Any tips on managing heavy urges?

[AbsentMinded]

I relapsed horribly yet again today because of really heavy urges. Yesterday it was pretty bad, but I pulled through, and today the pressure became almost unbareable for me. I could hardly focus on anything. I know abstaining won't be easy, but there must be some way to deal with it and press on regardless. It's really hard for me to pass that one week mark.
Does anyone here prehaps have some tips on how to manage heavy urges? Does it all depend on my willpower? I'm just looking for some sugestions, something I could try out in the time of need. I was even considering resetting every now and then, and by that I mean masturbating without porn whenever I feel the urges are too much to bare, but given that I pretty much only masturbate because of porn and I strongly associate masturbation with pornographic content, it's probably too risky and not really worth it.

 

[tsukuyomi16]

It sounds like you are on the wrong side of the urge. From the beginning you submit to the idea that there is a such thing as an urge too strong for you to resist, that there is a point where you cannot maintain self control. Start a new streak with a new mentality; no urge is strong enough to make me relinquish self control, bring it on.

 

[ChrisLearnsLoves]

Create new habits,
Nature Walks, Tech free days, walk around your neighborhood, talk to a friend, workouts, cold showers, etc.

and you say "horribly" what is that? you relapsed and its then very easy to give into the urge? Please forgive yourself and try again, what helps me is remembering what led up to the relapse and ask if its something I can change and live without?

Longer streaks will give you more discipline and self control, but there will always be a sexual urge.

why do you want to quit Porn/ masturbation?

 

[AbsentMinded]

Sorry for a late reply

why do you want to quit Porn/ masturbation?

- It's just not good for me, I do it way too much, excessively, for several years now. Even worse - masturbation and watching porn are inseparable in my case. mostly it's the porn I crave more than the sensation of masturbation alone.
- I wasted most of my adolescent years on this
- I want my self control back. I hate the fact that I'm dependent on this and that I can very hardly resist the temptation. I feel stuck in a loop of making the same mistakes over and over again ever since I realized I have a problem with this.
- I don't want to waste so much time and energy anymore, I want to better myself. I have my dreams and goals I want to achieve
- It negatively impacts my self esteem, and when I actually think about what I'm masturating to, I start feeling like a weirdo. Then after a few days I forget about it and the cycle repeats.

and you say "horribly" what is that? you relapsed and its then very easy to give into the urge?

It's hard for me to say what leads to the urges. I think generally it's boredom, feeling like I have nothing else to do (i try to combat this by making plans for the day) and the fact that I use too much internet, but it can also happen anywhere and anytime. There are days when I can manage my uges no problem, and there are days when they are so strong that I can hardly do anything else to get my mind off of that stuff.
Also maybe not in this case in particular, but when I manage to get pretty far, I can sometimes get weirdly nostalgic about this nasty stuff. Sounds crazy, but it's true - I sometimes catch myself thinking "wouldn't it be nice to let some steam off". That's probably because I started doing this ever since I turned about 13 or so, which sounds horrifying now that I'm writing this

 

[EscapingPMO]

For me I know how incredibly bad both mentally and physically I feel after PMO or even just plain MO.

I become weak and incapable of functioning as well in society

so for me, it’s fear of how I will feel that helps me avoid relapse