35 and Older Accountability Group

Checking In.

 

Checking in here, having the occasional reset but nothing that’s interfering with life too much. Main thing is to put resets behind you as soon as possible I guess. Good luck to everyone in your efforts!

 

Checking in, feeling good about recent changes. Urge journal and recognizing environmental cues and immediately saying "thinking" "anxiety" or "stress" is coming in clutch!

 

Day 7

 

Checking in....

 

Hi BookNerd,
Good on you for working on several parts of the equation from environment to feelings to journaling - it helps build a stronger form of defense if you keep fortifying each one.
I do keep a journal for specific moments and when I look back over the years it surprises me how much I was in denial about certain things. Its not until you start recording key events that you get a truer picture of the condition and where you really stand.
All the best

 

Checking In.

Have been busy since last week. Paying attention on completing the work target in time.

 

Checking in and going strong but have noticed that I think I've been having wet dreams in the night - I guess this is normal after 3 weeks of no PMO?

 

Checking in. I hope everyone is doing well.

 

12 day streak monk mode.

Failed today, we go again.

/Reset

 

Even though stress at work and home has gone down, urges have been a little stronger these past few days. They're reminding me that my addict wants me to act out when stress is up, and when stress goes down, too. It just wants me to act out period, whether to numb out from uncomfortable situations or to "celebrate" good situations. Pretty much everything in between as well.

This week:
3 days exercise
3 days meditation

 

HI Flyswat,

Thats a good observation of the condition. Any change to your situation, whether good or bad could trigger an urge to act out. I have found its indeed my bodies way to get rid of any unwanted emotion. I did learn in the last year about how all these unwanted emotions are just another form of pain that the brain tries to medicate in any way it can.

 

Checking in. PMO front has been a bit more challenging of late, not so much urges but feeling more of a sex drive which I then associate with MO and PMO. I have been slack on some of my disciplines recently and cant seem to get going on them. Particularly my nutrition, exercise and mediation. So I need to try and force myself to get going again. I also need to spend less time online.

 

made it to 3 weeks...now going strong for a month

 

Starting to get a much more solid handle on how the waves work.

It starts with a bunch of urges/fantasies, and at this point it's just important to keep your mind focused, and anytime those thoughts, or even the beginning of those thoughts start, to shut them down immediately. The key is to keep yourself busy/distracted as much as possible.

After the wave starts to wind down, you start feeling miserable, which is the result of your body not having that rush of dopamine it was expecting. At this stage it's harder to fantasize, but you actually want to fantasize in order to stop feeling miserable, and it's at this phase that you usually just say "screw it" and look up porn, or triggering content. The key here is to reward yourself with something else that gives you dopamine, like YouTube or fast food. (Don't go nuts, but just enough to even the process out)

Then a couple of days later, you even out again, and are good until the next wave starts.

 

Reset. Found myself deliberately doing PM. Didn't O . But I am resetting.

 

Awesome brother, you got this!

 

Great awareness and observation.

 

Thanks! Love encouragement like this!

 

Made it to 21 days and now heading full power for 30 days PMO.