16 days in. The Good and Bad

Willpower! Just keep pressing forward to the goal. Unfortunately that's how addictions work, addictions are in your brain and they make us think things that are not ourselves. Thankfully our brain being a powerful thing works to our advantage ! You can definitely muster up the power to not masturbate. So it all comes down to willpower and fighting for what you really want and respecting the process.

 

It is a HUGE head game.
The problem is, O feels good, and as such, our brain perceives it as a reward, and like a rat in a psychology experiment, . . . We are generally gonna keep pushing whichever lever gives us the food pellet.

One mind game I experienced in my first NOFAP journey was :
A) start thinking about PMO
B) dwell on it
C) tell myself that I'm already sinning in my mind and heart, so...
D) may as well DO it, and ENJOY it, as ephemeral as that pleasure may be

Don't know if you or others have come across that one

Thinking about it, whilst we reboot - is bad enough
Seeing - worse
Doing - WORST

 

This feeling becomes stronger and A LOT more clearer as time goes on. You have no idea.

Unfortunately this part of recovery takes the longest and still hasn't left me 100 days plus. The good thing is after 2 months if you fantasize or have bad thoughts the urge or pull to act out w M or P is pretty low. Once you get to a point in your recovery where you can actually consciencely make the decision not to act out you know you've made some changes. But unfortunately for us addicts the mind games will go on for some time and the bad thoughts will take a long time to control. You have to be committed to this because if you want to get better you will say "NO" for the rest of your life.

My experience is it's worth it.

 

Keep in mind that this is the way your brain will respond to you most of the time when you are thinking about it. The difference is you asking yourself "Am I going to do it and then feel guilty?" or affirming that "I'm not going to do it and I will be stronger when I get through this".
Not playing the game of your own desire is one of the best way to beat the addiction and also pursuing a more stronger mind.
Best regards and be strong!

 

This is not easy, but you have to be creative and resourceful. One day for example, I bought a ring and put it on one of my fapping hand fingers. And every time I had an urge I would tuck soil into the gap between the ring and my finger. That would stop me from M because I could get an infection if I did it. I would not wash my hand until the urges were gone. I've tried several things over the years. Now I'm medicated and I don't get any urges anymore. But I understand the struggle of quitting PMO. Just never give up on it and keep trying.