains the changes in my drive.

 

Thank you! You'll definitely get there too!

 

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Thank you! Super happy to hear it resonated with you!

As for if everyone can reach the same level, absolutely! Brains are made to change based on how we live our lives, it's called Neuroplasticity.

Technically both of the things you said are the answer: changes in the brain and behavioural habits since they effect each other. The change in behaviour leads to changes in the brain which makes the new behaviour easy to maintain which further changes the brain etc. I think mediation probably played a role so I can't say weather just staying clean can get you there since I don't have that experience but at a minimum you'll be more in control than the average person. Not feeding those neural pathways will naturally create that change but it is probably enhanced by meditating and some of the other things I mentioned. It's definitely accessible to anyone who wants it though, not just some lucky people. I was RIDICULOUSLY lustful while addicted so if I can reach it then others definitely can too. And regardless of that anecdote, neuroscience shows that change is definitely possible. It's just a question of "when" and continuing to stay clean even if it feels like its taking a while.


Congrats on the progress you've already made! Keep it up and stay strong! ✊

 

Extremely normal. You've probably had a lot of repressed trauma so finally healing it can bring up repressed pain too. The craving is then an attempt to soothe/numb the pain. Just keep going and it'll get better! Congrats on your progress!