AModernMiroku
Fapstronaut
Friends,
Peace.
As the title implies, I made it to 90 days of no PMO. I simply wanted to share my experience and hopefully reveal that healing is possible.
But first, some context: I first became addicted to the PMO cycle around 12. Early on, I also slowly became intrenched in a serious fetish addiction that fed into the PMO cycle. Easily by 13 or 14, I was already making daily use of PMO. Binge usage was common.
In high school and early college, I was very depressed. Despite my attempts to get rid of PMO, I kept returning to it. I was fearful that I would never be able to detach from PMO and the fetish. It was a spiral of all kinds of sadness and depression: use PMO to avoid the feeling, and behold, the PMO usage intensifies the gloom...and so, I return to PMO to avoid the feeling, &c. &c.
Regardless, I eventually made more progress with the help of accountability (around 20 years of age). It was a painful day-by-day process (I even had an old, pre-NoFap chart somewhere that had my streaks). I recall telling a friend once that everything seemed lost after a return to PMO/fetish after 30 days. And yet, 30 days is small number to me now!
Little by little, those old streaks that seemed so long became smaller by comparison. Little by little, the successes seemed to dwarf the failures.
But this was very slow. I made it to over 100 days and relapsed. But this was still higher than my last attempt. Then, later, higher still. And so on and so forth.
Anyway, to make this story a little shorter: I joined NoFap because I had yet another relapse after nearly two years of being clean. I was tired of falling back into the same patterns after so much time.
So what do I have to share here? Well, I hope I have at least something worthwhile.
-Things of this nature take time. Do not give up. It will be hard and likely filled with emotions. And yet, climb the ladder of healing one rung at a time.
-You can change, and this is a hopeful thing to remember. I still struggle with temptations to PMO/fetish...but I am markedly different than when I first started out on this journey. When I first started out, I almost believed the lie that I could not change (which is a destructive yet easily believed by one who is in a dark place). Yet, somehow, I did change. Also, I am not as sad as I once was. Now, 99% of my time is not marked by PMO. I have greater control of my thoughts. There is healing.
-Accountability is a great resource. My first real attempts to change involved the help of one of my best friends. He was (and is) such a strong support. He showed his worth in remaining a true friend despite my deficiencies. I suggest finding a real life accountability partner who shares your goals. My own time on NoFap (short as it has been) has also been marked by great camaraderie and beautifully simple interactions. Though I am unsure if anyone really reads much of my own writings, it has still been a help to have an audience of some kind, as well as the occasional dialogue.
-Journaling, too, has been a good thing. Again, even if nobody reads it, it serves as a tool of self-accountability & reflection. Many studies recommend the practice, and I think the simple unpacking of thoughts is a good practice. Even in my own log, my day 1 said, "I am currently feeling the early effects of PMO. Many of you know what this feels like. Pretty close to the initial fall, there comes a pull of all kinds of physical, mental, and emotional strains. These usually make a return visit by week's end (which seems like a long time at that point!), and perhaps even a month down the road as well. At this very moment, I really want to go back to PMO. Even though I know the shame, the regret, and all the terrible pull it has had on me in the past. Reason struggles in the cloud of passion." and "My body is tense. I am bored and lonely. I have had a lot of stress lately, and today, I have wasted a lot of time..." Even items like these are useful to remember and compare to the present.
That was a lot, and I am sure I could keep writing. But, even so, day 90 has come at last. I am thankful for the support of this community. If anyone here ever needs help, I can lend an ear; this beast is best felled by many companions, after all.
As for my own continuing goals? I hope to add another 90 days (because the initial start of my 90 days still felt the effects of the relapse; this 90 will begin on a cleaner note and hopefully hasten the healing).
God bless!
A Modern Miroku
And a post-script celebratory anime ending song. Alas:
Peace.
As the title implies, I made it to 90 days of no PMO. I simply wanted to share my experience and hopefully reveal that healing is possible.
But first, some context: I first became addicted to the PMO cycle around 12. Early on, I also slowly became intrenched in a serious fetish addiction that fed into the PMO cycle. Easily by 13 or 14, I was already making daily use of PMO. Binge usage was common.
In high school and early college, I was very depressed. Despite my attempts to get rid of PMO, I kept returning to it. I was fearful that I would never be able to detach from PMO and the fetish. It was a spiral of all kinds of sadness and depression: use PMO to avoid the feeling, and behold, the PMO usage intensifies the gloom...and so, I return to PMO to avoid the feeling, &c. &c.
Regardless, I eventually made more progress with the help of accountability (around 20 years of age). It was a painful day-by-day process (I even had an old, pre-NoFap chart somewhere that had my streaks). I recall telling a friend once that everything seemed lost after a return to PMO/fetish after 30 days. And yet, 30 days is small number to me now!
Little by little, those old streaks that seemed so long became smaller by comparison. Little by little, the successes seemed to dwarf the failures.
But this was very slow. I made it to over 100 days and relapsed. But this was still higher than my last attempt. Then, later, higher still. And so on and so forth.
Anyway, to make this story a little shorter: I joined NoFap because I had yet another relapse after nearly two years of being clean. I was tired of falling back into the same patterns after so much time.
So what do I have to share here? Well, I hope I have at least something worthwhile.
-Things of this nature take time. Do not give up. It will be hard and likely filled with emotions. And yet, climb the ladder of healing one rung at a time.
-You can change, and this is a hopeful thing to remember. I still struggle with temptations to PMO/fetish...but I am markedly different than when I first started out on this journey. When I first started out, I almost believed the lie that I could not change (which is a destructive yet easily believed by one who is in a dark place). Yet, somehow, I did change. Also, I am not as sad as I once was. Now, 99% of my time is not marked by PMO. I have greater control of my thoughts. There is healing.
-Accountability is a great resource. My first real attempts to change involved the help of one of my best friends. He was (and is) such a strong support. He showed his worth in remaining a true friend despite my deficiencies. I suggest finding a real life accountability partner who shares your goals. My own time on NoFap (short as it has been) has also been marked by great camaraderie and beautifully simple interactions. Though I am unsure if anyone really reads much of my own writings, it has still been a help to have an audience of some kind, as well as the occasional dialogue.
-Journaling, too, has been a good thing. Again, even if nobody reads it, it serves as a tool of self-accountability & reflection. Many studies recommend the practice, and I think the simple unpacking of thoughts is a good practice. Even in my own log, my day 1 said, "I am currently feeling the early effects of PMO. Many of you know what this feels like. Pretty close to the initial fall, there comes a pull of all kinds of physical, mental, and emotional strains. These usually make a return visit by week's end (which seems like a long time at that point!), and perhaps even a month down the road as well. At this very moment, I really want to go back to PMO. Even though I know the shame, the regret, and all the terrible pull it has had on me in the past. Reason struggles in the cloud of passion." and "My body is tense. I am bored and lonely. I have had a lot of stress lately, and today, I have wasted a lot of time..." Even items like these are useful to remember and compare to the present.
That was a lot, and I am sure I could keep writing. But, even so, day 90 has come at last. I am thankful for the support of this community. If anyone here ever needs help, I can lend an ear; this beast is best felled by many companions, after all.
As for my own continuing goals? I hope to add another 90 days (because the initial start of my 90 days still felt the effects of the relapse; this 90 will begin on a cleaner note and hopefully hasten the healing).
God bless!
A Modern Miroku
And a post-script celebratory anime ending song. Alas: