30-days success

Hi everyone,

Two days ago I finally made it to 30 days without porn or masturbation, for the first time in two years.
Even though I've reached this milestone before, I never posted on this forum, and now I'm glad I didn't because my previous attempts were flawed in one way or another.
I'm still in a phase where I experience urges daily, but they are getting weaker and easier to manage. I will update this thread once I reach the 60-days milestone, to reflect on progress and celebrate my little big victories.

Here are a few tips to help those who, like me, thought that they would never be able to quit:

1. A problem shared is a problem halved: do yourself a favour and, if you haven't got one already, apply for an accountability partner now. For years I've tried to quit this on my own and failed miserably. All addictions thrive in secrecy, so having someone to check in with daily has been a great help and the single most important source of my success. Big shout out to @Mattroman for being a great AP from the beginning to this day.
2. A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer: whenever an urge strikes, it feels as if it were to last forever. In reality, most urges subside after a few minutes if you don't entertain them. Find yourself some simple activities that can help you ride the storm, like deep breathing or meditation.
3. 99% is a bitch, 100% is a breeze: in my third week, I somehow convinced myself that it wouldn't be an issue if I checked for my favourite pornstars' latest updates, by browsing with an image blocker. After all, I wouldn't see anything, would I? Needless to say, the text alone was very triggering and I closed the browser immediately, but for 2 days in a row my urges got stronger and more frequent. In hindsight, I jeopardised my streak like an idiot. There can be no peeking, and definitely no looking back. Do yourself a favour and take your reboot seriously from the get-go.

In terms of benefits, I have more energy and I feel positive most of the time. My libido has surged considerably, and my girlfriend has definitely taken notice (and been happy to oblige). My memory is slowly starting to get better, but there is still a long way to go.

As I mentioned, I will update this after I reach 60 days.

Take care and stay strong.