Chat room cheating?

Alright I'm on my 11th straight day of no masturbation/edging/porn, which is good for me. I was so close a couple of times in breaking that streak on the 4th or 5th day. I was flirting and/or having unnecessary chats with a woman in a chat room, where I knew that was a possibility. I didn't edge or anything but I WAS looking for some sort of thrill, I guess. So, this is why I was doing push-ups, jumping jacks, listening to music, etc. for a couple hours of my life last week during one evening. So…since then, I have made it more difficult for myself to even get to this chat service. But what are your thoughts on this? I would think it's a way to cut corners really. Some may even say going to a chat room where the expectation of explicit chat is there would be a form of porn maybe. Yet, I don't think it completely takes away my 11-day streak since I have not edged or anything. I got aroused but didn't act on it. But word of caution to anyone else doing something like this: It was not fun getting rid of that arousal through a cold shower, push ups or whatever. That feeling that's almost in the pit of the stomach, that craving, was making things unpleasant for me - and it was my own fault. So live and learn but just wanted to bring this topic up since I haven't seen much on it.

 

No doubt about it, giggleshmack, I went there to make myself available to see what would be offered. Mostly, it was nothing but then there was a situation I could have given in to. So, I need to boot it out of my life along with the other things I'm trying to minimize. Definitely a time waster and another way to feed the unwanted craving. Just wanted people's thoughts about whether or not my streak is really legit at this moment.

 

Markguy, you nailed it. I really couldn't put it into the words that you did but yes, the online chatting actually probably became more compulsive for me than the porn (but the chat might influence more porn or vice versa). So, the more I've explored this, the more I believe that yes, the chatting has the same effect as the porn - if not worse sometimes. And yeah, I'd go there to just "hang out" and any sort of "innocent" chat always had the weight of the chat going somewhere it didn't need to (but where I often embraced it going to). It started out as a way to deal with loneliness, I suppose, but then I'd even do it secretly during relationships so it became a problem. It's not easy to admit that. Not proud of it but I feel this online community is embracing of people who have had similar issues and I'm making an effort to fix the problem so I feel like being honest in a way I'm just not with others is necessary.

When I first started this thing, I thought I could maybe go to those chat places still sometimes but the last week tells me that is not the case. Then I sort of gave in last night. So, I feel like I've grown over the past 11 days and proved to myself that this is possible. But now it's time to cut out the "corner cutting" of explicit chats and I'm starting the streak over today: Day 1.

 

Thanks for the insight, Markguy. Your experience sounds similar to my own. That feeling of trying to fill the void is never really filled through the chatting. And I would get the feeling the other person was trying to feed their particular niche(s) like I was. Sort of self-serving, I guess. Not at all like relationships should be. Not to mention the element of having this "relationship" with a person you only type to. So, I want to be done with it. Thanks for the kind words. And best wishes to you as well.