Day 11… crippling depression. Is this a side effect? Please help

It can definitely be a side effect or a withdrawal effect from avoiding PMO. The truth is although it truly sucks to feel the way you do, it will pass by. The phase we go through when we are abstaining will benefit us in the future. Our brains are venting on us and it will use anyway possible for us to get the "dopamine hit" it needs. We all know what will happen when we give in. The down affects of PMO are difficult but sooner or later you will be grateful to have come out the other side. Hang in there bud

 

You are experiencing the emotions you used to numb with pmo.

 

Yes 100%

 

It definitely is a side effect. For me, edging seems to be fine but stopping orgasming especially can cause depression to surface up. You feel great for the first few days then you literally cry in bed. But this is only temporary and it's mostly a signal that I'm SO dopamine deprived that I need to just play some video games or go do some long cardio. I don't accept those feelings as depression because a) they only last a day (no clinical psychologist would diagnose depression after only a few days) and b) I've had depression and that was something else entirely. I just accept the sad thoughts as my brain trying to reconfigure itself and by the next day I seem to bounce back, even happier than ever. If you're science and data driven, then you'd do well to read some studies on addicted brains and read up on the dopamine system.