Do you believe in permanent damage from PMO addiction?

Yea I think after doing PMO for years.... like majority of people I think it will have effects. Maybe we have rewired our brain to seek pleasure in other things than a real woman in front of you.
I haven't watched P or fapped nor do I look at women on the street.

 

90 days? 7 years? 7 years member of NoFap would make a mighty difference.

 

No one would be here believing that there could be permanent damage. We are here to have a normal life. To a certain extent it is matter of definition I think. To give a definition of "normal" is something impossible in my eyes. Is it like with alcoholics? Are we still tempted sometimes even years and years later? No one can answer that I believe. For myself I believe that at some stage we simply will have forgotten how to "throw away" our lifes watching porn and PMOing like young rabbits. Life is full of joy for food, real love, friendship, sports (for myself i love playing handball) or achievement (i'm currently working in a small start-up business). If we achieve a life we are happy with I think that no permanent damage could still be there and I see quite some members of nofap who achieved so! And that's my ultimate aim after 48 days abstaining completely from porn/masturbation

 

Scientifically behavioural addictions can't cause permanent damage.

 

I agree with this.

However, we have to become permanently aware that P is a potential weakness of ours and no matter what it can still have the power to bring us down - even though everything else has improved and we no longer feel the compulsions. That's something alcoholics have to come to accept in AA - I mean you do hear of alcoholics falling off the wagon (is that the right phrase?) after 30 years of sobriety. We can't change the fact that we can't let our guard down - but we can choose to become better people by turning our backs on P and in turn, get to know ourselves in a way we never would have dreamed. We can become leaders in the world in the areas of self discipline, de-objectiviation of women/men and love - and maintaining our guard is a small price to pay for that privilege.

 

Not even burned out neural pathways or dopamine whats-its?

I dunno.

 

Gary Wilson has already stated that behavioural addictions CANNOT cause irreversable damage to your neurological pathways. Porn/sex addictions are not like substance addictions where damage may be permanent.

I refuse to dispute this until someone can debunk Gary and his amazing knowledge and research regarding porn addiction and neuroplasticity.

 

The brain forms new neural pathways which are much stronger than them so this is not a permanent damage.

 

No, Just, no.

There will always be consequences of our addiction. But we have a choice to live a healthy life and not to be impacted by our addiction. Accept the consequences of your past, but don't let them affect your present or your future, not even for a second.

DS.

 

Stronger neural pathways. That's awesome!

 

Just part of growing up, some of us grow up later... so what?